Sewer No-no's

[JoeNJ]

Just had a basement full of water,turns out it was a clogged sewage drain backing up into the house. Was told by the plumber things not to flush,including baby wipes(they don't break down).
How about things like cat litter? That's another thing we flush regularly...

[PlumbingSkool]

Hi,

I was under the impression that a toilet, water closet, commode , whatever you want to call it was to be used for human waste...I.E. A "#1" or "#2"..

Why in the world would you flush baby wipes and cat liter down the bowl?

Don't you have a garbage can...I am not trying to be rude, but come on:smash:

I mean OK - I have seen the baby wipe thing many times but cat liter?

Is this DUNBAR?:eek::D

[HebertDrainCare]

My son's school tuition is $600 per month, flush whatever you like.

[stxrus]

the only thing that should ever go into a toilet is human waste and the least amount of toilet paper possible.

but you did NOT hear that from me

steve

[Bogart]

I strongly endorse flushing baby butt wipes, paper towels, feminine hygiene products and cat litter.

[HebertDrainCare]

Please remember to sharpen your disposal blade by disposing of eggshells, and seafood shells.

...and keep your disposal smelling fresh by disposing of whole lemons and/or oranges.

:D

My son is forever grateful. Public schools here are rough.

[DUNBAR PLUMBING]

Damn.....this poor guy doesn't have a snowball's chance.

Sheesh!

[Chemeng]

Kitty litter? Sure, no problem...and add some hydraulic cement to that mix, it will help it flow better.

[PLUMBER RICK]

joe, here's the issue with wipes.

even though a lot of them say flushable:rolleyes: they technically flushed ok, but plugged up downstream in the rest of the piping.

sice they don't dissolve, they will collect on all the rough pipe and any defects, in the system.

so yes, they are flushable, but not necessarily capable to get all the way through a waste system into a cities public/ common line.

cat litter will collect and clump.

rick.

[lmpg]

Wow. Some of you are being a little hard on the guy, don't ya think?

Do you all make comments like that in a customer's house when your face to face?

[MoJourneyman]

Wow. Some of you are being a little hard on the guy, don't ya think?

Do you all make comments like that in a customer's house when your face to face?

I think they are voicing what would be their inner monologue when dealing with a customer.

[EasyEman]

Just had a basement full of water,turns out it was a clogged sewage drain backing up into the house. Was told by the plumber things not to flush,including baby wipes(they don't break down).
How about things like cat litter? That's another thing we flush regularly...


Hot bacon grease will lube up the sides of the pipe.:rolleyes:

[BHD]

Cat litter is clay in small chunks, so if you would not dumb a bucket of dirt down the drain one should not dump cat litter either,

when the little lumps hit the water they soften and clump together. if they are not washed all the way out of the system in one flush, which rarely does it, unless there is a very short run of pipe,

[JoeNJ]

I think they are voicing what would be their inner monologue when dealing with a customer.

Sounds like they should keep it inner:rolleyes:
Thanks to those with the non-wise guy responses;)
Fyi,not flushing alot of cat litter...just more convenient to scoop some cat waste into the toilet then have a bunch of smelly trash bags lying around all week.
Btw better tell Kohler to stop making those commercials then with the guy dumping all kinds of stuff down their toilets;)

[MoJourneyman]

Btw better tell Kohler to stop making those commercials then with the guy dumping all kinds of stuff down their toilets;)

Their toilets can probably take it o.O I'd be more worried about the plumbing beyond that.

[JoeNJ]

the only thing that should ever go into a toilet is human waste and the least amount of toilet paper possible.

