Ways to Prevent Toilet Backups

Ways to Prevent Toilet Backups

Toilets: a cornerstone of sanitation and hygiene in modern civilization. Toilets provide relief and help prevent disease by safely disposing our human waste, but they must be properly maintained lest you risk toilet backups. A toilet backup is just as nasty as it sounds, especially if the wastewater ends up rising out of drains like your shower drain or sinks. 
So, what are some ways to avoid having to deal with this disaster? Metro Septic Pumping recommends a few ways to prevent toilet backups. It’s important to understand these tips because a toilet backup can end up causing hundreds of dollars’ worth of water damage repairs along with the major inconvenience of not being able to use your toilet. Let’s get started.

1.    Treat Your Toilet Like A Toilet, Not A Garbage Can
It can be tempting to simply toss that crumpled sheet of paper into the toilet rather than maneuvering toward the trash bin. It can also be tempting for children with sparkling curiosity to throw one of their toys into the toilet to see if it’ll flush. Resist your temptations and practice mindfulness when it comes to flushing things down your toilet.

You only want to flush the three P’s: pee, poo, and (toilet) paper. Do NOT flush paper towels, facial tissues, and other paper products besides toilet paper. In fact, we recommend that you avoid flushing even multi-plied toilet paper, especially if you have a septic system on your property. Other common items thrown into toilets that can cause toilet backups are cigarette butts, diapers (yes, people have actually tried this), and cotton balls.

2.    Grease and Fats Cause Clogs!
Just had a delicious dinner? Before rinsing your leftovers into the kitchen sink, make sure to dump that grease, fat, and scraps into the trash bin. Grease and oils can stick into the insides of your pipes and harden, creating a clog. If you want to prevent toilet backups, you will want to make sure all of your pipes and drains are working properly. A flaw in one part of your plumbing system can cause problems in other parts.

3.    Keep A Handy Plunger Nearby
While serious clogs happen deep inside the plumbing pipes, there are times when the blockage is closer to the surface. The toilet trap is the curved part of the toilet that is built into the lower bowl of your toilet. This segment is prone to clogging just as any other section of the plumbing system, but, luckily, it can be fixed with a few minutes and a plunger. So, keep that plunger somewhere you can find it.

4.    Stay Up to Date with Your Septic Tank Maintenance
If you are part of the twenty percent of U.S. households with a septic system in their property, then you should remember to stay on top of your septic tank maintenance. A congested septic tank is similar to one massive clog in the system. If your septic tank is overfilled, wastewater will have nowhere else to go but back up through the inlet pipes and into your beautiful home. Be sure to have your septic system inspected annually and schedule a septic tank pumping or septic tank cleaning with your local plumbers at Metro Septic Pumping.