Kids and Your Plumbing

Kids are naturally curious. After all, every experience and interaction has a new and exciting outcome. The Raider Rooter team knows from personal experience that kids are fascinated with plumbing.

It’s not uncommon for us to visit a home multiple times a year to fix plumbing mishaps caused by inquisitive little ones. If you have children, and unexplained or repeated plumbing issues, they could unknowingly be creating the problem.  

Here’s what your kids could be doing to cause plumbing problems … 

• Toilet paper. It’s entertaining to watch toilet paper swirl in the bowl and slowly make its way down, which is why many small children like to do it. But flushing too much toilet paper can cause serious problems, even if it’s a little at a time. Over time, it may accumulate in the pipes, lead to significant blockage, and then reappear in the bathroom shower. 

• Food. We don’t like to generalize, but most kids don’t like eating their vegetables. They’ll go to some creative lengths to get out of eating them, like flushing them down the toilet. It’s completely understandable–they’ve witnessed the toilet make waste disappear, and in their minds, it can do the same for broccoli. But toilets aren’t meant to dispose of food, especially fibrous vegetables that expand and will quickly clog pipes.  

• Toys. It’s not just toilet paper and tomatoes kids are flushing down the toilet. Anyone who has ever stepped on a tiny Lego piece has undoubtedly marveled that something so small can cause so much pain. Those miniature pieces aren’t just a hazard to your instep. They can also cause massive problems to your plumbing. 

• Wipes. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: wipes may say they’re flushable, but they’re not safe to flush. Toilet paper is designed to quickly disintegrate in water, making it safe for your plumbing. Wipes are designed for more vigorous wiping, making them less likely to degenerate in water. 

Your kids might find it convenient and mesmerizing to flush and forget, but all that activity in the bathroom will translate into clogs and plumbing problems. Talk to your kids about what can and cannot go down the toilet and ask them to resist the urge to experiment.  Whether you’re after tips and tricks for frequent plumbing problems or more extensive plumbing insight, be sure to consult our blog for thorough and useful information. After all, Raider Rooter has been helping South Florida maintain and manage its plumbing since 1978. Let us put our expertise to work for you.