A toilet that keeps clogging can not only be annoying but also a major sign of a serious plumbing problem. Knowing what’s causing the blockage is the first step to fixing the problem. While you can easily fix some of the issues that cause your toilet to clog with a change of habits or DIY troubleshooting, some may require the services of a plumbing company. In this article, we’ll look at some of the common reasons your toilet keeps clogging, so you can have it fixed as soon as possible:
1. Flushing Non-Flushable Materials
One of the most common causes of constant toilet clogging is flushing non-flushable items down the toilet drain. These can include foreign objects such as plastics, toys, baby wipes, and trash. Items often advertised as flushable such as wet wipes, facial tissues, ear swabs, and sanitary pads could also contribute to your clogging problem.
When you flush these non-flushable items down the toilet, they usually get trapped in the toilet drain or plumbing lines, causing your toilet to get clogged. The only thing that you should flush down the toilet drain is human waste and toilet paper. Always avoid flushing any non-flushable item in your toilet. Instead, you should dispose of them in the trash.
2. Sewer Line Clog
Your toilet may also keep clogging if your home’s sewer line is clogged. That happens when clogs fully exit your drain lines and plumbing fixtures and get trapped in the main sewer line. Your home’s sewer line may also get clogged due to external causes such as sewer line breaks, tree root penetrations, or dirt and debris getting into the sewer line via cracked or broken pipes.
When your sewer line becomes clogged, it causes drainage problems throughout the entire drain lines of your home. As a result, your toilet keeps clogging until the blockage in the sewer line is removed, or the broken line replaced or repaired.
3. Toilet Vent Blockage
Toilet vents help release sewer gasses safely via your home’s roof, keeping the awful smell out of your living areas and preventing pressure buildup in the drain lines. Your toilet vent also plays an important role in improving your toilet’s flushing power. By allowing outside air to get into your plumbing system, your toilet vent helps create pressure and suction within the drain lines, increasing the flushing pressure.
However, your toilet vent can become sealed or obstructed by clogs that make their way through the toilet drain or by foreign objects from the outdoors like a clump of old leaves. And when your toilet vent becomes blocked, the flushing pressure of your toilet reduces significantly. This leads to poor drainage, causing your toilet to keep clogging. A blocked toilet vent may also lead to a buildup of sewer smells inside your home.
Endnote
Use the problems mentioned above to identify what could be causing your toilet to keep clogging. Once you’ve identified the cause, take appropriate measures to get rid of the clog and remedy the problem. If it’s something difficult to correct on your own or you can’t seem to find the cause of the problem, you may need the help of a licensed plumber. Your plumber will inspect your home’s plumbing system and toilet to identify the cause of the recurring blockages and have the issue fixed professionally.