Do Not Let Your Guests Flush These Things Down the Toilet

Posted on July 8, 2022 by weilhammerplumbing

Summertime is a time for loved ones. With school out all season long, now is the prime time to visit family. Although enriching and enjoyable, hosting family from out of town can certainly pose some challenges, especially when kids are involved. Yet somehow, regardless of age, house guests tend to cause some plumbing challenges during their stays, particularly with the toilet, which is problematic considering the acute importance of having a functional toilet at all times, even more so when people are staying with you! So, if you are preparing to have family come into town for a visit, do your due diligence to ensure they don’t flush the wrong things down the toilet. Your plumbing and sewer system will thank you!

Continue below for a list of things that you might want to warn your house guests about before showing them to their rooms!

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Stick to the Obvious Flushing Rules

People tend to overlook the fact that most things do not belong in the toilet. Other than human waste, and toilet paper, nothing else should be flushed down the commode. This makes the list of incompatible items quite long, as you can imagine. But when it comes to house guests, there are some items that are more commonly a threat to your toilet. Give your guests a customary orientation on what not to flush down your toilets and sleep easier knowing you won’t be waking up to a mass overflow or backup.

Common Items That Should Not Be Flushed Down the Toilet

Avoid inconvenient toilet disasters and costly plumbing repair bills by telling your guests not to flush these items down the toilet:

Moist Towelettes and Wipes

Moist towelettes, disinfecting wipes, alcohol pads, and bathroom wipes should not be flushed. Even bathroom wipes that are advertised as “flushable” are not really flush-friendly nor do they disintegrate well. These items are notorious for causing backups in sewer systems and plumbing pipes. This can lead to pipe bursts, water leaks, and hefty repair bills.

Paper towels and tissue are also bad news for toilets. They should never be flushed, even if they are totally saturated.

Feminine Products

Items like tampons, maxi-pads, disposal underwear, incontinence products, and more are not meant to be flushed. These items expand in water and will quickly clog up your system. Rather than flushing, instruct your house guests to wrap them in toilet paper and toss them into the trash bin. The same applies to contraceptives like condoms.

Cotton Swabs, Balls and Pads

You wouldn’t think something as small and flimsy as a cotton swab or cotton ball would harm your plumbing system, but as it turns out, they are a common culprit behind toilet and sewer system backups. Like the other items listed, cotton balls, swabs, and rounds are made using highly absorbent materials, so they expand inside plumbing pipes and obstruct the flow of wastewater. Never allow your guests to toss these into the toilet.

Baby Diapers

Disposal and cloth baby diapers should be an obvious flushing no-no, yet they tend to top the list as far as toilet clogs go, especially in public restrooms. Never attempt to flush a diaper down the toilet, no matter how small or clean. They are large and highly absorbent, making them an instant plumbing obstruction.

Fireworks

Although the Fourth of July comes once a year, fireworks tend to linger all summer long. But do not let your curious niece or nephew drop a firecracker down the toilet! Placing a lit firework in the toilet will break the toilet, guaranteed. And if it doesn’t crack the porcelain bowl entirely in half (which is what normally occurs), it will damage the internal trap and fail to hold in the water. Can you say, toilet replacement?

Dead Fish and Amphibians

You may have been raised flushing dead goldfish, crawdads, and minnows down the toilet, but this is actually bad practice. Not only can fish and shellfish caused obstructions in the sewer system, but sometimes they are not actually dead, which can lead to an infestation. Stick to burrowing your dead pets or tossing your deceased fishy into the neighborhood pond.

Additional Items to Warn Guests About:

□ Dental Floss
□ Hair
□ Dryer Sheets
□ Razor Blades
□ Cosmetics
□ Plastic Wrappers
□ Toys

Are you having toilet or plumbing issues? Do you need plumbing service or repair before your family arrives for a summer visit? Contact Weilhammer Plumbing Company at 317-784-1870 when you need professional and affordable plumbing services for toilets, drains, showers, tubs, water heaters, water softeners, and more. We serve residential and commercial clients in Indianapolis and throughout Central Indiana.

How to Tighten Up a Toilet Lever That is Loose

Posted on June 9, 2021 by weilhammerplumbing

Toilet levers, or handles, are used several times a day; so, it is no surprise that they begin to loosen overtime. Although not a serious repair, it is important to remedy a loose toilet lever because it can affect toilet performance and efficiency. Not only is a toilet with poor flushing performance unpleasant and unsanitary, but its inefficiency can also increase monthly water bills. Fortunately, this is generally an easy fix, and one that you can accomplish all on your own with a few simple adjustments.

Continue reading to review a step-by-step guide on tightening a loose toilet tank lever.

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How to Fix a Loose Toilet Handle:

What You Will Need

To tighten up a loose toilet tank handle, you won’t require very many tools or supplies. That is because it is not a very invasive repair. Most likely, you will already have the tools necessary to get the job done. This saves you time by avoiding a trip to the local home improvement store. All you need is your own two hands and an adjustable wrench.

How to Do It:

✅ Start by locating the water shut-off valve for the toilet. The supply pipe and handle should be behind the tank. Turn off the water supply to the toilet by rotating the shut-off valve handle clockwise.

