The Plumbing Hack You Didn’t Know You Needed: Why Some People Are Flushing Salt Down Their Toilets
Dealing with weird toilet sounds, sluggish flushing, or foul smells? You’re not alone. These plumbing nuisances might be trying to tell you something more serious is going on beneath your home—like an invasion of tree roots into your pipes.
How Roots Invade Underground Pipes
Plants are naturally drawn to moisture, and your underground plumbing is a perfect target.
Small cracks or loose joints in the pipes allow roots to creep in slowly. As time passes, the roots expand and clog up your sewer lines, causing leaks, blockages, and sometimes even flooding in your yard or basement.
The Rock Salt Hack Plumbers Quietly Recommend
Before calling in a backhoe or dropping thousands on sewer repairs, there’s a surprisingly easy solution many pros quietly recommend: flush rock salt.
Here’s what to do:
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Pour about one cup of rock salt directly into the toilet bowl.
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Flush once.
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Let the salt make its way through your pipes overnight.
Rock salt works by drying out the roots it encounters, stopping them from growing further and potentially breaking the pipeline. It’s a cost-effective way to nip the issue in the bud.
Why It’s Worth Trying Before Calling for Backup
Once roots take hold, replacing sewer lines can be a massive project involving digging up your yard and spending thousands. A simple bag of rock salt? Just a few bucks. It’s a low-risk attempt at solving a high-cost problem.
Know When to Bring in the Experts
If you’ve flushed salt and the gurgling, slow draining, or foul odors continue, it could be a sign that the problem has progressed too far for a DIY fix. That’s when it’s time to contact a licensed plumber for an inspection and possibly a camera scope of your lines.
Bottom Line: It’s Worth a Shot
If your toilet starts acting up, don’t ignore the signs. This one-step salt trick might just solve the issue before it escalates—and if it doesn’t, you’ve lost very little trying.
Sometimes the best fixes really do come from the simplest ideas.