TORC Top Tip for Tenants: The 4 Most Common Causes of Blocked Toilets
One of the most common causes of blocked toilets that the TORC Repairs team have witnessed is Toilet Fresheners. Residents should be careful when using toilet fresheners and replace them regularly. Better yet, give the plastic clip on ones a miss and use a ‘cistern block’ or a deodorizing spray instead – it could save you a blocked toilet!
Keep the area around the toilet bowl clear as well – items such as soaps, extra toilet paper, brushes and combs can easily get knocked into the bowl and fall down the drain eventually leading to a clogged toilet drain.
While everyone enjoys the convenience and hygiene of toilets and indoor plumbing, it is important to remember that some objects and substances are too much for the system to handle. Below are the 5 Most Common Clogs in Toilets that plumbers have seen:
Toilet Fresheners
Toilet fresheners are often accidentally flushed down toilets. The freshener bar or disc inside the fresheners that hang on the rim of the toilet often become hardened if not replaced regularly, allowing it to slip free into the toilet below.
Hair
Many people wrongly think that occasionally using the plumbing system to dispose of hair is relatively harmless. Hair can build up in critical pipes and joints and one day compact into a dense clog that may require professional help to remove.
Feminine Hygiene
Most feminine hygiene products are not meant to be disposed of by flushing down a toilet. Tampons and sanitary pads, engineered precisely to absorb liquids, can swell inside of tight joints or pipes until they become a serious clog.
Triple Ply, Triple Threat / wipes
While all toilet paper is designed to be flushed, introducing large quantities of toilet paper at one time can form a dense ball and clog the toilet. Large wads or “balls” of crumpled toilet paper should never be introduced into the toilet.
If you can see the dense ball of toilet paper at the bottom of the bowl, you may be able to remove the clog yourself by using a toilet plunger, available at local stores.
