Flushable wipes include baby wipes, toilet wipes, makeup wipes, and antibacterial wipes. Flushable wipes are not flushable, as promoted in advertisements. Unlike toilet paper that breaks down almost immediately in water, wipes stick to walls when they hit your sewer pipes or septic tank. Flushable wipes are composed of synthetic materials, plastics or polyester, that won’t break down. So even if they flush down your toilet, they clog our sewers. Consulting with plumbers in San Jose is beneficial, treating clogs to prevent further loss.
Here’s more you need to know.
Flushable pipes may take a longer amount of time to break down compared to toilet paper. Since the breakdown isn’t rapid, clogged pipes and blockages occur more often. Toilet paper usually breaks down in about 24 hours, and flushable or wet wipes remain intact when flushed down the bowl.
Keeping this habit puts your home’s plumbing at risk for clogs, leading to hefty plumbing bills for you. Several items, such as thick toilet paper, paper towels, cotton swabs, sanitary pads, and toilet cleaning pads, are flushed down toilets, contributing to clogs and backups.
Choosing the best local plumbers in Sacramento can help you employ the best solution.
Flushable wipes do not disintegrate at once when they go down the drain. They hold together and block the sewer line, causing flooding within the home. Throwing them into the garbage bin is the best thing to do.
Moreover, wet wipes combine with the fat, grease, and other dirt trapped in the pipes. These formations create stubborn clogs in plumbing pipes and drain, resulting in thousands of dollars worth of plumbing repairs.
How to handle toilets blocked with flushable wipes?
- Use a plunger to dislodge the clog and push the wipes down through the sewer pipe using the plunger.
- Use a toilet snake to grab the tissues obstructing the pipe and pull them out of the plumbing system. Prepare to remove the wipes and throw them away in the trash.
- The best solution is to call a professional to unclog a clog, especially deep-down clogs caused by flushed wipes.
Conclusion
Watch out for the signs of plumbing problems to prevent significant damage. Wet wipes can cause potential damage to the sewage treatment plant. Those fibrous moist wipes have the potential to harm and overheat industrial-grade pumps. It’s critical to realize that the only things that should be flushed down a toilet are human waste and toilet paper to avoid clogs and further damage to the home’s plumbing system. Additionally, flushable wipes cannot be recycled and must be disposed of properly in the garbage.
Interesting Related Article: “How To Know If You Need Emergency Plumbing Services“