Our toilet keeps mildly clogging

[shelivesthedream]

Over the past few months we've had several mild clogs and I can see no reason why they started happening or what causes it to clog one time and not another. Each individual clog has been clearance with washing up liquid and boiling water and a bit of patience but it's really annoying! What can I do to avoid such clogs in the future?

[SwordGuy]

Possible tree root clogging the lines.

[CupcakeGuru]

We had a toilet that would clog periodically. We would plunge, boiling water etc and it would clear. It happened on and off for about 2-3 years. My husband removed the toilet from the floor and found a small toothbrush wedged all the way in the bottom!!!!

[Frugal Lizard]

A tree root in the pipe wouldn't be so easy to resolve with boiling water and washing liquid. And other sinks and laundry machines would also see backups. 

We had this problem when I was a kid.  Turns out my little brother's experiments with flushing things down the toilet had gotten a little carried away.
It wasn't until the toilet was carried outside into broad daylight that my uncle could see a small pink dolls hairbrush wedged deeply up inside the S-curve.  Not completely blocking the pipe but definitely impeding free flowing. So about three months of occasional blockages that could be resolved with a good plunge only to block back up in a few days to a week.

My plumber snaked out our drain line and recommended three sink fulls of really hot water a couple of times of year to keep the pipe nice and clean.  But that was for the kitchen sink where there is a lot of grease. 

Do you have a little one in the house?  Or could a makeup brush or other small object have accidentally fallen in and unnoticed gotten flushed?

[lizzzi]

I've found over the years that it's usually a guest, or the child of a guest, who flushes something down and we end up with a clog.

I'm sure everybody knows this, but products labelled "flushable" are really not, and should not go down the toilet: Baby wipes, makeup wipes, lady items, etc.

[GuitarStv]

Have you snaked it?  Every years it's worth doing to your drains to clear out uh . . . biowaste that can accumulate and get stuck there.

[Morning Glory]

Have you recently switched brands of toilet paper? I get more clogs with the nice quilty stuff than with thinner paper.

[SwordGuy]

A tree root in the pipe wouldn't be so easy to resolve with boiling water and washing liquid.

Very true.  Would never claim otherwise.

And other sinks and laundry machines would also see backups. 

Depends on the relative altitudes of the other items.   

One toilet (and the tub next to it) would back up because they were several feet lower than anything else.   Backup problems caused by other sections of the house caused the same tub to fill, then slowly empty.   Because we didn't use that bathroom very often, we didn't notice the problem for awhile.

[shelivesthedream]

Hm.

Errant flushed item hypothesis: I honestly cannot think of a single person who would have flushed something unflushable, and I cannot think of a single thing that we have flushed that isn't toilet paper or, uh, biowaste. We don't keep anything in that room except toilet paper - toothbrushes and the like are in the bathroom. We don't have children or many overnight guests. I'm not saying it's definitely not true, just that it's not an obvious answer. How can I check? Or what would I do if it was?

Tree root hypothesis: Yeah, I think I can confidently say that this is incredibly unlikely. Toilet is on the first floor along with bath and two basins; sink, washing machine and dishwasher are on ground floor. Only the toilet ever has any problems. Also, my neighbourhood is a concrete wasteland with very few living things except people and vermin.

Toilet paper hypothesis: Intriguing. In the few months since the problem started, we have been through three different brands of toilet paper because my preferred brand has been unavailable twice. No data available on correlation between brand and clog, but it's certainly possible.

[Dollar Slice]

Toilet paper hypothesis: Intriguing. In the few months since the problem started, we have been through three different brands of toilet paper because my preferred brand has been unavailable twice. No data available on correlation between brand and clog, but it's certainly possible.

I've noticed this for a long time - there are certain brands that are very cloggy (I'm looking at you, Charmin!). And other brands where I can use them for years and have zero problems.

[Sibley]

Sometimes it's more important where the drain is in relation to the line out to sewer. My lowest elevation drains were mostly fine, but the higher elevation toilet was completely nonfunctional. The toilet was also the closest drain to the sewer line, so it got all the problems. Sewer had a bunch of roots, once cleaned out all was good. (not really, that toilet has multiple issues and will be replaced because of it, but that problem was fixed.)

[shelivesthedream]

I suppose what's really confusing me is that we moved in last June and it's only in the last few months that we've been having problems. So...what's changed? I think I'm going to work on the toilet paper hypothesis first, and move on to the foreign object hypothesis if necessary. I hope it's not the latter because I am way too pregnant to DIY anything on that and it's really not in my husband's comfort zone.

[lizzzi]

I've learned over the years just as a general principle to use the thin, septic-safe toilet paper. It isn't my preference, and I don't have a septic tank, but I've found that it helps keep the plumbing clear.

[HipGnosis]

There are devices generically called 'drain cameras'.  A camera on the end of a line like a drain snake.
If you live in/near a metro area, you can probably rent one.

[BudgetSlasher]

I have had a few that would intermittently clog. One was an object stuck in the pipe (q-tips actually), one turned out to be a family member using an embarrassingly large amount of toilet paper in one flush (goes along with the type of toilet paper theory), and one was finally traced to the flush mechanism not always doing a complete flush (send just enough water to ball everything up and jam it in the pipe).

