Flushable wipes are a popular hygienic product all across America. And why shouldn’t they be? They are fantastic for taking care of toddlers who need changing, for cleaning up small messes in the bathroom, or for your own personal hygiene. Plus, they have the convenience factor of being flushable. Right?
Wrong! “Flushable” and disposable wipes cannot be flushed down the toilet.
The truth is “flushable” wipes are not readily biodegradable in a sewer system. Toilet paper is sold dry, and so when it gets wet, it starts to degrade quite quickly. This is why it is safe to flush. But disposable wipes are already wet when you buy them yet do not tear apart easily. When you flush these wet wipes, the water of the pipes does virtually nothing to them. Down the line — both in context of time and the actual length of your sewer line — a clog can start to form as “flushable” wipes stick and build up.
Pipe Problems Caused by Flushable Wipe Clogs
There are plenty of problems that can wrack your home’s plumbing system if you keep flushing disposable wipes down the toilet instead of throwing them in the trash. If a clog forms high up the pipeline, near the toilet, then it is likely that toilet will not drain when you flush it. You may even experience a harrowing and truly unhygienic toilet backflow that floods into your bathroom!
If the clog happens further down the pipework, then drainage issues could spread throughout your home. You might see that your shower is starting to drain slowly, or maybe the kitchen sink backs up from time to time. It all depends on where the clog forms and what parts of your plumbing that are “upstream” get affected. But no matter where that clog appears, it is not good news for you and your family.
How to Fix a Clog Caused by “Flushable” Wipes
As “flushable” wipes start to clog up your home’s pipework, the resulting clog could be fairly major. Do-it-yourself tricks and bottles of drain-clearing product will likely be largely inefficient, and may damage your pipes more. The only surefire way to take care of it in a safe, cost-effective manner is letting a professional plumber handle it for you.
If you live in Anchorage, Alaska and need a plumber to unclog a mass flushable wipes in your pipes, call (907) 268-4557 to connect with Drain Masters. We have more than 20 years of industry experience serving the people of our community! Contact us today to arrange for a diagnostic appointment.