Over the past few years, flushable wipes have risen in popularity over conventional toilet tissue. Companies are advertising these wipes as safe to flush, both for your septic system and the environment. Flushable wipes seem like a genius concept. All the functionality of a traditional baby wipe, but they are flushable. Baby wipes expressly say not to flush them and many homeowners have learned the hard way why they have this warning. The FitzGerald and Sons Plumbing Company crew has seen our share of clogs. Before you purchase flushable wipes, we want you to have all the information:
So…will they flush?
Yes, they will flush. Will they flush without issue or without causing a plumbing problem? Not in all circumstances. If you are on a municipal sewer system with a correctly installed system in the house, and with the right slope, few turns, and no rough edges, you can probably flush with no problem. Obviously, that is a lot of “ifs.” If you are on a septic system, which is pretty common in our area, you may run into problems even if you do not see any plumbing issues on the inside of your home right away.
Fact: Flushable wipes take considerably longer to break down than toilet paper.
If your system gets backed up with a bunch of “flushable” wipes, it could take a very long time for these to break down and your system could become backed up as a result. Flushable wipes taking longer to break down could lead to premature failure of your septic system, which will lead to an expensive and inconvenient plumbing bill.
Fact: Flushing what is truly meant to be flushed is best.
Wipes, paper towels, feminine products, and other items are not designed to be flushed. Even “flushable” wipes are not ideal for flushing. Conventional toilet paper is the only thing which is truly flushable. The consequences for trying to flush other things could be costly stoppages, water damage, or worse.
If you found out about flushable wipes the hard way, FitzGerald and Sons Plumbing Company is standing by 24/7 to help clear your lines.