3 Ways To Avoid Toilet Backup During A Shelter-In-Place Order

On a normal day, most people are not in their homes all day. Kids go off to school for the day, or head out to attend extracurricular activities. Parents go to work, go to the salon, or go get their shopping done. When something like a pandemic takes place, everything about the aforementioned statements can change.

For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, many communities were ordered to shelter in place, many school systems were closed, and more people were forced to stay home for the majority of their days. All this can have a drastic impact on your sewer system. If you are ever ordered to shelter in place with every member of your household, there are a few things you can do to avoid a toilet backup problem. 

Avoid overloading one bathroom if you have more than one. 

If you are lucky enough to have more than one bathroom in the house, make sure everyone is not crowding to just one while they're stuck at home. Even though waste should move through the lines quickly, some of the waste can get trapped in a line with each flush. It breaks down as it sits idle, but if people in the home are repeatedly flushing waste down the same toilet, a backup can occur. 

Implement strict orders to not flush paper products. 

You may normally flush toilet paper and flush-able wet wipes in the toilet, but at a time when everyone is staying at home, it is best if you don't flush anything other than actual human waste. All of this paper can quickly overwhelm a local sewer system, especially if an entire block of residents are constantly flushing because everyone is at home.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, some city officials actually requested that people at least avoid flushing toilet paper alternatives like paper towels and wet wipes. As far as localized problems with your own toilets, not flushing a lot of paper is a good general rule to follow to avoid a backup. 

Monitor small children while in the bathroom. 

Small children are more likely to cause a toilet backup than any other member of the household. While your little ones are hanging around the house all day instead of being at school or daycare, it is important that you keep an eye on them during bathroom time. Something as simple as a flushed toy can cause a toilet to get clogged so badly that you have to call a plumber for help. 

If the worst happens, you'll want to contact a professional who specializes in toilet backup repair services.


Share