A lot of people treat toilets like a second trash can, and that habit is causing big problems in homes and city sewers. In this edition of Tips from Local Pros, we'll learn why the "flushable" label doesn't always mean what you think. So if you've ever dealt with a clog or worry about one down the road, here's what Scott Monroe, the owner of Monroe Plumbing, has to say...
Sewer systems and toilets are becoming clogged as too many people are flushing wipes and other cleaning materials.
But wait... the label says they're flushable, right?
The labeling on the product is accurate. You can flush wipes down a toilet. They will make it through the curved colon in your toilet and enter the three-inch drainpipe in your home. You can also flush plastic army men, plastic dinosaurs, golf balls, keys, sand, gravel, cellphones, underwear, cosmetic bottles, pill bottles, etc., down toilets. But just because you can, doesn't necessarily mean you should.
Should You Really Flush Those Flushable wipes?
The question is: Are the wipes truly sewer and septic safe, and is it a good idea to flush all those things above down a toilet?
In our opinion, absolutely, positively NO! I have been a master plumber since I was 19, and I will tell you the only thing that should go down a toilet is liquid/solid waste from your body and toilet paper. It's also important to realize the less toilet paper you use each trip to the bathroom, the happier your plumbing system will be.
The flushable wipes controversy is really a common-sense exercise. If you moisten a single sheet of toilet paper and rub it on your skin or a hard surface, you'll discover it rapidly falls apart. This is by design. You want toilet paper to disintegrate as fast as possible into the tiny cellulose fibers used to create it.
Try the same experiment with a decent-quality paper towel. You'll notice that the paper towel tends to hold up and not fall apart. Once again, this is by design. The paper towel manufacturer wants you to be able to use them to clean up spills and do light-duty cleaning. Never flush paper towels down a toilet.
Finally, do the same test with a flushable wipe. You'll quickly discover they hold together better than paper towels.
Can you imagine what happens if there's not enough water to transport these through your in-house building drain and outside buried sewer line out to your city sewer? At some point, you'll get a clog. These wipes survive the long and torturous journey from homes through miles of sewer pipes, ending up at municipal sewage treatment plants. They clog giant pumps at the plants.
The Internet is littered with stories about massive clogs in sewers and treatment plants caused by these wipes. Flushable wipes are the scourge of sewers and septic systems. If you must use them in your home, we suggest you dispose of them in a sanitary way in a special garbage can, much like you'd store a soiled baby's diaper until trash day.
Clogs in residential plumbing systems can also be traced to the low-flow requirements forced upon us by government officials. Years ago, the standard toilet used 3½ gallons of water per flush. Toilets now use 1.6 gallons of water per flush. This small amount of water, in some plumbing systems, often doesn't have the energy to transport the flushable wipes or ordinary wastes out to the city sewer. Remember the simple formula from high school physics class? Force equals mass times acceleration. Three and a half gallons of water has much more mass than 1.6 gallons of water.
Let's be clear, the best practice is to only flush body waste and toilet paper down your toilet. Be nice to your plumbing and it will be nice to you.
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Clogs and sewer backups aren't just frustrating, they can also be expensive and disruptive if ignored. Insights like this are a reminder that prevention is always easier than dealing with costly repairs later. To learn more tips like this or if you need plumbing services in the Bradenton and Manatee County area, reach out to Monroe Plumbing Inc to get a free estimate or contact 941-479-7923.
This article was originally published at: https://monroeplumbingfl.com/blog/f/flushable-wipes-are-terrible-for-plumbing
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
PALMETTO / ELLENTON
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
