With their gurgling noises, odd smells, and inconvenient stubbornness, clogged toilets plague homeowners worldwide. Often one can plunge their smelly situation away, but what about those exceptions? The ones that involve clogs past amateur solutions?
How do you go about unclogging the unclogable? Chances are you simply cannot. Instead, you’ll need to call a plumber to fix your clogged toilet as soon as you notice the severity of the problem.
So what exactly are those signs and when is it time to give your home plumber a call? Keep reading to know the signs and symptoms of a toilet beyond your care.
Why Is Your Toilet Clogged
Before you call your local plumber you’ll need to get a grasp of the situation at hand. In other words, you need to find out how clogged your toilet truly is. Most of the time your toilet is backed up due to something you put inside it, but there are external/ human-caused factors you should consider as well especially if your toilet is excessively clogged.
One of the additional causes of your broken toilet could be your water. If it is too hard your pipes will begin to build up with limescale, making it hard to successfully flush. If this is the case you’ll need to find a way to make your water softer.
Another issue may be your toilet’s model. If you have the first edition of low-flush toilets or another notably faulty model, your toilet will not be able to flush properly. You can check this yourself by looking up the toilet’s model and taking certain preventive measures yourself.
These include using low absorbency toilet paper and flushing small amounts down the toilet at a time. If these tricks work, then the model was part of your issue. Just remember that even though this problem can be fixed you should still consider calling a plumber to install a new, working, and up-to-date toilet.
Chances are your solution will not last forever and you’ll need a new toilet eventually.
When to Call a Home Plumber
Generally, you should consider hiring a plumber the second you notice the issue is out of your control. This may simply sound like foreign gurgling, look like an oddly empty stool, or be something a lot more complex. Whatever the reason is, asking for help will lessen your chances of reoccurring problems and unnecessary mistakes.
Something’s in Your Pipes
Usually, when facing a broken toilet, the last thing on your mind is the items residing in your pipes. But believe it or not, your pipes may be the exact reason your toilet can’t seem to flush. Anything from roots to nests could be the cause of your issue.
You can’t just crack open your pipes and look for your problem. Even if you could, you wouldn’t know the correct way to fix it. This is why it is best to call a plumber in the situation.
They will know the safest way to check your pipes and extract whatever is inside. They can also find any other solutions to your problem if the pipes were a dead end.
The Toilet Is Slow to Refill
Once you flush your toilet should immediately begin the refilling process; even after you’ve unclogged it. If you notice it taking extra time to refill or it isn’t reaching the refill level at all, call your plumber. Slow refills are usually caused by something in your toilet’s tank like a broken flush value or a leaky flapper.
Regardless of the cause, don’t try fixing this on your own. Both issues require professional replacements and could become messy when done improperly.
You Have an Obstruction
If your toilet has recently been subject to high volume flushes, chances are there is an obstruction causing your clogs. An obstruction could be anything from large amounts of toilet paper to kids’ toys. Whatever it is, it’s stuck in your toilet and will not allow any additional large flushes.
This is why you might be able to flush urine, but nothing else. Your plumber will know the safest and most sanitary way to remove the item(s) and fix any damage it may have caused your toilet.
Chronically Clogged Toilet
If you constantly find your toilet in a clogged state, you need to call your plumber ASAP even if plunging still works. Your toilet should not be constantly clogged and you should not have spent your days unclogging a toilet. Chances are this is caused by many deep toilet problems and requires a professional eye.
Gurgling
When you notice your toilet making a gurgling sound, it’s time to consider asking for additional help. The toilet should never start making these noises and is a sign of many severe toilet clogs you cannot see. The clog could be caused by many things including big items, damaged pipes, broken toilets, or more.
Being proactive with this problem will allow it to get fixed before it becomes extremely severe.
Call a Plumber Today
If your clogged toilet falls under one of the listed categories, or you’re struggling in a different matter, it’s time to call for help. If you’re looking to hire a plumber in the Salt Lake area, give Stallion Plumbing a call. Our team of professionals is more than happy to help get your toilet running like new again.
Explore our website or give us a call to learn more about our services and pricing.