Blocked toilets are a natural part of life. With the average Kiwi family toilet being flushed dozens of times a day, it’s expected that the odd blockage will happen. How those blockages happen and where they occur are the points of interest for your local Wellington plumber. In today’s blog, we’ll tackle some common blocked toilet Wellington plumbing emergency FAQ’s and how your trusted local Wellington plumbers at PlumbSpec plan to solve them!
What are the most common causes of a blocked toilet? Can I avoid them?
Both avoidable and unavoidable circumstances can cause blocked toilet emergencies. Here are a few that you can control in your home:
Toilet cleaning/freshening products being flushed down the loo
While those clip-on or hanging toilet fresheners might offer a more pleasant-smelling toilet experience, they’re actually super easy to accidentally flush. Flushed toilet fresheners are one of the most common causes of blocked toilets or drains. Wellington plumbers and drain layers will usually ask you to avoid them entirely. They cause more trouble than they’re worth, and they can be challenging to dig out of your drains when they inevitably get stuck.
Baby wipes, sanitary items and paper towels
There are really only two things that should ever be flushed down a toilet: toilet paper, and your own natural waste. Everything else is going to cause problems. Toilet paper is designed to break down naturally; it will never cause a blocked toilet or drain emergency (unless far too much is flushed at once). Everything else doesn’t break down (yes, even the wipes that promise they do are telling fibs to you). Do yourself, your toilet and the environment a favour and stick to waste and TP – don’t flush anything else, invest in a well covered bin.
Tree roots (out of your control, under control with us)
Nature is truly incredible, and tree roots are no exception. They’ll grow deep underground in search of water, and while that can benefit them in a forest (as they hunt for rivers and streams), it’s a hassle for us when that water happens to reside in our drains. Over time, certain tree roots will grow around your toilet’s exterior drains, squeezing them until there are cracks in which to grow into for some of that fresh water.
As the tree roots grow into the cracks, they’ll spread themselves into the drain, causing blockages that you probably won’t notice until it’s too late and your toilet just won’t flush like it used to. In some Wellington plumbing emergency cases, you’ll also get a completely flooded garden above where the drain has been damaged.
For such scenarios as this, and all the above scenarios, we recommend you leave the blocked drain repairing to the expert Master Plumbers at PipeSpec!