Running Pipes, and More!

Most people want to deal with toilet clogs as quickly as possible. Of course, that approach usually involves grabbing a trusty plunger and trying to get the toilet to flush before anyone else notices anything is wrong.

Unfortunately, not every clog is so straightforward. If your toilet clog includes these three symptoms, you may want to make an emergency plumbing call.

1. Plunging Is Making the Problem Worse 

The proper method for plunging a toilet involves a relatively short upstroke that creates pressure toward you rather than into the drain. Remember that the obstruction can't move further down the drain, so the goal is to pull it back toward the toilet. This process can take some time, and you may need to plunge for several minutes before the blockage clears.

However, you should never need to plunge your toilet for an excessively long period. If repeatedly plunging doesn't produce results or seems to result in more water filling the bowl, stop immediately. The obstruction may be deeper in your plumbing, and plunging may be ineffective in resolving the problem. In these cases, contacting a plumber is usually the best option.

2. Your Toilet Is Overflowing

Overflowing toilets are serious since they allow potentially dangerous sewage to enter your home. Once a toilet begins to overflow, continuing to try to clear the clog can splash more sewage onto your floor or even cause additional water to back up through the drain. Even worse, using drains elsewhere in the house may cause pressure, resulting in the toilet continuing to flow over its sides.

An overflowing toilet is a genuine plumbing emergency and usually requires professional attention. If you have sewage water coming over the sides of your toilet, stop using all of the drains in your home and call a plumber. Since the water can carry harmful pathogens, you shouldn't walk through or try to clean it without wearing protective clothing.

3. The Clog Keeps Coming Back

While toilet clogs are a simple fact of life, they shouldn't be so common that you develop a close and personal relationship with your plunger. A clog that continually reappears usually means a deeper problem in your sewer line or that you aren't fully clearing the clog. In either case, simple household tools and cleaners are likely insufficient for a permanent resolution.

The more often your toilet clogs, the more urgently you should treat the situation. Clogs that occur with any degree of regularity may indicate a serious problem with your sewer line. You should treat these as an emergency to avoid a potentially messy and damaging sewer overflow.