Is your residential toilet backing up? From slow draining water to a gurgling drain and foul odor coming from your bathroom, the signs of a toilet backup are too obvious to ignore. If you don't take action immediately, your toilet will overflow and lead to many problems, including property damage, poor sanitation, and increased household illnesses. Bringing in a professional plumber early enough will help you minimize or potentially avoid these risk factors. But why do toilets back up?
Read along to learn the most likely reasons why you may experience this problem in your home.
Dumping The Wrong Things In Your Toilet
Do you pay attention to what goes down your toilet drain? Toilet backup can occur if you flush unacceptable items down your toilet. Some common everyday things that should never go down the toilet drain include:
- Paper towels
- Dental floss
- Baby wipes and diapers
- Feminine hygiene products, such as tampons and sanitary pads
- Children's toys
- Cosmetic wipes
- Cotton swabs
- Cigarette butts
Generally speaking, anything other than human waste and toilet paper is a no-no for your toilet.
Neglecting Maintenance On Your Toilet Drain
Do you take good care of your domestic plumbing? Maintaining your home's plumbing system (including your toilet drain) regularly helps catch and fix problems that may lead to expensive plumbing repairs down the line. If you're guilty of neglecting maintenance on your residential drains, toilet backup may happen, forcing you to finally pay some attention to your home's plumbing.
Having Aging Drain Pipes
Toilet drains consist of pipes that gradually deteriorate over time, causing them to break or collapse. If your toilet drain pipes are too old, they may crumble down and obstruct the smooth flow of wastewater and sewage. The only way to fix the problem is to remove and replace the damaged pipes.
Having A Blocked Sewer Main
Another reason why your toilet may back up is that the main sewer line is blocked. In such cases, your plumber will recommend a sewer unblocking service to see if the problem will go away. If it persists, you may require a toilet unblocking service too.
If you see the signs of a toilet backup in your home, don't wait until it's too late to take action. Acting fast helps minimize disruption to your daily household routine and keep home repairs as low as possible.
Contact a local plumber for more information on toilet backup.