Toilet Not Flushing? Maybe You Flushed One of These

Your home’s plumbing system is made up of a series of pipes that carry water to and from your house. Most homeowners don’t spend much time thinking about their plumbing until something goes wrong, though.

When you go to the kitchen sink and turn a knob, you expect either hot or cold water to come out. Additionally, you expect that water to go down the drain and away from your home.

Unfortunately, many homeowners create their own plumbing problems by flushing items that should never be flushed down the toilet.

Obviously, no one wants to do anything to damage their plumbing, which means that they’re flushing things down the toilet that they don’t know aren’t flushable.

If you’ve noticed any of the signs of a clog in the lines that lead from your toilet, you may be damaging your own plumbing by putting items you shouldn’t flush into the bowl, pushing the lever, and not giving it a second thought.

Find out more about the things you should never flush, the signs that you have a plumbing problem, and what to do about it today.

Signs of a Drain Clog

When you think about clogged drains, you may think of the hair that gathers in your shower drain or food debris clogging your kitchen sink.

While those are examples of drain clogs, it could easily be argued that clogged toilets are the most severe. Knowing the signs of a clogged toilet is crucial, as you’ll want to act quickly.

The most obvious sign of a clogged toilet is slow or no draining. When you push the lever on your toilet, the waste, water, and toilet paper should go down the drain quickly.

If you notice that it’s taking longer to flush or it’s not flushing at all, it’s safe to assume that there’s something in the drain line that’s preventing it from flushing.

Even if your toilet appears to be flushing normally, there are other signs that you’re dealing with a clog.

For instance, you may notice strange gurgling sounds coming from the toilet. This usually happens when water is trying to force its way past a clog. It’s also normal to deal with noxious odors when a toilet gets clogged.

If the clog is severe enough, gases from your septic tank can back up into the lines, creating a terrible stench that may seem like it’s coming through all of the drains in your home, not just your toilet.

Dangers of a Clogged Toilet

Before we dive into a list of items you shouldn’t flush, it’s worth mentioning the potential dangers that you may face if you ignore a clogged toilet. Those noxious odors that we were just discussing aren’t only unpleasant, but they’re also dangerous.

Without going into too much detail, the source of those noxious gases is not something you want to inhale. Prolonged exposure to septic gases is not safe.

Additionally, a clogged line going from your toilet to your septic tank can easily turn into a major leak. Since plumbing lines typically run under your floors and even under the foundation of your home, a water leak can damage the structural integrity of your home.

Additionally, water leaks almost always lead to mold and mildew growing. Not only does this threaten your home’s structural integrity, but mold is incredibly dangerous, especially if you have someone in your home who has respiratory issues.

Finally, damaged sewer lines provide a perfect space for insects and other pests to find things they love. Scavengers, which include everything from maggots to rats are drawn to decay and rot. A backed-up drain line coming from your toilet may also attract flies.

With all of this information in mind, let’s take a look at some items that you should never try to flush down your toilet.

Paper Towels

Many people incorrectly assume that paper towels are flushable since toilet paper is. However, this is simply not the case. Toilet paper is designed to break down slowly when exposed to fluids while paper towels are made to absorb liquids.

This means that when you put a paper towel in your toilet bowl and flush it, it doesn’t break down. While a single paper towel is unlikely to cause a toilet clog, continuing to flush paper towels will eventually create a large, insoluble clog.

Wet Wipes

Baby wipes, makeup removal wipes, hemorrhoidal relief wipes, and other forms of cosmetic wipes are all on the list of items that damage plumbing if you try to flush them.

It’s common for people to think that they can flush baby wipes since they’re used to clean up children after an accident, but that’s not the case at all.

These wipes are not biodegradable, which means they don’t break down, no matter how much time they spend in your pipes or septic tank.

Feminine Hygiene Products

This one comes as a shock to most people, but feminine hygiene products like pads and tampons should never be flushed down the toilet.

Much like paper towels, these items are designed to absorb, so instead of dissolving after prolonged exposure to water, they simply expand until they reach capacity, and then never break down.

You never want to flush anything that’s going to expand while it’s in your pipes, so these products are definitely non-flushable.

Dental Floss

This is another surprising addition to the list of items that you shouldn’t flush since dental floss is so small.

You probably don’t use a lot of floss when you brush your teeth, so you may assume that it won’t hurt anything to flush it down the toilet. Most dental floss is made of nylon or Teflon, neither of which is biodegradable.

Over time, dental floss essentially just creates a large net in your sewer lines, catching items that you want to flush into your septic tank.

Cat Litter

One of the most common mistakes that pet owners make involves flushing cat litter down the toilet. While your cats use the litter box to relieve themselves, the litter that collects their waste is not designed to be flushed down the toilet.

You can find some cat litter brands that claim to be flushable, but modern toilets generally don’t use enough water to push cat litter all the way through your sewer lines.

Since cat litter dehydrates liquid, putting it into your sewer lines will result in severe clogging.

Hair

Hair works a lot like dental floss when it comes to clogging your sewer lines.

Unfortunately, some people assume that getting hair out of the drain in their shower or tub and then flushing it down the toilet solves the problem.

However, that’s just not the case. Hair also creates a net-like blockage that catches toilet paper and waste, resulting in a more serious clog. When cleaning out your hairbrush, just toss the hair in the garbage can.

Cigarette Butts

This is another surprising addition to our list, as many people assume that cigarette butts are biodegradable, making them flushable. That’s not the case.

Cigarette butts contain a filter made of cellulose acetate and two layers of paper. These substances are not conducive to flushing and over time, they’ll stack up in your sewer line.

Not only are cigarettes unhealthy for you to smoke, but flushing them wreaks havoc on your home’s plumbing system.

Chewing Gum

As we’ve discussed with some of the other items on this list of things you shouldn’t flush, a single piece of chewing gum probably won’t clog your drain lines.

However, if you continually spit your gum into the toilet, it will eventually create a clog. The sticky nature of gum essentially turns it into a glue-like substance that catches debris, resulting in a clog.

Flush Safely

It may be easier to make a list of things that you should flush down your toilet. Ultimately, human waste and toilet paper are the only things that you should flush.

If you or someone in your home has been flushing some of these other substances and you’re noticing the signs of a clog, it’s important to act quickly.

Contact a plumber, preferably one who offers drain cleaning services in your area. They’ll be able to locate and destroy the clog, restoring your home’s plumbing.