How To Prevent Your Bathroom Plumbing From Toilet Emergencies?

Bathroom Plumbing Can Lead To Toilet Emergencies

At any point during the year, a toilet emergency can happen. Around the holidays, especially Thanksgiving, it can be a nightmare. Thankfully, there is something you can do, and watch out for, that will help you prevent these common toilet emergencies from taking place.

Below are some helpful tips and tricks to keep your bathroom plumbing in the best shape possible. That way, once Thanksgiving rolls around, there will be no need for embarrassment or emergency calls to the local plumbing expert.

Avoiding A Clogged Toilet

There are several things homeowners can do to prevent a clogged toilet from happening. Most of these are fairly simple and fall under preventive maintenance. If you keep up with these measures, you will not have to worry about a clog.

Follow these good practices:

  • Avoid Flushing Food: Many homeowners are in the habit of flushing food down the toilet. Specifically cereal. While this may be okay once in a while, it can cause build ups if done often. To avoid potential clogs altogether. It is better to throw food away or use the garbage disposal.
  • Foreign Objects: Your bathroom plumbing system is designed to flush away waste and toilet paper. Flushing things like Q-tips, baby wipes, or tampoons can seriously clog the plumbing. Unless it is toilet paper, you should be in the habit of throwing these items in the trash.
  • Toilet Paper: Though toilet paper is perfectly acceptable to flush, you want to avoid using too much of it. Flushing too much toilet paper at once can also cause a back-up.
  • Close The Lid: Closing the lid, especially when there are children in the home, is important. Homeowners are surprised at how often an item that fell in accidentally is the cause of the problem.
  • No Grease: Though this could be listed under food, it’s important that it has its own category. Flushing grease is one of the worst things you can do. As water has little to no effect on grease or oil, the build-up does not wash away. What you will end up with is a big toilet clog in need of repair.

The Blocked Sewer Line

A blocked sewer line is another common culprit of a clogged toilet. If the water is coming back up instead of going down, then the chances of it being a sewer line blockage are greater. The first thing to do is to try a standard plunger. At times, this can help the situation and push the block in the right direction.

If it does not help, however, you need to know whether you have a septic tank or you have a town sewer line. If you are dealing with a septic tank, look for soggy grass outside where the tank would be and check the drain field for soggy material as well.


If you are on the town sewer line, and plunging did not help, you need to recognize the signs of a main sewer line clog and, will need to contact a professional for assistance. This generally means that the blockage is further out in the pipes and could require a high pressured auger to clear it.

Do Preventive Maintenance

Taking care of all the issues above will help you eliminate the chances of having a toilet backup. Another good preventive measure is having your drains cleaned.

This will not only keep any blockages from forming, but it can also determine whether you have any other issues in your plumbing that may need to be taken care of.

Generally speaking, drain cleaning is done by using a high pressured water auger to clear out any debris in your pipes.

It can also help reduce the number of leaves and other debris that can clog your system during the fall. A technician will also use a camera scope to check the pipes for any weak spots.

Flow Pro Plumbing

Flow Pro Plumbing is the plumbing experts in the Brentwood CA area. Winner of the Best Houzz Award in 2018, they offer comprehensive diagnosis and 100% customer satisfaction. With plenty of trusted recommendations, these plumbing professionals are able to handle any job whether big or small.