When Paper Poses Plumbing Problems: How Toilet Paper Sometimes Blocks Toilets
A blocked toilet is the stuff nightmares are made of. One blocked toilet in a household or office can cause an untold amount of panic not to mention chaos. The first thing on your mind when staring at the rising waters in your toilet bowl is: Why? You've done everything right. You've treated your toilet with the respect it deserves, so why has it blocked on you?
You might be surprised to learn that your toilet paper could well be the culprit. Though it is perfectly okay to flush your toilet paper away with your waste, at least in Australia, UK, and the US, toilet paper is not always toilet-friendly, especially in the wrong hands!
If you've recently had a plumbing nightmare with your toilet due to toilet paper, here are some things to look out for in future to ensure it doesn't happen again.
Overzealous Wipers Using Too Much Paper
There's always that one person, whether they be a relative or friend that uses an obscene amount of toilet paper during a toilet trip. What was almost a full roll when they went in suddenly looks like it spent the day catering to a whole family—and that's in just ten minutes!
If this is a frequent occurrence, your toilet may not block immediately, but over time, those huge wads of toilet paper start to clog up the pipes, especially if your toilet is low-flow or dual flush, both of which may struggle to generate enough power to clear larger obstructions.
The obvious solution to this plumbing problem is to persuade the person (or people) responsible to use less toilet paper. Put up signs if you have to, but if the blockages continue, then you may need to consider replacing your toilet with a design that won't struggle with the load.
Extra Thick Toilet Paper Blocks Toilets
Double quilted or extra thick toilet paper is also known to block toilet drains. Unlike thin, recycled toilet paper which disintegrates easily as it goes down, thick toilet paper takes longer to dissolve and may cause a blockage if used often or in large quantities.
Try to use a toilet paper that is both thin and soft as this will be much easier on your toilet's plumbing.
As long as you avoid using too much toilet paper, and refrain from putting anything that isn't toilet paper down the toilet, you shouldn't have a problem.