How to Keep Toilets Unclogged
Coping with a backed-up toilet is a time-consuming and generally unpleasant task, and the expense of hiring a plumber just adds to the general unpleasantness. To avoid the need for a professional's help and the inevitable headaches that arrive when the plumbing backs up, show your toilet a little TLC. Good maintenance practices in the first place require little time or energy and can potentially save big money in preventable repairs. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Vinegar
- Baking Soda
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Instructions
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Avoid flushing the wrong stuff. Though the toilet may seem to be a convenient means of disposal for everything from dental floss to tampons, such items can cause clogs. Floss, for instance, binds together with grease and hair to form a tough-to-treat blockage that often requires professional assistance. Moist wipes, even though billed as "flushable," do not break down like regular toilet paper does, and can also clog toilets, according to the Toiletology website. The same is true of women's personal care items.
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Check the water level in the toilet's tank to make sure it refills properly. Remove the toilet tank lid and flush the toilet, watching to see if it then refills completely. If the toilet tank only refills halfway, the website 411 Plumb says, not enough water is accumulating for a proper flush. That allows debris to remain in the pipes and makes it necessary to call for professional help.
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Observe the flapper to see if it allows enough water to be released for powerful, effective flushes. With the tank lid off, flush the toilet and watch the flapper, which is the rubber device that moves up to release the water in the tank, then falls back into place to block water flow and allow the tank to refill. Make sure that when you flush the toilet the flapper is going up all the way. If not, inadequate water is released for a proper flush, allowing buildup to accumulate in the pipes. If such problems are present, call a plumber for advice and assistance.
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Arrange for regular plumbing inspections. Just like people, pets and cars, the plumbing system of a house requires a professional checkup from time to time. The Home Fixers recommend having a professional plumber check everything from the toilet bowl to the septic tank once every six months to a year. If a small clog is caught and dealt with promptly, it will never turn into an expensive, troublesome problem.
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Pour cleansing substances into the toilet from time to time to clean drains and fight tiny clogs before they turn into big problems. Commercial toilet-clearing products can be poured down the bowl occasionally, but many release harsh chemicals into the water supply. For an all-natural solution, the Quad City Times recommends occasionally pouring one cup of vinegar and one cup of baking soda into the toilet, where it will fizz, bubble and help break up clogs.
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References
Resources
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