Common and strange things flushed down the toilet
There’s a very good reason why we should only flush what’s biodegradable, learn why and avoid a potential plumbing disaster and need to search ‘emergency plumber near me‘.
One of the most common plumbing problems is a blocked up toilet. Avoiding blockages is pretty simple, only flush pee, poo and paper and you should be just fine. Around £7 million a year is spent clearing up the aftermath of accidentally flushed items, that’s around one tonne of foreign objects a day according to Anglian Water. These include strange objects such as toys, phones, nappies, goldfish and even false teeth! There’s a very good reason why we should only flush what’s biodegradable, learn why and avoid a potential plumbing disaster. Here are some of the most common culprits:
- Flushing fats and oils down the toilet may seem like a good way to dispose of them without any mess, but although they may go down as liquid; at some point over time they will harden and could potentially end up clogging up your pipes in exactly the same way they can clog up your arteries. Very bad news for your plumbing system.
- Disposable wipes may market themselves as flushable and disposable, but the truth is they’re not. It’s a well-known fact that they are too thick to be flushed efficiently. Do your plumbing system a favour and throw them in a bin instead.
- Tampons and sanitary products are a definite no no. When they absorb moisture, they expand; making them unsuitable to pass through pipes and sewers. Dispose of them in the trash if you want to avoid having a blocked-up toilet.
- Paper towels are also not designed to be flushed. Although similar to toilet paper, they’re far too thick too break down and flush properly.
- Condoms are also forbidden. Never ever flush a condom down the toilet. You can hide them equally well in a few layers of toilet paper and chuck them in the bin.
If you’ve found yourself in the not very pleasant situation of having a blocked toilet or you’ve accidentally flushed something of value, don’t worry; Plumbers West London can take care of it. Just give a call to our toilet unblocker services and they’ll be happy to help.
