Wet wipes are a revolutionary invention that’s well-loved by many all over the world. Gone are the days of having to sacrifice your t-shirt to wipe up a spill in the car—now, it’s just a matter of pulling out a wet wipe and taking care of the issue! Wipes can save your day from a mess—be it a minor hand cleaning or a major surface cleaning—allowing you to rise above major sanitary hassles.
Because wipes are widely used, the manner of disposing of them creates a bit of a conundrum. Most individuals aren’t aware of how to properly dispose of their wipes, merely tossing them into the toilet bowl and flushing it down the drain. As simple as that sounds, this can be very detrimental to your plumbing system, possibly clogging it and requiring you to contact a plumbing service to remedy the situation.
To cement that point even further, here are some things to consider about the risks of tossing wipes into your toilet, and what to do when something happens to your plumbing system.
How Wipes Get Clogged in the Drainage System
Although some companies indicate that their wipes are flushable, their product may not necessarily biodegrade well. Even if you no longer see these sanitary implements floating in your toilet bowl, it doesn’t mean that it’s been completely purged from your drainage system.
Here’s what happens: when you throw your wipes into the toilet bowl and flush them, they go into the sewage system. They go down through the pipes, potentially getting stuck somewhere along the way. It then forms into a ball when other materials get flushed, compiling the waste and getting bigger with each mess that gets stuck in its grasp. When this happens, it’s just a matter of time before it causes a clog—leaving you with a major mess to clean up.
What Happens When Wipes Go Down the Drain
When wipes get clogged in the sewage system, quite a few other problems result.
Other materials, including toilet paper and feces, are also disposed into the drainage system. When wipes obstruct their path, they tend to get stuck with them, creating a large ball of clogged materials.
When this occurs, it is only a matter of time before the toilet overflows. The worst-case scenario is for the problem to also affect your tubs, sinks, and everything else connected to your plumbing system—backflowing wastewater into your home and causing a huge mess.
What to Do When Your Sewage system is Clogged
Some people may not care very much about being wary of the way they dispose of their wipes, especially when they are in public. If you don’t think twice before tossing your wipes down the drain, however, then soon enough, you’ll be faced with a major plumbing problem that’ll be costly to repair.
In cases like this, you will need to get a plumber to handle the toilet repair and clean the drains. A professional plumbing repair service can get into the root cause of the drainage problem, determining the best way to eradicate the clog. Such a clog is not easy to fix, and an amateur may end up worsening the problem instead of solving it. For this reason, it’s important that you seek help from a trained professional.
Conclusion
It takes utmost responsibility to maintain your toilet—which is why it’s crucial to be mindful of what you toss into it. By doing your due diligence, you can avoid having to encounter these drainage problems in the future.
Are you looking for a plumbing repair service in Chilliwack to help you with your residential plumbing? Top Tier Mechanical offers professional emergency plumbing repairs for both industrial projects and residential lots. Contact us today and get in touch with a professional to cater to your plumbing needs!