Having a toilet that is clogged is frustrating, but what is almost equally frustrating is to call for plumbing service to repair, the plumber shows up, and 5 minutes later they say “Well we are all good”.
You exclaim “That is it !?”
He says “Yep, I flushed it and everything is working fine.” Or something similarly simple.
Some Of The Most Common Causes Of Toilet Clogs – How To Avoid The Clog Problem In The 1st Place
Toilet clogs occur for a variety of reasons some of which are:
- Way too much toilet paper – remember it may be better to make that extra flush than risk a clog.
- Flushable Wipes – I know they say flushable on them. But these older homes which are quite common in York PA can not take them. The wipes do not break up. Also, the old sewer lines are made of cast iron pipe. Over time they get buildup inside which can cause the wipes to get snagged on the rough edges, and thus a backup begins.
Actionable Steps You Can Do – To Save Yourself A Trip By The Plumber
- Let it sit for a couple of hours – That could be three or four hours. Now if this is the only toilet in your house this may not be the best solution. But if you have another toilet and have the patience to wait it out and think it is most likely just toilet paper, this is a good strategy.
- Metal Coat Hanger – You can try a metal coat hanger. If I am at home and don’t have my tools with me, I would cut a coat hanger and bend it as long as I can. On the one end, I would make a little hook to grab any debris. Then I would stick it up as far as I can to help break up the blockage.
- Just Flush It – The other thing you can do is try flushing the toilet when it’s clogged.
- The more water that is in the bowl the more head pressure that is on the clog and that might help it push it out through.
- ***WARNING*** Before you try this have the toilet lid off. If the water comes up too high – Just push the flapper (in the bottom center of the tank, the hole where the water is going) down as fast as you can.
- Plunger – Try a regular old plunger.
- Toilet Auger – These are available at many home improvement stores.
- Check Water Flow – Make sure the jets are open the whole way around the rim of the toilet. Also check the main jet at the bottom of the bowl (the main jet is not in all toilets). Over time buildup occurs in these jets and the flow of water decreases. This is especially true on well systems with calcium deposits.
- These jets are going the whole way around your toilet. They are up under the rim. I use a little Allen wrench or hex key tool. Go up inside your holes, just wiggle it around and open them up.
- Then I make sure to hit the main jet at the bottom.
Last Resort – What To Do
We offer some additional steps for removing a clog on another clearing a clogged toilet post here.
If you tried all of the above or you decided none of the above steps are in your job description we would love to take care of your toilet troubles with a quick no hassle service call.
Call 717-755-5461 and Crystal will get one of the friendly techs out right away.
For over 60 years we’ve been York County’s Plumbing, Heating, & Cooling specialists. Our team services Wrightsville, York City, Spring Grove, Fairview Township, Shrewsbury & everywhere in between!