[libertarian4321]

I recommend buying a toilet auger (or "snake"). 

You can get a cheapie for under $10.  More advanced models run $50-$60.

Can come in handy if Uncle Bob eats a bit too much for Thanksgiving and leaves a brick clogging your toilet.

If it prevents one call to the plumber, it's well worth it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K6NEC78/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvp_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3524794222&pd_rd_wg=MW5k7&pf_rd_r=VEC12Q6PB64TXH4D01T4&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B00K6NEC78&pd_rd_w=oH6mp&pf_rd_i=toilet+auger&pd_rd_r=350bda5e-f55c-4f3e-ad6f-5c95e8f882dd&ie=UTF8&qid=1522370436&sr=2

[Gone Fishing]

There are devices generically called 'drain cameras'.  A camera on the end of a line like a drain snake.
If you live in/near a metro area, you can probably rent one.

Proper diagnostic devices!  Much better than guessing at the problem!

Just curious, how old is the construction?  I saw some pretty janky old plumbing when we were in London...

[shelivesthedream]

Just curious, how old is the construction?  I saw some pretty janky old plumbing when we were in London...

Your guess is as good as mine! The house structure is late 19th C (red brick terrace) but then it's had various layers of modernity put into it - like it has PVC windows and a fairly new boiler. Most of the visible piping is plastic and the toilet had a bog-standard (pun intended!) plastic lid when we moved in (which we replaced with wood but was pretty firmly attached by a buildup of...matter...around the bolts). So my guess is the physical toilet could be around ten to fifteen years old (based solely on design and materials) and the pipes are probably older (based on what I know about who has lived in this house when) but not generally ancient.

[FiftyIsTheNewTwenty]

A lot of people blame the plumbing when the real problem is a terrible old toilet.  They've improved a lot in recent years, so are well worth upgrading.

I just got a brand new, very well reviewed model from Habitat for Humanity for $20.  Normal price would have been $250-300.  There were plenty of other good ones there too.

Do rule out a plumbing problem first though.

[corcoran]

Some things to ask or keep in mind that might give clues:
Are the clogs preceeded by a gurgling sound? The sound may come immediately before or sometimes if the same toilet is used on the flush before? If so, are they right after the drains have gotten a lot of use? say, after a bath, or other heavy use?
If so, these are indications of a clog/slow draining further down the line backing up to the vent and preventing the proper siphoning.

[tralfamadorian]

If the lines are old galvanized pipes, then they could be corroding and reaching the end of their lifespan. I don't know about the UK but this is a common issue with older homes in the US. I just had to replace some in a rental of mine last month; there had been intermittent issues for a few months and the tenants didn't tell me until the toilet backed up into the tub. (yuck!)

I second the suggestion for a camera so you can see what's really going on.

[exit2019]

we had it happen. it was root intrusion into the ancient (read: from 1956) sewer main line.  we had it de-rooted once or twice but it was actually becoming physically distorted.  the toilet was the main symptom for a long time.  it was only later that the showers started draining slowly.

if you have an access pipe outside your house, you could ***very*** carefully start to loosen the cap.  listen carefully for hissing, because if it is hissing you want to stop.

[bacchi]

If the lines are old galvanized pipes, then they could be corroding and reaching the end of their lifespan. I don't know about the UK but this is a common issue with older homes in the US. I just had to replace some in a rental of mine last month; there had been intermittent issues for a few months and the tenants didn't tell me until the toilet backed up into the tub. (yuck!)

I second the suggestion for a camera so you can see what's really going on.

Hmm, mine are galvanized and the toilet is backing up more than usual too. They connect to concrete, which could also be a problem.

A camera is a great idea.

[Easye418]

Take some Dawn soap, squirt a healthy amount into the toilet bowl, allow to sit for 24 hours, it will slowly go down the pipes and lubricate/clear the pipes. 

Worked for me, I had an issue where it seemed every other was clogging yet plunging was coming up empty. 

[Peachtea]

This happened to us. Had lived in a condo for 2+ years and then all of a sudden kept getting clogs that we’re easily cured with dish soap and boiling water. It started after I had three family members over for a long weekend, but all responsible adults who I know wouldn’t flush anything inappropriately.

Turned out it was too low water pressure and an easy fix. The chain between flapper and plug was too long, causing the plug to not fully lift and quickly drain water from the tank (creating a weak flush) and also allowed the plug to float too long when the tank was filling up (so the tank wasn’t not always full before the next person went and flushed). The weak flushes between 4 people going to the bathroom in a row created an ongoing partial clog that was then easily fully clogged after they left and it was back to just 2 people using the toilet.

We shortened the chain just by moving the hook further up the chain; only tool needed was a pair of pliers. We then gave the toilet several now strong, full flushes to make sure everything was cleared out. And we are now careful about “fully flushing,” or holding down the handle long enough for the tank to completely drain, every time we go. Haven’t had any problems since then.

Also while researching what was wrong with our toilet, found out you’re not supposed to flush Kleenex. We didn’t do this often, but I wasn't aware of this since I thought it was similar to flushing toilet paper.