The bathroom is the most utilized fixture at any home. This immense usage often means a clogged bathroom leads to a frustrated family — and a messy cleanup. The first step in preventing a toilet clog is understanding why the fixture is backing up.
Just in case, you’ll want to maintain a plunger nearby. However, being proactive is the best form of prevention.
Low Flow Toilets
There are a variety of old low flow toilets available on the market that lack the needed pressure to clear the trap and drain, which results in persistent clogs.
Take a peek at the stamped date on the back of your bathroom. If your version was made before the mid-1990s, you have a first-generation low flow toilet. If so, do not feel like you have to replace the fixture today. You can quickly reduce clogs by limiting toilet paper usage and avoiding clog-prone products.
Non-Flushable Items
In busy households or people with active kids, it’s easy to ignore what is being flushed down the toilet. Who wants to pay attention to that, right?
Your toilet was designed to dispose of particular materials. Flushing foreign items, like cotton balls, wet wipes, floss, and feminine hygiene products, limits drainage and causes backups. Speak with your family about these things and how best to avoid flushing them.
Clogged Trap
The trap of a bathroom is the curved pipe that sits just under the fixture. Its job is to prevent sewer gasses from entering your home through the plumbing.
As time passes, toilet paper, paper towels, and non-flushable items may become clogged in the trap and cause a backup. Using a plunger must loosen the blockage, but limiting toilet paper and hard-to-flush items are your very best bet.