Sometimes a homeowner is hesitant to call for plumbing services out of embarrassment. There’s a problem with their plumbing and they think it’s their fault and want to try to fix it themselves to avoid having to call us
While these fears are unfounded, there have been instances where user error definitely caused the problem.
Every plumber has a story about a service call where they discovered something truly unusual clogging a drain. Here are some examples of items that are out of the ordinary, but that are unfortunately more common than you’d think.
By reading these cautionary tales, you can hopefully avoid the need for plumbing repairs and a potentially embarrassing moment.
Children’s Toys
Children’s toys are small and portable and kids love engaging with them in all sorts of imaginative scenarios. For example, sending those action figures down the sink on an adventure or flushing model cars down the unwinding road that is a toilet.
It’s great fun for the kiddos, but not so much fun for the grownup who ends up with a major clog in their drains. Luckily, professional plumbers can easily remove these items and hand them back to an adult who can then decide if they go back to the kids.
Smartphones
Speaking of things that often accompany us to the bathroom, many people have accidentally dropped a smartphone down the toilet, although few of us would care to admit it. A smartphone that’s been tucked into a back pocket can easily slip and fall into the toilet while taking care of business.
In some cases, the unlucky person doesn’t even know what’s happened until an attempt to flush is made. A plumber can unclog the toilet but there’s no amount of rice that’s going to save the smartphone. To avoid this type of plumbing problem, try to avoid taking your smartphone into the bathroom.
Bathroom and Kitchen Items
Our furry four-legged friends are adorable, but sometimes their behavior isn’t so cute. Cats in particular seem to have a penchant for knocking items off tables, desks, and countertops. They’re especially fascinated by bathroom and kitchen sinks because they’re drawn to faucets and flowing water. You know where this is going…
Plumbers have found odd items such as tweezers, nail clippers, Q-tips, jewelry, sauce packets, and mouthguards in bathroom and kitchen drains, leaving a perplexed customer wondering how on earth they got there. After a process of elimination, it’s determined that it had to be Mr. Whiskers who was to blame.
Cat Litter
Speaking of cats, another common culprit is cat litter. With litter boxes usually placed in bathrooms, their proximity to the toilet can be awfully tempting to cat owners who need to dispose of litter. But flushing cat litter or cat feces down the toilet is a bad idea.
Cat litter is designed to clump when it comes in contact with cat urine, but the same thing happens when it comes in contact with water. You should never flush anything other than toilet paper down the toilet.
For drain clogs and drain cleaning in Clifton, NJ, contact MarGo Plumbing Heating Cooling Inc. today