Common Objects That Clog Toilets
It is sad to realize that many homeowners spend a lot of money each year to hire plumbers to unclog their toilet or plumbing system. It’s unfortunate because a significant fraction of those emergency plumbing calls could have been avoided if only the homeowners and their family members knew that they shouldn’t flush certain common objects down the toilet. Here are the most common objects that clog toilets.
Excessive Amounts of Toilet Paper
Most people instinctively know how much toilet paper to use and flush down the toilet. However, kids may not have such rationality, and they will quickly turn flushing toilet paper into a game. When a large amount of toilet paper is flushed in one go, it can bunch itself into a tight ball as it travels down the drain. That ball of toilet paper will not degrade as rapidly as expected, and a clog may develop at that point where the ball has snagged. Fox Valley plumbers advise parents to teach their kids to refrain from flushing excessive amounts of toilet paper.
Don’t Flush Hair
Are you in the habit of cleaning your pet dog in your bathtub and then letting the fur flow down the drain? Or do you collect that fur and flush it down the toilet? Whether it is human or animal hair, never flush it down your toilet. Many plumbers in Appleton, WI admit that the number one cause of shower drain clogs is hair. A better option is to place a strainer on the bathtub drain so that all the hair is collected and disposed of properly with the trash. Don’t even think of dumping it in the toilet!
Don’t Flush Feminine Hygiene Products
It is common to find signage in public restrooms reminding users not to flush feminine hygiene products like tampons and sanitary towels down the toilet. However, some people don’t implement the same advice at home. Those products aren’t biodegradable, and they will clog the toilet sooner rather than later. Always have a trash can in the bathroom so that such products can be disposed of with the trash instead of finding their way into the toilet. The number of times you have to call a Fox Valley plumber for help regarding a clogged toilet will reduce significantly once you make this one change.
Don’t Flush Paper Towels
There’s a reason why a trash can is placed close to the sink where you wash your hands after using a public restroom. That can is intended to be a receptacle for the paper towel you use to dry your hands. While paper towels are made from, well, paper, they are thick and will not break down easily when flushed. In case you weren’t aware that paper towels shouldn’t be flushed, now you know. Talk to a plumber in Appleton, WI about the plumbing problems caused by paper towels if you still have doubts about the dangers of flushing paper towels.
Don’t Flush Toys
This one seems obvious, but curious and playful kids will not hesitate to turn flushing toys into a game. All it takes is just one toy to get stuck anywhere in the plumbing drains, and you will have a major clog in the system. As you know, kids will always be kids, so take the precaution of having someone to supervise them at all times if they have toys while in the bathroom.
Don’t Flush Baby Wipes and Diapers
You may think that flushing diapers may be a quick fix to the odors, but that quick fix will cost you once the toilet develops a clog. The same risk will take place when you flush baby wipes or any type of wipe. Don’t believe it when the packaging of the wipes says that they are “flushable.” What the manufacturers mean differs from what your plumber in Appleton, WI will regard as flushable. This is because anything you flush should degrade in a short time so that blockages don’t develop in the plumbing system.
There are many other common objects that you should refrain from flushing down the toilet. A simple way to remember them all is to adopt a simple rule that you and your family members should only flush toilet paper and nothing else. Call Tureks Plumbing Services if you suspect that a clog is preventing your toilet from draining as quickly as it should. We shall send an experienced Fox Valley plumber to assess the situation and perform the needed work before your toilet backs up.