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Can tampons clog the toilet?
Many of our customers ask if things like tissue paper, or tampons can clog the toilet. The short answer is Yes!
Even if it may not clog right away, flushed tampons may get stuck in the drain and cause a blocked drain over time. In order to help the drains efficiently function, it is not recommended to flush any other foreign objects (obviously expect for the things that are supposed to be flushed).
Tampons can cause blocked toilets
In fact, flushing of foreign materials is one of the most common reason which causes blocked drains. Little tip: If a tampon is causing your toilet to back up, plunging it may just make the problem worse by forcing the tampon farther into the pipe.
How do tampons clog toilets?
A tampon may seem too little to be a problem, yet it may cause a blockage in a toilet. The reason for this is because when tampons or other feminine hygiene items come into contact with fluid, they expand to around 10 times their original size.
Therefore, the more their contact with water, the larger they will ultimately get. Because they are indestructible is reason number two. They are not like toilet paper in that they do not dissolve over time. A tampon, when flushed down the toilet, is like to a little toy. A clog in any of these systems might cause the same problems with water flow.
What’s the best way to get rid of it?
There are two potential solutions to this; using drain snake, or getting it hand removed by wearing a pair of gloves. Using drain snake is generally not recommended; since breaking it up would generate tampon fragments that may also block the waste pipe. However, it depends upon case to case. Only a drain plumber would be able to make wise and logical decision when it comes to critical plumbing issues like this.
Whereas, pulling the tampon out is the most effective method for removing it. The potential for costly plumbing repairs is eliminated.
Finding out if the toilet is clogged
Do not immediately freak out if you find that you have flushed a tampon down the toilet. Indicators that a tampon has been the cause of a blocked toilet include: raw sewage odour, gurgling noises in the pipes, and toilet overflowing are all signs of trouble.
Get in touch with Sydney’s best drain plumbers
Flushed a tampon? If you need your drain repaired immediately, call Dial Up Plumbing Services. We offer reasonably priced drain cleaning services. For unclogging drains in Sydney, contact our team of licenced plumbers at (02) 8999 6125.