✅ Once the shutoff valve is closed, remove the toilet tank lid. Grab both sides and lift upwards. It should not be sealed or connected to the toilet. Place it down slowly on a flat, stable surface so you do not crack or break it.

✅ You will now need to empty the tank of water. Do this by simply flushing the toilet with the handle. It is easier to adjust a loose toilet lever without water in the tank.

✅ Now look for the metal nut that secures the toilet lever to the inside of the tank. This is the nut that has come loose. Standard screws and other threaded hardware are forward threaded, but toilet lever nuts and screws are reverse-threaded with a plastic washer. This helps to prevent loosening overtime.

✅ Use your adjustable wrench to tighten the nut. Do this by grasping the nut with your wrench and turning it clockwise. Continue turning the nut until you begin to feel resistance. Once you feel this resistance, make only a couple more turns until it is difficult to turn any more. Be careful to not overdo it and accidentally crack the tank.

✅ Next, test the lever’s tightness and performance by pressing it as if you were flushing the toilet. If it does not compress well, it is too tight, and you will need to loosen it by one or two rotations. Loosen counterclockwise with your wrench.

✅ Finish by turning your water supply to the toilet back on!

Still having problems with your toilet or bathroom plumbing? Contact Weilhammer Plumbing Company at 317-784-1870 for Indianapolis Indiana plumbing services at an affordable price. We provide residential and commercial plumbing service and repair.

You Might Also Read:

How to Fix a Running Toilet Handle
3 Toilet Problems SOLVED!
The Two-Step Method to Fixing a Clogged Toilet

Indianapolis Indiana Master Plumbers 317-784-1870

What’s the Deal With Toilet Paper?

Posted on October 22, 2020 by weilhammerplumbing

Toilet paper has been a part of your life since the day you were weened off diapers. So naturally, toilet paper has taken on the form of something so necessary that we never really dig deeper on its role in our everyday lives. But really; what’s the deal with toilet paper? Well, ‘tis the season to talk about it, as toilet paper sales tend to soar this time of year.

Continue below to learn how toilet paper works, and a few other related facts that might just surprise you.

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Brief History of Toilet Paper

Everyone has a personal, internal disposal system, leaving us to all have one thing in common, a need for a good wipe. So, in comes toilet paper, our rear-end’s savior for a comfortable, convenient, and hygienic solution to post-elimination cleanup. Before TP, ancient peoples use everything from rocks and seashells, to hay, straw, and fibrous plant material to satisfy their need to wipe. Fortunately, in the 6th century C.E., China finally invented paper, which they made from the pulp of mulberry trees. At that time, they also decided that paper was the way to go when it comes to post-go wiping.

Although used around the world by several ethnicities, cultures, and societies, Americans take the cake as the top consumers. But it wasn’t always that way. Even back in the 1800’s, people were mostly using pages torn out of Old Farmer’s Almanacs and Sears catalogs. As time went on, a guy invented a hemp-based sheet formulated with aloe, as a remedy for hemorrhoids. From there, American capitalism took inertia, and eventually grew into a multi-billion dollar industry, just in the states.

FUN FACT: When Sears Roebuck changed their catalogs to a glossy page material, many consumers complained because it just wasn’t as comfortable as the paper pages they had before! Even the Old Farmer’s Almanac added holes in the corner of their pages so they would be easier to hang from a hook in the outhouse!

How Much Toilet Paper Do You Use?

Research and statistics reveal that in the United States alone, more than 6 billion dollars are spent on toilet paper each year by consumers. What’s more startling is that the same data shows that people tend to use around 50 pounds of toilet paper, per capita, each year. No so comforting, if you were to use these same stats, it would require a toilet paper manufacturer to cut down 10 million trees each year to make enough teepee for the whole world.

Indoor Plumbing Was the Key to TP Success

Toilet paper was really thin before because it had to be easily disposable. But this created a problem for big go’s, as hands would often be left soiled unless you use a lot of paper. But once indoor plumbing was a reliable and consistent thing, toilet paper quality was improved drastically. It was made with a more flush-able design, yet thicker and more absorbent than ever before.

But don’t put too much TP down the toilet! Otherwise, you might end up with a clog! Talk to your local plumber about your toilet and bathroom plumbing concerns, and they can help you get your indoor plumbing back on track and under control.

How it Works

There are several different kinds of toilet paper, ranging in size, quality, brand, color, composition, and more. Generally, toilet paper is made from a mix of water, tree pulp, bleach, and select chemicals used to extract fibers, which renders a softer, cushier material. As for the tree pulp, a blend of softwood and hardwood trees. Hardwoods include species like maple, gum, and oak, while softwoods are species like Hemlocks, Firs, and Spruces. By the way, toilet paper is often kept white because dyes can pose certain health risks or complications.

Need an Emergency Plumber for Toilet Repair and Service in Indianapolis?

Call Weilhammer Plumbing Co. Inc. at 317-784-1870 for trusted and affordable emergency plumbing services in Indianapolis, Indiana. We offer a wide range of standard and master plumber repair services for both residential and commercial properties, including home plumbing inspections, water heater repair, water softener repair, septic tank repair, and appliance sales. We also offer free estimates, free plumbing advice, and even free haul-away for old plumbing appliances. Request a free estimate, today.