Tips for Avoiding Bathroom Plumbing Disasters At Your Holiday Party

How To Avoid Plumbing Disasters During Your Holiday Party

It is no secret that anyone who ever hosts a party at their house wants everything to go perfectly. However, this is not always the case! Imagine having a huge dinner party and suddenly there is a toilet malfunction. With the holidays rapidly approaching, it is even more important to prevent any possible toilet malfunctions from happening. Not only will it prevent an embarrassing mishap, but also it can limit any damage caused by toilet plumbing issues.

Avoiding the Dreaded Clogged Toilet

Toilet clogs are one of the most common plumbing issues. Many of the calls that plumbers receive deal with people in panic mode over their inability to flush their toilets. Besides having to deal with the looks and smell of the problem, homeowners need to be concerned with overflow causing water damage to the bathroom. Here are a few tips to help make sure you don’t become a victim of this common problem.

Double-Flush

One of the biggest culprits of clogged toilets is too much toilet paper. It is advisable to flush once after doing your business and then flushing once again after the toilet paper has been used. Flushing half at a time can greatly reduce the risk of a clog.

Flushing Extra Objects

The toilet is built for one purpose only: take care of human waste. If it is doesn’t come out of your body, it should not be flushed down the toilet. It is not a garbage can. Parents should not flush baby wipes and diapers down the toilet, but rather, purchase a diaper can to handle those larger objects.

Tree Roots

One of the more unknown reasons for a toilet clog comes from tree roots. Tree roots are a natural enemy to any plumber because they grow into the underground pipes and clog them up. A plumber should be called immediately to snake your pipes to check for the problem. If tree roots are considered to be the cause of the problem, there are many plumbing solutions available to kill roots and can be done once a year.

Sewer Lines Blocked

There is nothing more confusing than when you flush the toilet and notice that the water is heading up instead of down! Many of the reasons that humans can clog a toilet can be attributed to the sewer lines becoming blocked.

Sagging Sewer Line

Sags are known as the belly in the pipe. Wastewater cannot exit easily when the sewer is sagging into the earth. If the pipe is “U” shaped, imagine that the waste can’t make it up to the other end of the “U”. Sagging sewer lines are typically caused by soil shifting from the weight of the house. A plumber should be called to check on the slope of your plumbing system.

Pouring Grease Down the Drain

Grease is a huge reason for toilet cloggings. The grease hardens as it heads inside the sewer line, which will ultimately lead to an untimely clog. Other objects can get caught up in the grease as well. For the safety of your sewer line, please stop pouring grease down your toilet.

Tree Roots and Trash Cans

As discussed above, if you use your toilet as an additional trash can, it is going to affect your sewer line. Tree roots can also make their way into your pipes. If the sewer pipe leaks just a small amount, the roots will try to access this moisture through your pipes. They will surround the pipe and break into it and eventually block the line.

Preventative Maintenance is the Way to Go!

Being proactive is always the way to go! Homeowners should keep track of their toilets and check regularly for any possible signs of damage. If you have a running or leaking toilet, act immediately. These leaks can typically be slow and hard to spot. Most are likely to happen within the tank itself with water leaking in the bowl and then down your drain. This is wasted money and should be fixed immediately.

Inspect your toilet every six months or so. A regular routine of yours should be to make sure that everything appears to be in working order. Simply remove the tank lid, flush the toilet, and see if all the components in the tank are working properly.

Be careful not to use chemical drain cleaners to unclog a toilet. They can be harmful to your health and can be damaging older fixtures and pipes. If you have a septic system, this can also be harmful because of the good bacteria they could be killed in there.

Finally, call a plumber when you sense something is wrong. Some jobs may be more than you can handle and you never want to make a toilet situation worse than what it is. A professional plumber can diagnose the problem immediately and properly fix it for you. With a good maintenance program in place, your toilet should last you many years.

About E.R. Services

E.R. Services is a full-service plumbing and restoration company dedicated to the residential and commercial plumbing and restoration needs of residents in the Charlotte, NC area. Since 1997, E.R. Services understand that plumbing issues can happen at any time and they promise that their customers will not pay a penny more than their regular competitive rates you would pay on a weekday.

• 
  +
• 
  +
• 
  +
• 
  +