How to Prevent Toilet Overflow

6/6/2024 (Permalink)

Prevent a Toilet Overflow

Every homeowner in Springfield/Mt Vernon dreads coming home to face a flooded toilet. Regardless of the toilet spurting clean or contaminated water into the bathroom, it requires a professional’s immediate help. The flooding may be a result of sewer damage causing waste to go back up through the pipes into the toilet. You can do a lot of good by preventing overflow before it happens by taking a few preventive measures.

1. Do Not Flush Random Items Down the Toilet

This is a particular concern in households with children, but even adults have been known to flush things down the toilet they should not. Some common items to keep out of there include:

• Napkins
• Papers
• Soaps
• Baby wipes
• Lotions
• Body creams
  
  

Flushing these items can cause them to get stuck in the pipes. Even things such as body cream, lotion and grease should stay out of toilets because they can harden through the pipes, causing a backup.

2. Clean the Toilet Regularly

In addition to keeping solid objects out of the toilet that can cause significant sewer damage, you also want to perform regular maintenance on the septic tank system. You should contact a sewage company once every eight years to clean and maintain your home’s septic tank. You can also clean your toilet routinely by using disinfectants and liquid detergent.

3. Avoid Flushing

Hopefully, the kind of toilet backup you will contend with will not be anything serious. Some toilets will merely overflow a little bit before receding. You may be able to clean up a small mess on your own, but you want to avoid flushing until you know the issue is resolved. Use a plunger to try to move the clog out of position. If nothing at your disposal seems to be working, then you should hire a professional plumber in Springfield/Mt Vernon to come out and address the sewer damage.