Don’t Flush That!
“It’ll be fine”. These are often the last words uttered right before our customers see water coming up in the toilet bowl rather than going down.
Don’t worry – you are not alone. The good news is that most of these toilet clogs are easily avoidable simply by throwing certain things in the trash rather than trying to flush them down the toilet. Here are some of the main ‘clogging’ culprits that need to be kept out of your toilet.
Feminine hygiene products
This is the number one no-no. Tampons, pads, including similar hygiene products should never be flushed down the toilet under any circumstances. The products will swell once they are soaked in water and can easily get caught in the bend of your toilet or further down the plumbing system. These wreak even more havoc on septic systems that are generally more sensitive than their municipal counterparts.
Offering a sanitary waste basket near the toilet is an easy way to make sure these items are disposed of properly and won’t come back in to haunt you in the form of an expensive service call.
Dental Floss
It may seem harmless because it is so thin, but dental floss is not biodegradable and can cause clogs and backups. It can also harm the environment and wildlife if it ends up in water sources.
Baby wipes or wet wipes
Even wipes that are labeled “flushable” can harm your pipes. It’s best to keep any sort of wipes out of your plumbing. As mentioned earlier , keep a trash can near the toilet and throw them in there instead.
Cotton balls, Q-tips, or any other absorbent bathroom product
Cotton won’t break apart when soaked with water like toilet paper will. These products swell when submerged, and clump together in pipe bends causing blockages.
Medication
While medications are not likely to clog your pipes, they can cause serious damage to groundwater and wildlife. Pills disintegrate in water, and the chemicals they contain can contaminate water sources used by both humans and wildlife. If you need to get rid of medication, look for medicine disposal programs in your local area.
Diapers
Like feminine products, diapers are meant to absorb liquid. It’s unlikely that a diaper will even make it down the drain in the first place due to its size; but, if it does it will definitely expand and clog your pipes. Use a diaper pail instead and save yourself the hassle and expense of having a plumber fish diapers out of your pipes.
A single diaper is all it takes to have an expensive hassle on your hands.
Too late, already flushed?
If this advice is already too late and you’ve flushed something that should have instead gone in the trash, do you have any options? Well, before you think about putting a chemical drain cleaner down there, check out our earlier article – The Dangers of Liquid Drain Cleaner. Besides, depending on what is down there, you may need to have a mechanical drain cleaning machine to clear it anyway.
If your lines are backing up, it may already be time to call in a professional. Call Ranger at 586-6959. We Always Answer Our Phones!
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