How to Prevent Toilet Clogs
Most of us are familiar with the panicky feeling when a toilet clogs, especially if water spills onto the floor. While the toilet that doesn’t clog has yet to be invented, you can avoid most blockages with some simple tips. Join us as we explore how to prevent toilet clogs.
Understanding the Common Causes of Toilet Clogs
Roto-Rooter technicians unclog toilets every day. Over the years, we’ve compiled a list of the most common causes of toilet clogs, including:
Non-Flushable Items
Wet wipes, Q-tips, dental floss, cotton balls, feminine hygiene products, and small toys are common causes of clogs. These items aren't designed to break down after flushing and can accumulate in the toilet trap or further down the drainpipe.
Worn Toilet Parts
Old flapper valves, faulty tank floats, and blocked rim jets reduce flushing pressure, increasing the risk of a clog.
Blocked Plumbing Vents
Plumbing vents prevent air pressure vacuums that reduce drain flow. Leaves, sticks, animal nests, and other debris can block plumbing vents.
Clogged Sewer Lines
Grease, hair, foreign objects, and tree roots can all cause clogs in your main sewer line. Damage to the line can reduce proper flow, increasing clog risks.
Routine Toilet Maintenance
- Check the bowl and tank for leaks.
- Check the shut-off valve once a month to ensure it’s working correctly.
- Check the fill valve by removing the tank lid and flushing the toilet. If the fill valve continues to release water after the tank refills, it may need repair or replacement.
- Check your landscape to see if shrubs, trees, or other plants are too close to your sewer line. Tree root infiltration is a common cause of sewer line clogs.
We don't recommend using harsh clog-busting chemical mixes as part of your maintenance schedule. Such corrosive products damage toilets and plumbing pipes over time.
How to Prevent Clogging the Toilet
Don't Use Too Much Toilet Paper
Using too much toilet paper is one of the most common causes of a clogged toilet. Toilet paper is made to dissolve, but it doesn't dissolve instantly. Excess paper can block the P-trap or floor drain. If more paper is needed than the toilet can hold, flush the toilet, use more toilet paper, and then flush again.
Don't Use the Toilet as a Garbage Disposal
It’s surprising how many people flush small particles of food down the toilet because the hole and drain are larger than the kitchen sink. You may be able to get away with this occasionally, but when you repeatedly put food down a toilet, it eventually gets clogged. Instead, put food scraps into a plastic garbage sack and take it outside to the dumpster or trash can.
Avoid Putting Grease in Your Drains
Grease should never go down any drain, including the toilet. The cool water in the toilet bowl solidifies grease almost instantly, forming a sticky mass. Grease slowly builds up on the walls of plumbing pipes, trapping other objects flowing down the drain and eventually blocking the water flow completely.
Avoid Flushing Foreign Objects
Toilets are not trash cans. Only flush human waste and toilet paper. Anything else can cause serious clogs.
Keep the Lid Closed
Small toys, combs, toothbrushes, jewelry—we’ve seen them all cause toilet clogs. Keeping the lid closed prevents small items from falling into the bowl and getting caught in your pipes.
Double-Flush
It’s a bit of a sensitive subject, but we’ve all experienced moments when (how to put this?) more than usual goes into the toilet. In such circumstances, it’s better to flush repeatedly rather than letting waste and toilet paper build up in the bowl.
How to Plunge a Toilet
- Submerge the plunger cup so the entire flange is under water.
- Form a tight seal.
- Plunge repeatedly with an up-and-down motion, repeating as needed.
For more help, check out our tips for effectively using a plunger. Or watch this Roto-Rooter video and it will show you not only the proper equipment every home should have, but also how to plunge a toilet like a plumber.
Turn to Roto-Rooter for Tough Clog Removal
If all of these tips don't help alleviate toilet clogs, or if you notice that other sinks and drains are slow, the problem may not be your toilet. You may have a problem further down the line that requires the special skills of a plumber. If that ever happens to you, contact Roto-Rooter. We’re on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to get your clogged toilet flushing smoothly again.