Son flushed toy down toilet - seems ok but should I call plumber?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It could cause a problem eventually. I would get it snaked soon, especially if you've never had it done. Things can build up over time - like tampons previous owners may have flushed.

If something happens later, it becomes an emergency and you'll become desperate and end up paying a ton of money for an after hours plumber.

No, things do not build up over time in your toilet. If you have a septic tank instead of municipal sewer, then maybe it could cause some problems. Otherwise, if the toilet is not draining slowly, the strawberry has left your house.

^this.

[Anonymous]

Ha — This was my post from 2015! My toy-fruit flushing child is now 11 and the toilets worked fine for the next 4 years until I tore the house down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My teen accidentally flushed a retainer. Toilet worked ago for a while but started to drain very slowly. The retainer was caught where the toilet mounted to the floor and was keeping stuff from going down the drain.

So here's how plumbing works: There is a series of pipes that go from your toilet to the sewage treatment plant. The one under your toilet is 3" or 4" in diameter, and from that point they never get smaller, they only get bigger, the last one might be 24". The exit from the toilet is about 2" in diameter. So if something can pass through that opening, it can pass through every other pipe along the way. This is a deliberate design.

This is not to say that it's impossible to clog a drain, it happens, something can pass through in one orientation and then get turned and get stuck. But the general rule is that if something can get through that opening it won't cause problems.

[Anonymous]

pour a 5 gallon bucket of water down the toilet to move things along. otherwise don't worry unless things bog down.

[Anonymous]

The strawberry has left the building. Things do not build up in the pipes. You'd know very quickly if the system was backed up somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My teen accidentally flushed a retainer. Toilet worked ago for a while but started to drain very slowly. The retainer was caught where the toilet mounted to the floor and was keeping stuff from going down the drain.

So here's how plumbing works: There is a series of pipes that go from your toilet to the sewage treatment plant. The one under your toilet is 3" or 4" in diameter, and from that point they never get smaller, they only get bigger, the last one might be 24". The exit from the toilet is about 2" in diameter. So if something can pass through that opening, it can pass through every other pipe along the way. This is a deliberate design.

This is not to say that it's impossible to clog a drain, it happens, something can pass through in one orientation and then get turned and get stuck. But the general rule is that if something can get through that opening it won't cause problems.

Similar design to humans. My brother ate part of a toy once and my parents took him to the dr, who said "People's whose mouths are larger than their exits died out many generations ago..."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The strawberry has left the building. Things do not build up in the pipes. You'd know very quickly if the system was backed up somewhere.

As if. "Flushable" wipes and hair routinely snag on things and slow flow, which collects more stuff later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ha — This was my post from 2015! My toy-fruit flushing child is now 11 and the toilets worked fine for the next 4 years until I tore the house down.

Seems like an extreme solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I flushed a tennis ball once. My dad was shocked that it never caused a problem.

That is shocking!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My teen accidentally flushed a retainer. Toilet worked ago for a while but started to drain very slowly. The retainer was caught where the toilet mounted to the floor and was keeping stuff from going down the drain.

So here's how plumbing works: There is a series of pipes that go from your toilet to the sewage treatment plant. The one under your toilet is 3" or 4" in diameter, and from that point they never get smaller, they only get bigger, the last one might be 24". The exit from the toilet is about 2" in diameter. So if something can pass through that opening, it can pass through every other pipe along the way. This is a deliberate design.

This is not to say that it's impossible to clog a drain, it happens, something can pass through in one orientation and then get turned and get stuck. But the general rule is that if something can get through that opening it won't cause problems.

Yes, ideally. But if you have recurring tree roots or other issues, you can get a clog. We had sewage backing up in our basement from the drain in the floor. (So gross!) The plumber ran 50 feet of snake before he hit something.

[Anonymous]

Generally, the smallest orifice in the whole plumbing system is the gooseneck immediately after the bowl that is built into the toilet. IF it makes it past there, and the plumbing system is normal and appropriately installed, then it's a much bigger 3 or 4" pipe and things shouldn't get wedged. But they can make it past and get caught up on debris, etc. if there were install problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My teen accidentally flushed a retainer. Toilet worked ago for a while but started to drain very slowly. The retainer was caught where the toilet mounted to the floor and was keeping stuff from going down the drain.

So here's how plumbing works: There is a series of pipes that go from your toilet to the sewage treatment plant. The one under your toilet is 3" or 4" in diameter, and from that point they never get smaller, they only get bigger, the last one might be 24". The exit from the toilet is about 2" in diameter. So if something can pass through that opening, it can pass through every other pipe along the way. This is a deliberate design.

This is not to say that it's impossible to clog a drain, it happens, something can pass through in one orientation and then get turned and get stuck. But the general rule is that if something can get through that opening it won't cause problems.

Yes, ideally. But if you have recurring tree roots or other issues, you can get a clog. We had sewage backing up in our basement from the drain in the floor. (So gross!) The plumber ran 50 feet of snake before he hit something.

I think you clearly have extenuating circumstances regarding your plumbing. Normal sewage lines do not have edges, points, or tree roots that snag debris as it enters the main sewer system. You sewage backup had nothing to do with something that was flushed and everything to do with deteriorating pipes. A wooden strawberry is not going to change that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The strawberry has left the building. Things do not build up in the pipes. You'd know very quickly if the system was backed up somewhere.

As if. "Flushable" wipes and hair routinely snag on things and slow flow, which collects more stuff later.

Are you the tree root poster? Regular sewer systems do not have anything that can snag debris. That's your problem, not OP's.

[Anonymous]

My 10 year old recently dropped a sock at the moment he flushed. This lead my 7 year old to co fessing to dropping a small medicine dropper in and flushing by accident some time before.

So we’re either headed to disaster or both things are safely in Arlington county’s water filter somewhere!!

[Anonymous]

Time will tell. Out of 3 items flushed down the toilet (toilet roll holder, 2 inch doll, superhero cape), two stayed in the plumbing to cause a clog later. If that toilet seems more sluggish or needs to be plunged more often than the others, have the plumber run an auger down there.