Oil
9 Common Items You Shouldn't Flush
Many people seem to think toilets are porcelain black holes, able to suck away a variety of items not meant for plumbing and sewer systems. If you value plumbing and sanity, you'll want to take good care of it, just like anything else in your home.
Here's a list of items (by no means comprehensive) that should never go into the porcelain god, no matter what you've been taught.
1/ Dental Floss
Put the stuff in the trash. It won't biodegrade, and it will clog pipes and sewers.
2/ Fats, Oils, Grease
Unless you want raw sewage eventually overflowing in your home and on the street, recycle it instead (where available), or let it cool and dump it in the trash. FOG is the number one culprit for backups, and yet it's so easy to avoid.
3/ Cotton Swabs
Though the cardboard variety will eventually compost, the plastic swabs last for centuries and clog pipes and sewers. Those that make it to the lift stations and beyond have to be manually removed and send to a landfill.
4/ Condoms
Here's a photo of a metropolitan lift station we treat. See that little rubber sitting there? It’s gross, and to top it off, a city worker will likely have to dispose of it for you by hand. Classy! Though condoms are supposed to be biodegradable, the process takes longer than the sewer system will tolerate. Put yourself in their shoes, no matter how afterglowy you seem to be, and the world will be a cleaner place.
5/ Hair
Hair is an effective clogging agent for pipes and drains. It attracts other solids, including fats, oil, and grease, and can eventually cause raw sewage to back up in your home. Unless you WANT to create headaches for yourself, or your neighbors, either donate the hair to Locks of Love, use it as compost, or ask your grandmother to weave you a hat. Just don't put it down the toilet.
6/ Tampons/Sanitary Napkins
This is a photo of a municipal lift station. Look at those used tampons floating in the muck. A friendly neighborhood municipal worker has to manually remove those and send them to the landfill. Sounds like a great time to me.
7/ Chemicals
What keeps your pipes flowing freely is primarily the result of beneficial bacteria (like the kind we add in concentrated form to BZT Drain & Septic). Every time you flush chemicals down the drain, you are wiping them out. Chemicals also cause problems for the municipality that come with a significant price tag. Also, they are awful for the environment.
(Supplemental) Treat your drains and septic systems with an effective biological product, BZT Drain & Septic, instead of waiting until there’s a problem. One of our goals as a company is to reduce the world’s dependance on harmful chemicals while providing a sound, powerful solution to organic waste. This is where it begins, and ends.
8/ Coffee Grounds
Yes, they are biodegradable, but it takes awhile and they would be better off in your compost bin. Coffee grounds clog septic systems, too. Big no-no.
9/ Paper Towels/Tissue
Toilet paper is designed for use in toilet plumbing/sewers. However, paper towels and tissues are not. They don't biodegrade quickly, and they may choke the sewer lines and flood your house with raw sewage eventually. Yum!
If we’re all a little more responsible, careful, and knowledgable about such icky things, we will be better able to keep this planet sustainable. Please join us in the effort, and eventually we may not have to post such icky photos.
(Bruce Rich, CIO)
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Follow United-Tech on Twitter for more tips, tricks, special discounts, and commentary on the news of the day. Also, fan us on Facebook! We love to be social.
Here's a list of items (by no means comprehensive) that should never go into the porcelain god, no matter what you've been taught.
1/ Dental Floss
Put the stuff in the trash. It won't biodegrade, and it will clog pipes and sewers.
2/ Fats, Oils, Grease
Unless you want raw sewage eventually overflowing in your home and on the street, recycle it instead (where available), or let it cool and dump it in the trash. FOG is the number one culprit for backups, and yet it's so easy to avoid.
3/ Cotton Swabs
Though the cardboard variety will eventually compost, the plastic swabs last for centuries and clog pipes and sewers. Those that make it to the lift stations and beyond have to be manually removed and send to a landfill.
4/ Condoms
Here's a photo of a metropolitan lift station we treat. See that little rubber sitting there? It’s gross, and to top it off, a city worker will likely have to dispose of it for you by hand. Classy! Though condoms are supposed to be biodegradable, the process takes longer than the sewer system will tolerate. Put yourself in their shoes, no matter how afterglowy you seem to be, and the world will be a cleaner place.
5/ Hair
Hair is an effective clogging agent for pipes and drains. It attracts other solids, including fats, oil, and grease, and can eventually cause raw sewage to back up in your home. Unless you WANT to create headaches for yourself, or your neighbors, either donate the hair to Locks of Love, use it as compost, or ask your grandmother to weave you a hat. Just don't put it down the toilet.
6/ Tampons/Sanitary Napkins
This is a photo of a municipal lift station. Look at those used tampons floating in the muck. A friendly neighborhood municipal worker has to manually remove those and send them to the landfill. Sounds like a great time to me.
7/ Chemicals
What keeps your pipes flowing freely is primarily the result of beneficial bacteria (like the kind we add in concentrated form to BZT Drain & Septic). Every time you flush chemicals down the drain, you are wiping them out. Chemicals also cause problems for the municipality that come with a significant price tag. Also, they are awful for the environment.
(Supplemental) Treat your drains and septic systems with an effective biological product, BZT Drain & Septic, instead of waiting until there’s a problem. One of our goals as a company is to reduce the world’s dependance on harmful chemicals while providing a sound, powerful solution to organic waste. This is where it begins, and ends.
8/ Coffee Grounds
Yes, they are biodegradable, but it takes awhile and they would be better off in your compost bin. Coffee grounds clog septic systems, too. Big no-no.
9/ Paper Towels/Tissue
Toilet paper is designed for use in toilet plumbing/sewers. However, paper towels and tissues are not. They don't biodegrade quickly, and they may choke the sewer lines and flood your house with raw sewage eventually. Yum!
If we’re all a little more responsible, careful, and knowledgable about such icky things, we will be better able to keep this planet sustainable. Please join us in the effort, and eventually we may not have to post such icky photos.
(Bruce Rich, CIO)
---
Follow United-Tech on Twitter for more tips, tricks, special discounts, and commentary on the news of the day. Also, fan us on Facebook! We love to be social.