When a toilet clogs, you have a problem in need of an immediate fix. That usually involves a plunger. A toilet can clog for several reasons. Few of us have the time to take everything apart and really have a look at what’s going on. A plunger works.
Though clearing a clogged toilet is easy, not addressing the underlying root cause will mean a toilet continues clogging. The process of plunging a toilet is going to get old very quickly and should you have a guest over, it’s very embarrassing to explain. If you don’t want to have to seemingly deal with your clogged toilet in perpetuity, finding out the true reason why it’s happening is key.
Below are the eight most common reasons why your toilet keeps clogging for no reason. Spoiler alert: There’s always a reason.
Reason #1: You’re putting too much in the toilet.
Some toilets are not equipped with all the water pressure that we’d like. This means when too much material is put in, it doesn’t all get pushed all the way through. If things fall together in a certain way in the pipe, what you end up with is a clog. Although you can work on fixing the pressure issue, a much more reasonable course of action is to restrict your flushes to smaller packages of materials. This will ensure everything gets pushed through.
Reason #2: You’re using 2-ply toilet paper.
Toilet paper needs time to absorb water and start dissolving. Certain types of 2-ply toilet paper struggles to do that. You can either do one of two things to solve this – buy other toilet paper or wait longer before flushing so that the toilet paper can start dissolving. If it’s a question of the thickness of the toilet paper, you can fold over thinner toilet paper until you have the thickness you desire.
Reason #3: The toilet trap might be clogged.
A toilet has an S-sized trap that sits between the toilet bowl and drain line. It’s designed to stop objects from going further down the drain line. If you have a clog in the line, this is likely where that’s going to happen. To fix this, plunging the toilet can force water through and move the object along. If this doesn’t work, use an auger to rotate in the drain and break up the material there. If after a plunger and an auger, you still have a clog, it’s best to call a plumber Hamilton.
Reason #4: Your toilet flapper is not opening properly.
The flapper is what lets water flow from your tank and into the toilet bowl. It essentially creates your flush. When it isn’t all the way open, not enough water is pushed out and in turn, you get a flush that’s fairly weak. To put this to the test, adjust the chain that connects the flapper to the flush handle. Ensure that everything’s behaving as you expect it to. If you find it not doing the job it’s supposed to and you can’t adjust it to fully fix it, this is another situation where a plumber may be needed.
Reason #5: Your toilet vent is blocked by something.
Yes, that’s right. Your toilets have a vent. This allows fresh air to get into the plumbing system, subsequently increasing the pressure of flushes. When this gets blocked, you lose pressure on a flush. A toilet vent is most likely blocked at the roof level or where they connect to a home’s sewer line. To fix this, you will need to get on your roof, get to the vent, remove the cap, and then, remove the debris. You can do this with a garden hose or toilet auger. It’s a big job.
Reason #6: You are flushing things which shouldn’t be flushed.
Non-toilet paper and hygiene products shouldn’t ever be flushed. This is sure to cause a clog. Flushable wipes are another common mistake. Q-tips. Cotton balls. There is a long list of often-used bathroom essentials which should be placed in the trashcan rather than the toilet. If this is happening to you, the fix is easy. Don’t put these items in the toilet and you’ll avoid the clog. Anything that goes into the toilet has to be dissolvable.
Reason #7: Your toilet has an older model low-flow design.
The issue could be a lack of a flush from an older toilet. Some older low-flow toilets do not have enough pressure to push material through the trap and drain. Thereby what happens is some material gets left behind along the route. This leads to a clog. To fix it, replacing the toilet is best. If you can’t do that, use less toilet paper or flush more often. This should prevent the clog from reoccurring or, at the very least, reduce how much it occurs.
Reason #8: Your sewer line is clogged.
A clogged sewer line means a clog left your plumbing fixtures but is now trapped further down. Issues with drainage throughout the home are often caused by sewer line clogs. These are challenging to fix and can only be done by a plumber. A clogged sewer line can also get this way through a tree root penetration or sewer line infiltration. It can happen in many ways so is not entirely the fault of the person using the toilet. Regardless, call a plumber to schedule a drain cleaning.
