Live in a home long enough and the chances are good that you'll have to deal with a clogged toilet at some point.
It's not the most pleasant experience in the world but there are ways to deal with it that may keep the problem under control.
The biggest risk, and the thing you want to avoid the most is the toilet overflow.
This can lead to a tremendous amount of damage in home and it can happen quite quickly.
No matter where the toilet is located, if water leaks into the home a great deal of damage can be done to the walls, ceiling and floor.
Usually stains are left behind and a very undesirable mess.
The biggest problem however can come with the onset of mold.
Many people have health problems related to toxic mold.
It's critical if mold does develop, or if you notice that the family is having ongoing health issues that weren't happening before the leak, it would be advised to have your home checked for mold.
Many times it cannot be seen or will leave no visible indication that it's present.
Fortunately there are ways to protect your home from toilet overflows.
Inexpensive mechanical devices have the ability to turn off the water flow in the event that an overflow is imminent.
Generally the best way to avoid an overflow is to either avoid the clog or eliminate it in the first place.
To minimize the chances of objects falling into the toilet and plugging it up, it's recommended to keep the toilet lid down when it's not in use.
Also, be sure to teach your children that half a roll of toilet paper is not necessary to clean up with.
Using single ply toilet paper can also help to avoid toilet clogs.
If the toilet does clog up, and water is still slowly running through the obstruction, try running hot water down through the toilet.
Usually by pouring a bucket of water slowly down into the basin the heat will loosen things up and get the water flowing again.
It may take a bit of time, but once you have the pipe open, but sure to follow up with a few more shots of hot water to make sure everything is cleaned out.
For more stubborn obstructions it's advisable to use either a plunger or a snake like cable to open things up.
There are many designs of plungers that can help with the task but the basic models often do as good a job as the fancy ones.
Snakes and augers are often a good bet if the plunger doesn't seem to loosen things up.
Since these devices are made out of metal, it's not uncommon for them to scratch the porcelain finish on the bowl.
By twisting and pushing the tip into the toilet it will often catch hold of any paper that might be stopping things up.
After trying these things, if the toilet still hasn't been opened up, it's probably not a bad idea to call a plumber in to help with the problem.
They may actually have to remove the toilet from the floor mounting and expose the drain hole to find out what's really causing the problem.
But with professional help, it's usually only a matter of time before they open the flow up once again.
It's not the most pleasant experience in the world but there are ways to deal with it that may keep the problem under control.
The biggest risk, and the thing you want to avoid the most is the toilet overflow.
This can lead to a tremendous amount of damage in home and it can happen quite quickly.
No matter where the toilet is located, if water leaks into the home a great deal of damage can be done to the walls, ceiling and floor.
Usually stains are left behind and a very undesirable mess.
The biggest problem however can come with the onset of mold.
Many people have health problems related to toxic mold.
It's critical if mold does develop, or if you notice that the family is having ongoing health issues that weren't happening before the leak, it would be advised to have your home checked for mold.
Many times it cannot be seen or will leave no visible indication that it's present.
Fortunately there are ways to protect your home from toilet overflows.
Inexpensive mechanical devices have the ability to turn off the water flow in the event that an overflow is imminent.
Generally the best way to avoid an overflow is to either avoid the clog or eliminate it in the first place.
To minimize the chances of objects falling into the toilet and plugging it up, it's recommended to keep the toilet lid down when it's not in use.
Also, be sure to teach your children that half a roll of toilet paper is not necessary to clean up with.
Using single ply toilet paper can also help to avoid toilet clogs.
If the toilet does clog up, and water is still slowly running through the obstruction, try running hot water down through the toilet.
Usually by pouring a bucket of water slowly down into the basin the heat will loosen things up and get the water flowing again.
It may take a bit of time, but once you have the pipe open, but sure to follow up with a few more shots of hot water to make sure everything is cleaned out.
For more stubborn obstructions it's advisable to use either a plunger or a snake like cable to open things up.
There are many designs of plungers that can help with the task but the basic models often do as good a job as the fancy ones.
Snakes and augers are often a good bet if the plunger doesn't seem to loosen things up.
Since these devices are made out of metal, it's not uncommon for them to scratch the porcelain finish on the bowl.
By twisting and pushing the tip into the toilet it will often catch hold of any paper that might be stopping things up.
After trying these things, if the toilet still hasn't been opened up, it's probably not a bad idea to call a plumber in to help with the problem.
They may actually have to remove the toilet from the floor mounting and expose the drain hole to find out what's really causing the problem.
But with professional help, it's usually only a matter of time before they open the flow up once again.
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