If your kitchen sink or toilet have become less effective in removing waste, consider some of your habits when it comes to what you put down the drain. While plumbing systems are designed to last for decades, without proper care and use, your pipes and drains can quickly become inefficient.
Whether you’re constantly fighting the kitchen sink or you use the plunger on a regular basis in your bathroom, keep these five items in mind when it comes to preserving your pluming. Here are the top five things that are sure to clog your plumbing and should be disposed of in another way.
Grease
You’ve likely heard that it’s not environmentally-friendly to pour fats and grease down the drain, but do you understand why? In the short-term, the grease from cooking enters your drain and slowly makes its way through the pipes. As grease cools, however, it solidifies. It’s unlikely that all the grease makes it to the sewer system, leaving ruminants lining your pipes. That grease buildup can cause major clogs and blockages. Over time, pouring grease down the drain could lead to sewer main problems. The results could leave you with toilets that don’t flush and sinks that won’t drain.
Disposable Wipes
The problem with “disposable wipes” is that the packaging is very misleading. These wipes are much thicker than the average bathroom tissue, making it impossible for the wipes to break apart while traveling through your pipes. The wipes are easily caught on other debris in the plumbing system and can create a major clog in a short period of time. The impact is so devastating, that many U.S. cities are pleading with residents to not use them or banning them completely. New York, Washington D.C., and Tacoma, Washington have all made news headlines by spending millions of dollars working to repair the damage caused by “flushable wipes.”
Dental Floss
Dental floss is made of Teflon or nylon and isn’t biodegradable. Because it’s impossible for floss to break down, it often causes many clogs. The floss can wrap around hair, food, or other debris, quickly creating a major block in your plumbing system. This is an easy fix. Simply toss the dental floss in the trashcan and stop using your toilet as the waste basket.
Fruit Peels
The peels from your fruits and veggies should go straight to the garbage can. Skin from apples, oranges, onions, potatoes and more should not hit the garbage disposal. The skins can easily get wrapped around the blades, preventing the disposal from working properly. If left untreated, the motor of the system can burn out.
Fibrous Veggies
As with fruit peels, fibrous veggies can easily wrap themselves around the blades, causing the disposal to malfunction. Veggies like celery, onions, carrots, broccoli, and asparagus are all culprits. If you have leftovers, toss them in trash.
Your plumbing system will continue to run smoothly with routine maintenance and proper usage. Avoid these system-blocking items in your disposal, toilet and drain.
