A clogged toilet often leads to sewage spilling out onto the floor. Besides the unpleasant odor from the spillage, a clogged toilet could harbor harmful germs, which are a health risk to your loved ones. If your toilet frequently clogs, you should call a plumbing service in Jacksonville, FL to diagnose the problem and fix it as soon as possible.
Why Does My Toilet Frequently Clog?
You Have an Older Low Flow Toilet
Investing in a low-flow toilet is a great way to conserve water and save money on your monthly water bill. One type of water-efficient toilet is the dual-flush variant, which flushes less forcefully for liquid wastes but with greater force for solid wastes. Because the flush utilizes less water to force the toilet paper and waste down the toilet trap and into the drainpipe, low-flow toilets, regardless of design, can be prone to clogging issues. Models from the first few generations, inherently less efficient than newer ones, are particularly vulnerable to this issue. If the toilet keeps getting blocked, it’s probably time to replace it, even if it looks fine elsewhere.
This problem can be alleviated by urging people to flush only little amounts of waste and toilet paper at a time. This can be inconvenient, so it’s best to call a plumbing service to install a newer model that saves water without compromising efficiency.
Flushable Wipes
Baby wipes, despite popular belief, should never be disposed of in the toilet. These everyday household items are the leading cause of clogged toilets and can lead to costly repairs if flushed down the toilet. Even though many baby wipes and toilet paper products contain a logo indicating they are safe for flushing, they can cause a major clog, especially if the drain is already slightly blocked, to begin with.
Never flush a wipe, even if it says it’s “flushable.” To keep the toilets from being blocked, please toss them in the garbage instead.
You’re Flushing Foreign Objects
Children love to play with water, and yes, that includes toilet water. They are also fond of enigmatic bodies of water that magically carry things to another dimension. For some reason, the toilet never ceases to fascinate young children. Because of this, one of the most prevalent causes of clogs is children’s toys and other objects that they flush down the toilet. Plenty of things can fit through the bowl but get stuck in the pipes, necessitating a call to a plumbing service.
People also try to flush things like disposable clothes, sanitary goods, napkins, ear swabs, and even hair. Flushing them can cause clogs in the toilet or the plumbing system because they are incompatible with the system.
Remind your family members that the toilet is not a garbage can. Every restroom should have a wastebasket for discarding objects incompatible with the toilet.
An Obstructed Toilet Trap
Plumbing fixtures are equipped with a trap to prevent debris from entering the sewer line and causing backups. It’s easy to spot the P-trap in the sink’s cabinet, but the bowl hides the S-trap in the toilet. Like the sink trap, the toilet trap prevents foreign objects from entering the pipework further.
A blockage in the toilet trap is one of the most prevalent causes of toilet blockages. The trap area becomes clogged when excessive waste is flushed down the toilet. In cases where the trap is only partially blocked, the toilet may flush with slower drainage. But as any homeowner will find out, if the toilet bowl overflows and wastewater spills out onto the bathroom floor, partial clogs almost always escalate to full ones. Don’t wait until this happens. Call a plumbing service immediately if you notice slower drainage in your toilet when you flush.
There Is an Issue with the Plumbing Vents
A home’s plumbing system includes more than simply the pipes transporting water to the various fixtures and the pipes carrying wastewater away from the building. Ventilation pipes are vital to the plumbing system because they maintain consistent pressure throughout the system and stop water from being sucked out of the drain traps and into the house, where it can cause a foul odor and health hazards.
The pressure alone may prevent a full flush if there is a problem with the ventilation line leading to your roof. Sometimes there is a clog in the pipe, like a clump of old leaves, and other times it’s because the vent wasn’t constructed or placed correctly. Contact a plumbing service in Jacksonville, FL to diagnose and fix the issue.
You’re Using Too Much Toilet Paper
Toilet tissue is designed to dissolve as soon as it hits the water. However, not all brands dissolve effectively. Both high-end “luxury” brands and inexpensive toilet paper can fail to disintegrate as expected. Some toilet paper is virtually as strong as newsprint.
The accumulation of toilet paper and other organic matter in the line can cause the toilet not to flush effectively, even when you’re only flushing water. You’ll have to use a plunger; if that fails, call a plumbing service to use a professional-grade snaking tool.
You Have a Hard Water Problem
Florida has a hard water problem. While it’s safe for bathing and drinking, hard water can build up in your pipes and clog your toilets with a calcified, white substance that’s a pain to get out. Mineral deposits in pipes caused by hard water increase the frequency of plumbing issues like clogged toilets.
The easiest fix is to call a plumbing service in to flush out the system with a solution. However, if you are looking for a more permanent fix, you should have a plumber install a water softener to prevent mineral buildup in your toilet.
The Tank Does Not Have Enough Water
If there is an issue with the incoming water supply line to the toilet, the tank may not fill completely. When the tank isn’t filled, flushing the toilet won’t generate enough force to clear the bowl, resulting in a backed-up or clogged toilet. Call a plumbing service to check the water supply line for leaks and to check the supply valve. They’ll have to change the fill valve if neither is the issue.
Call Bert Norman’s Plumbing
Contact Bert Norman’s Plumbing immediately if you’re having trouble with a clogged toilet. Having professional plumbers on your side will save you the trouble of dealing with this problem repeatedly. Let us examine your home’s plumbing system to determine the root cause of the toilet’s frequent blockages. When you choose us, you can rest assured that the problem will be fixed. Call Bert Norman’s Plumbing at 904-225-5888 or contact us online if you need plumbing services in Jacksonville, FL. Where your plunger fails, we won’t.