Your toilet is one of the most used fixtures inside of your home. This means when it becomes clogged, it can lead to several messy problems.
Understanding why your toilet is backing up will help you to prevent future blockage.
Some of the most common reasons why your toilet keeps clogging include the following:
1. Low Flow Toilet
One common reason a toilet may frequently be clogged is that you have a first-generation low-flow toilet, which means your toilet is older.
Many older low-flow toilets will lack the necessary pressure to clear their drain and trap, which will result in regular clogs.
To know if you have a low-flow toilet, you can look at the back of the toilet for a stamped date.
Having an older toilet does not immediately mean you need to replace it. To reduce clogs, you can limit the amount of toilet paper that you use.
2. You Flushed a Non-Flushable Item
Toilets are designed to only dispose of specific materials, such as human waste and toilet paper.
If you flush any of the following items you will run the risk of frequent clogging:
- Cotton Balls
- Feminine Products
- Baby Wipes
- Paper Towels
- Tissues
- Q-Tips
If you are careful not to flush items that are not supposed to be flushed, you could dramatically reduce the clogging problem with your toilet.
3. Clogged Trap
There is an S-shaped trap between the drain line and the bowl which can become clogged or backed up with toilet paper.
The trap is there to keep the drain itself from becoming clogged. If certain objects get stuck, it can plug the trap.
Normally a plunger can take care of the problem, by loosening the blockage and removing the clog altogether.
4. Blocked Plumbing Vent
Modern toilets use roof vents to funnel fresh air into the plumbing system and boost flushing pressure. Over time, the vents can become blocked or clogged with sticks, leaves, or even a bird’s nest.
When the toilet vent is clogged, it will reduce the flushing pressure and cause the toilet to clog on a regular basis.
To remove this type of blockage, it is best to hire a professional plumber to clear the vents and restore your toilet to its normal function.
5. Clogged Sewer Line
Your toilet may become clogged on a regular basis if there is a blockage in the sewer line.
If this is the case, no amount of plunging will be able to clear the blockage from the line.
A sewer line can become clogged with debris, tree roots, or non-flushable material. When this occurs, you will need to hire a licensed plumber to remove the blockage from the sewer line so your toilet can function like normally.
Contact a Licensed Plumber to Help With Your Clog
If you begin to notice that your toilet is clogged on a regular basis, it is always good to call a licensed plumbing professional to diagnose and fix the problem.
Some clogged toilets can be fixed easily, and other issues will need to be addressed by someone with experience.
The licensed Plumbers at Assured Comfort are available 24/7 to take care of any plumbing issues you may be experiencing.
Our plumbers are dedicated to providing high-quality, professional services to homeowners throughout metro Atlanta.
We have been fixing plumbing issues for over 30 years.
Our team of plumbers can fix any plumbing issue that you may have. We are dedicated to making sure your plumbing system is up and running again in no time.