Terrible Toilet Troubles*
*And How to Avoid Them
Toilet function is one of the most crucial tools of home comfort. While nothing works 100% of the time, a little care and maintenance will keep a toilet functioning much longer than neglect. Here are some tips as we head into the heavy toilet failure season, a.k.a. Holidays.
Easy does it
Flushing toilet paper is best done in small increments. If you’re going to put a large amount of paper down the toilet, do so in small increments with flushes in between. Such a practice allows the material to move down the pipes instead of becoming stuck.
Like puppies and babies, toilets don’t like to be overfed, and the results are much the same. What we put into it is going to create a clog, and everything flushed down after that is going to come back up. These include things like ‘flushable’ (Ha!) wipes, paper towels, baby diapers, Q-Tips, makeup remover pads, condoms, feminine products, and wrappers for ~anything~. In fact, if it isn’t toilet paper, it shouldn’t be flushed!
Small children should be overseen around toilets as they have a propensity for flushing toys and other small objects down the toilet out of curiosity.
Holidays put a terrible stain on the family plumbing system, but the toilet in particular, because everyone uses it. Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for plumbers because of toilet overuse.
Roots
If you have trees within the immediate vicinity of your plumbing lines, a slowing or backup of the system could indicate a tree root problem. A tree root problem has to be cleared up by a plumber. But, with drain inspection cameras and jet rooters, digging up the yard to find root-infested pipes has mostly become a thing of the past.
Other problems
Some other issues are a toilet that makes odd sounds, smells terrible, leaks, fills slowly, continually runs, flushes itself, or won’t flush. These are indicative of a leak, broken mechanism, unsealed wax ring, cracked flange, or other problem. It’s essential to get small toilet problems repaired before they make everyone in the home miserable or lead to more significant issues.
Whether your toilet problem is a minor one like overuse or a major one like tree root invasion, we can help. We use state-of-the-art plumbing tools and equipment, and have the knowledge and experience to get your toilet working again in no time.
If you need a licensed, bonded, insured plumber for your Phoenix area leak or your next plumbing project, call MNS Plumbing today at 602-362-4524.
