is your hard water causing your problems?

Posted on: 8 March 2021

When you flush the toilet, the waste should go through your drainage pipes and into the sewage system or into the septic system for your home. The waste should not come up through your shower or sink drain instead. If you have a backed-up toilet, and the waste is showing up in places where it shouldn't, there is a reason for this misdirection.

Your drain system consists of a mainline with several secondary lines. When the mainline gets clogged up, waste can get into your secondary lines, resulting in a backed-up toilet. This doesn't happen by accident; there are established reasons for a backed-up line.

#1: Grease

Grease from your kitchen may make it through the drain lines connected directly to your kitchen and get into the main drain line. Eventually, those fats and oils are going to solidify as the hot water dissipates. Over time, grease can build up and chock your sewer line, resulting in a narrow pipe that doesn't have enough room to let the waste through, which can cause your toilet to get backed up.

#2: Scaling

Another reason why your pipes are clogged is scaling. Scaling is caused when minerals build-up inside of your system. This often happens in homes with hard water, as calcium and magnesium are the two most common minerals that cause scaling inside of drainage lines. As the scales build-up, they can eventually clog your sewer lines. Your lines can be cleaned; however, if you want to stop this problem, you will need to install a hard water filter.

#3: Hair

When you shower and use the bathroom, it is normal for hair to get through the drains, even with a filter in place. The thing is, hair can become a real issue with your drains. Hair can catch on other little items that get stuck in your drain, eventually building up and blocking your pipes. The hair can be cleaned up from your pipes, and you can set-up covers that will help to reduce the amount of hair that gets into your pipes.

#4: Foreign Object

Many people wrongly believe that you can flush just about anything down the toilet if it is a bathroom item, such as menstrual hygiene products, paper towels, and wipes. However, these items are designed for the trash can, not for your toilet. These items can clog up your drainage line, junk up your septic system, and cause severe issues for sewer systems as well. Flushing even a small amount of these objects down your drains can cause problems.

#5: Tree Roots

Finally, tree roots may be the root of your issue with your backed-up toilet. Tree roots will do whatever is necessary to get enough water, and if they can't get the water they need, they may break into your sewer lines to access the water in there, clogging things up.

If your toilet is backing up, call an emergency plumbing, sewer, or toilet backup service to learn what to do next. They will help clean up the mess, figure out what is clogging up your drainage pipes, and get your lines flowing smoothly again.