It is common for a homeowner to experience a backed-up toilet every now and then. However, if you constantly encounter toilet backups within a short period of each other, there is an issue that needs to be addressed.

A toilet backup occurs when the toilet is unable to drain away water. As a result, when you flush, the water fills up the toilet bowl and might overflow. Thus, it is essential to call a toilet backup repair service to fix the problem before your toilet overflows.

In most cases, toilet backups occur due to using the toilet and other external factors poorly. Hence, if you are experiencing regular toilet backups, here are three possible causes and how to avoid them. 

Blocked Toilet Vent

Every toilet has a tube that is meant to provide the toilet's flushing system with enough air to increase the siphoning pressure. However, because the tube has an opening at the top, it is common for leaves and dirt to accumulate at the mouth of the tube. When this occurs, the amount of air getting delivered to the toilet's siphoning system reduces, and thus the toilet will not be able to flush properly. If the situation is not remedied, the toilet will get backed up after a subsequent number of flushes.

Thus, whenever you get a chance, make sure to check the top of the toilet vent to ensure leaves do not clog it. In fact, clearing a blocked toilet vent may be the simplest form of unclogging a backed-up toilet.

Flushing Non-Flushable Items 

Toilets are designed to flush water and toilet paper. However, most people tend to flush a variety of things down the toilet, which eventually leads to the toilet getting clogged. For instance, items such as paper towels and wet wipes should not be flushed down the toilet. 

Unlike toilet paper, these items do not break apart when wet. Thus when you flush them down the toilet, they will most likely get stuck in the toilet trap. Accumulation of such items in the toilet trap will frequently clog your toilet, and as a result, you will experience frequent toilet backups.

Additionally, if you have small children in the home, they may be trying to flush all sorts of items down the toilet without you noticing. For instance, a child may occasionally flush different-sized objects out of curiosity to see if they can disappear. 

Therefore, if your toilets are frequently backing up, avoid flushing items that cannot be flushed down the toilet.

Clogged Drain

When you flush the toilet, the water drains into a drain pipe which delivers the water to the main sewer line. Unfortunately, a drain pipe may occasionally get clogged by an accumulation of gunk and slime, especially if you regularly pour waste, grease, and cooking oil down the drain. Thus, when the drain pipe gets clogged, the water you flush down the toilet can't drain away. After a while, the water trapped in the drainpipe will back up into your toilet. 

Thus, if you avoid pouring grease and oil down the drain, you can prevent it from getting clogged. If your drainpipe doesn't clog, then there is a minimal chance that the frequent toilet backups will persist.

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