Plumbers in Jacksonville FL Provide Advice on What Not to Flush

by | Mar 4, 2016 | Plumbing

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Plumbers in Jacksonville FL want everyone to understand that a toilet is designed to flush away human waste and toilet paper, and nothing more. It’s not a trash can, but people tend to treat it like one. In fact, they treat it like a magic trash can that swirls away all the things that would otherwise have to be put into a wastebasket and eventually taken outside to put in the garbage. Unfortunately, pretending the toilet is a suitable receptacle for trash is likely to lead to a sewer backup one day.

When using their equipment to clear out sewer pipes, Plumbers in Jacksonville FL can just about guess what they’ll pull out of the drain. They’re accustomed to finding objects such as tampons, plastic and cardboard tampon holders, wet wipes and dental floss. Occasionally they’ll find something more startling, such as sanitary pads and disposable diapers. People ask a lot from a toilet and a sewer pipe when they try to flush these big, bulky items. Used condoms don’t belong in the sewer system, and neither do cigarette butts, hair from a hairbrush or the shower strainer, cotton swabs and paper towels that were used to clean the bathroom. All those things should go in the trash.

It’s acceptable to flush waste that dogs leave in the yard, but not the plastic bag used to pick up that waste. It’s technically acceptable to flush waste that cats leave behind, but not if any cat litter is attached to it. In general, the trash can is most suitable.

Not only can these things cause sewer backups, but they can also result in problems at the municipal sewage treatment plant as well. Not all of these facilities have been upgraded to the extent that filters can effectively deal with every piece of trash community residents flush away. Equipment can be damaged. Some facilities still have problems with overflow during exceptionally heavy rainfall, leading to trash in the system flowing into the nearest waterway.

A company such as American Plumbing Contractors responds promptly when homeowners need help because the sewer backed up. The plumber advises the residents how to prevent this from happening in the future. People can find additional info about this particular company online.

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