I hear that. I kind of noticed that when I switched to the thicker paper the toilet seemed to clog up easier...though I'd assumed it would actually dissolve at some point.
Same with paper towels,every so often the cat would take a dump on the floor and I'd clean it up with a paper towel and flush it. Again assuming that PAPER WOULD DISSOLVE eventually!;)

[HebertDrainCare]

Sounds like they should keep it inner:rolleyes:
Thanks to those with the non-wise guy responses;)
Fyi,not flushing alot of cat litter...just more convenient to scoop some cat waste into the toilet then have a bunch of smelly trash bags lying around all week.
Btw better tell Kohler to stop making those commercials then with the guy dumping all kinds of stuff down their toilets;)


Actually I was thinking about sending Kohler a Christmas card thanking them for those commercials. :D

These are my "outer" thoughts...

1. Toilet paper and human waste only in commode.

2. Strainers in the bathtubs to catch hair.

3. Everything that goes down the disposal is adding to a future blockage.

The less that goes down the drain, the longer it will be before you need to see (pay) me again.



One time I cleaned a sewer from a clean out behind the house and pulled out over twenty tampons. The customer was surprised because they were supposed to be flushable. I explained that toilet paper dissolves in water, tampons are designed to not dissolve and hold liquid.

She thought for a moment and said, "Well, if I only have to do this once a year, I'll pay for the convenience."

Cool with me.



Sorry for the sarcasm. :)

[G3sprinklers]

Not being a smart @ss, but I would put the dang cat outside where it belongs.

G3

[stxrus]

I hear that. I kind of noticed that when I switched to the thicker paper the toilet seemed to clog up easier...though I'd assumed it would actually dissolve at some point.
Same with paper towels,every so often the cat would take a dump on the floor and I'd clean it up with a paper towel and flush it. Again assuming that PAPER WOULD DISSOLVE eventually!;)

in a perfect world with perfect plumbing it seems reasonable. but unfortunately....

here we have a saying "in the land of sun & fun, we don't flush for number 1" unfortunately too much toilet paper with low volume toilets spells a blockage in the making. take a big glass of water, wad up 3 or 4 sheets of TP and toss into the glass, wait an hour and repeat, wait another hour and repeat. give that last bit of paper a half hour to sit. now pour the water and paper into your hand. a big mass of paper that may have trouble going down the toilet and has to travel down your line to the city main or your septic tank. a blockage in the making :eek:

dental floss and C.I, pipes are another recipe for disaster.

again, in a perfect world ...

steve

[JoeNJ]

I'd have thought with all the advancements in technology that there should already be things in place to assist in breaking down of materials,both on the plumbing end as well as the materials that are manufactured to be 'toilet friendly';) At the very least I thought there were enzymes in the system that are supposed to break things down.

[drtyhands]

I'd have thought with all the advancements in technology that there should already be things in place to assist in breaking down of materials,both on the plumbing end as well as the materials that are manufactured to be 'toilet friendly';) At the very least I thought there were enzymes in the system that are supposed to break things down.

Gotta get through the pipes first.Then the dissolving can take place in that area designed for digestion.Stomach vs.Throat.

[Bogart]

When face to face with customers I just tell them the truth. I think it's stupid to flush kitty litter and paper towels. Is the IP stupid? Probably not, but he's doing a stupid thing. I am speaking the truth in love, so he won't keep doing a stupid thing. I tried sarcasm, my bad, but it's obvious he blames "technology" for not having caught up to his desire to use his toilet as a garbage can.

[JoeNJ]

When face to face with customers I just tell them the truth. I think it's stupid to flush kitty litter and paper towels. Is the IP stupid? Probably not, but he's doing a stupid thing. I am speaking the truth in love, so he won't keep doing a stupid thing. I tried sarcasm, my bad, but it's obvious he blames "technology" for not having caught up to his desire to use his toilet as a garbage can.

