Top Reasons Your Toilet Keeps Clogging

Your toilet is used daily and you probably don’t spend too much time thinking about how it works. The simple fact is that you use it, pull the flush, and the waste products disappear.

Of course, this all changes when you experience issues with your toilet. One of the most common problems is when it continually clogs. You will probably want to contact a local and reliable plumber Sydney. This is a good option but it can also help to understand what is happening and what the most common reasons for toilet clogs are.

Your Toilet is old

If your toilet has been in place for a long time then you are probably using an old model. Older models often have low flow. When they are new this is fine. However, most times you flush the low flow doesn’t eliminate the waste completely, it leaves a tiny amount in the pipes.

Over time, this builds up until the pipes are clogged.

You can eliminate the clog with the aid of a drain camera, toilet auger, plunger, and even a set of drain rods. But, to permanently solve the issue you will need to replace the toilet with a modern version.

Flushing the Wrong Things

Your toilet is designed to handle solid waste and toilet paper, nothing else. That means no sanitary products or even children’s toys. If these items are regularly going into the toilet then you are likely to experience regular clogs.

After eliminating the clog you’ll need to blast the pipes to ensure they are clear and then make sure none of the offending items are going down the toilet. Stick to solid human waste and toilet paper.

Too Much Toilet Paper

Toilet paper is designed to go down the pipes without clogging. However, using too much toilet paper can cause an issue. In reality, you should only need a few squares of paper and you’ll never experience an issue. If you use too many they will get stuck in the S trap that is part of your toilet.

This issue can be compounded if you use ‘luxury’ toilet paper. The higher the ply count the harder it is for the toilet to break down the paper and prevent clogs.

In short, try to use less toilet paper.

Blocked Vents

Your toilet system has a vent pipe, it usually goes above the roofline. What you may not realize is that this vent is actually designed to allow air into your system. Air in the pipes increases the pressure when you flush, helping to prevent clogs.

If the vent pipe is blocked, such as by a bird's nest, the air pressure will drop and your flushes will not be powerful enough, you will get a clog.

You need to check your vent pipes and remove any blockages to restore pressure.

It is also possible that your main sewer line is clogged, this will slow all the drains down in your home and you’ll need drain rods to unclog and a camera to assess the issue. It can simply be an accumulation of waste. But, it can also be because the pipe is damaged and waste can’t flow past smoothly.

It’s worth getting a professional to check.