Clogged Toilets
Clogged Toilets In San Antonio
A clogged toilet can turn your home into a dirty, stinky, disaster. Nobody wants to have to deal with that situation. So, let’s help you avoid it.
Toilets can clog for many reasons. Most of the time, these situations are avoidable. With a little bit of maintenance, your chances of toilet clogs drop to just about zero. When you do find yourself with a clogged toilet, contact your plumbing professional in San Antonio. This is vital to have it repaired properly to make sure the clogging problem goes away. The Caliente team is here to help! Give us a call if you have a problem with a clogged toilet. And keep reading for information that will help you understand the causes and how to avoid clogged toilet problems.
Causes Of Clogged Toilets
You probably won’t be surprised to hear that a common reason that toilets get clogged is due to too much toilet paper getting put in them. But that’s not the only way they can get clogged. Here are some more items that should never be put in your toilet:
- Diapers
- Paper towels
- Sanitary products
- Tissues
- Wipes
Keep in mind that when children are around — and especially the younger ones — virtually anything can end up getting put in your toilet. So if your toilet gets clogged, the issue could be a stuffed animal or any of their other toys.
Signs Of A Clogged Toilet
How do you know that your toilet is clogged? It is usually pretty obvious. However, there are additional problems that you will likely experience if your toilet is clogged. These are the most common symptoms that are related to clogged toilets.
- Smell — The smell that can come out of a sewer or septic tank can send you in search of a hotel room. The scent of waste that is laced with methane is certainly not pleasant. Nobody wants to live with that odor. It can even be bad for the health of anyone living inside the home. Give us a call if you notice a nasty smell penetrating your home.
- Water — A clogged toilet will probably not fill up with water after it has been flushed. This can happen because there is no water in the pipes underneath your toilet. The water that is already inside the toilet bowl may stay put or go down, but the toilet will not fill back up.
- Draining — Anytime you are seeing the water drain too slowly, it means that your plumbing vents are clogged somewhere. This is true for toilets, tubs, and sinks. This is not something you can wait to get fixed. Do it now — before the problem gets any worse.
- Gurgling — Clogged toilets may also make some strange sounds. You will likely hear a gurgling sound. This can happen at any time — with or without having the toilet flushed. The reason this happens is because of restricted airflow coming to the toilet.
Using Your Plunger
There is a reason that nearly every bathroom has a plunger in it. They don’t get used very frequently, but when they are needed, a plunger can save you a lot of time, trouble, and money. Most clogs can be eliminated with a plunger.
If you don’t know the right way to use a plunger, you should. There is actually a little more to it than many people realize. Here’s what you should do. You should make sure that you have the right kind of plunger. A clogged toilet will call for a flange plunger. This will have an extra ring of rubber around the cup. The flange should be inserted into the toilet drain. This seals the air inside and increases the suction power.
When it seems like your toilet may overflow, don’t just push the handle for a flush and hope for the best. First, give it a few minutes to see if the water level will go down at all. Then close the water supply hose that is located on the wall behind the toilet. Do this by turning the handle clockwise. Next, make sure that the toilet bowl is about halfway full of water. This may mean using a bucket to either add or remove some water. Now you are ready to take the plunge.
With the flange of your plunger extended, push it all the way under the water until the rubber ring is directly in the opening of the drain. Now thrust with the plunger for 20 seconds by pushing and pulling on the handle quickly but don’t lift it out of the drain. If this process doesn’t get the job done, it is probably time to give us a call as there may be a bigger problem going on.
Clogged Toilet FAQs
In many cases, a plunger can take care of your problem. But if you don’t have one on hand, there are other options that you can try.
A toilet brush is one option. It is not as efficient as a plunger, but may work for you. You can also try to make your own version of a plumbing snake with a hanger. Straighten the hanger and push it into the toilet drain the best you can. If you feel it run into something, see if you can break it up. You can also give some hot water a shot. If you are able to get some water to drain, putting hot water through the drain might do the trick. Just be careful not to use water that is too hot. Putting water that is hot enough to boil, could actually cause a new problem — a crack in your toilet. Just use hot water from the sink or shower, pour it in, and keep your fingers crossed.
Having a clogged toilet is a bad situation. We don’t want to make it any worse. So you need to avoid two things. Don’t flush it. And don’t let the tank refill.
You have a couple of options here. The best one is to shut off the water with your main water valve to your toilet. This should be located at the back of the toilet and will close with a clockwise turn. Another option for you is to raise the toilet float. When the float drops low enough, it signals for the tank to refill so raising the toilet float should prevent this. To do this, just remove the lid of your tank and locate the ball-shaped object on the end of a pole. Raise it out of the water and secure it so it stays out of the water.
It can happen. Although it depends on two things — what is causing the clog and how big it is. Most of the time, a clog is caused by something that is water-soluble. This means that it should dissolve in the toilet water eventually. So if you flushed human waste and/or toilet paper it may unclog itself. If something was flushed that shouldn’t have been, you’ll likely need to call for help.
Call To Schedule Your Plumbing Service
When your home is faced with a clogged toilet, we are here to help. We know exactly how much a clogged toilet can disrupt your life. This is why we always suggest that these repairs are done by professionals. Our team has the training and experience to get you home back to the way it should be. After a quick inspection, we’ll determine the root of the problem and get it fixed efficiently.
Our team is standing by and ready to assist you with any plumbing issue you may have. Call us today to make an appointment for the finest plumbing services in the San Antonio, TX area. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergency services. We provide friendly services and quick solutions. Call (210) 330-3000 to schedule an appointment.