Tact works pretty well also as demonstrated by a few posters here;)

[richinflorida]

Hey, Joe! From Jersey myself. I live in FL now, but I'm from the Jackson/Howell/Freehold area. Joe, to seasoned drain cleaners/plumbers, it's all too obvious not to put anything down a drain and human waste in a toilet. Don't be put off by the sarcasm/mild abuse. Thick skin. But, as pointed out, as soon as you try to use your drain/sewer system as a "trashcan", you're bound for trouble. Maybe soon, maybe down the road. Yeah, the Kohler commercial shows a tractor trailer and 50 golf balls being flushed. And, many of the popular baby or "adult" wipes say "flushable" on them. Look around this forum, and you'll see pictures with cables or "snakes" being pulled out of drains with many wipes wrapped around. Remember, if it doesn't break down in water, forget it. In the trash. Kitty litter? I know you're flushing the turds from the cat box, but if they got litter stuck to em(and they do), don't flush em. Between these products and garbage disposers, there will always be work in the drain cleaning industry. Hope you got some good advice with a little ball busting!;)

[JoeNJ]

Hey, Joe! From Jersey myself. I live in FL now, but I'm from the Jackson/Howell/Freehold area. Joe, to seasoned drain cleaners/plumbers, it's all too obvious not to put anything down a drain and human waste in a toilet. Don't be put off by the sarcasm/mild abuse. Thick skin. But, as pointed out, as soon as you try to use your drain/sewer system as a "trashcan", you're bound for trouble. Maybe soon, maybe down the road. Yeah, the Kohler commercial shows a tractor trailer and 50 golf balls being flushed. And, many of the popular baby or "adult" wipes say "flushable" on them. Look around this forum, and you'll see pictures with cables or "snakes" being pulled out of drains with many wipes wrapped around. Remember, if it doesn't break down in water, forget it. In the trash. Kitty litter? I know you're flushing the turds from the cat box, but if they got litter stuck to em(and they do), don't flush em. Between these products and garbage disposers, there will always be work in the drain cleaning industry. Hope you got some good advice with a little ball busting!;)

Yea I live in contractor central here in Philly now so I see it ad nauseum around here:D

[Marklar89]

You should look into purchasing some scented garbage bags and double bagging the cat waste. I have a dog and most municipal by laws in Canada require you pick up your dog waste. For many years I've been keeping the waste outside until it is to be disposed. Try This out for a Change, hopefully it makes life easier!

[JoeNJ]

Actually the cats have the upstairs and the dogs are downstairs and we do the outside disposal thing with the dogs so I guess now we'll make the necessary adjustments.

[Josh]

:eek: taking notes... I only do 3 of the 4 ;)

Please remember to sharpen your disposal blade by disposing of eggshells, and seafood shells.

...and keep your disposal smelling fresh by disposing of whole lemons and/or oranges.

:D

My son is forever grateful. Public schools here are rough.

[Bogart]

After the sarcasm and the helpful advice, will you promise to treat your toilet nice?

[toolaholic]

Tact works pretty well also as demonstrated by a few posters here;)

If You try some other forums,You'll see what clam heads are out there! This place is civil and helpful. Ask what ever You want ,We'll help

[waytay]

I aggree being a little rough, Is this not a forum for Proffesionals though???


Yes flushing any foreign debris besides normal waste and toilet paper can cause problems. Of course how old is the house, what type of piping. If you care about those things that will make a differnce of what you can flush. The best guidline is when in doubt throw it out. Dont flush it down.

Good luck on your future plumbing problems!!

[nhmatt]

Wow. Some of you are being a little hard on the guy, don't ya think?

Do you all make comments like that in a customer's house when your face to face?

Big surprise when a bunch of plumbers get together and start talking S**T.

[Trent2]

If you are on a septic system you don't want any thing other than feces, urine and a small amount of t.p. in the tank (of course grey water goes in but one should be careful not to dump harsh cleaners either). The other materials add bulk to the tank and don't break down. The bacteria cant digest raw food from the disposal or heavy papers. They might be able to deal with the cat poo without the paper towel, however animal feces breaks down different than human so I'd only dispose of small amounts of it in the tank.

Also don't add bacteria to your system unless a proffesional pumper has told you to do so. I've seen too many systems fouled by the use of Ri_-E_.

[gassyplumber]

I has a nasty one yesterday, a romaine lettuce stump stuck in the main drain in a condo. Someone flushed something other than poo:confused: