PLUMBING – WHAT NOT TO FLUSH

Avoid Drain Pain – Don’t Flush These Things

Just because the package says flushable doesn’t mean it’s true.  Many items marketed as disposable and/or flushable do not degrade like toilet paper, and they wind up clogging pipes, tangling pumps and causing messy sewer backups into streets, businesses and homes.

Our sewers are designed to dispose of very specific things. Using your toilet for disposal of many modern products can result in blockages. The drains that connect your home to the main sewer are only big enough to carry water, toilet paper and human waste.  Sewer pipes are often no wider than 4 inches.

WHAT NOT TO FLUSH

• Diapers – cloth, disposable, flushable
• Paper towels
• Facial tissues
• Baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, moist wipes, etc.
• Toilet bowl scrub pads
• Swiffers
• Napkins – paper or cloth, paper towels
• Dental floss
• Egg shells, nutshells and coffee grounds
• Fats, oils, and greases
• Food items containing seeds and peelings
• Hair
• Sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms or any non-organic material
• Vitamins, medicines or other pharmaceuticals
• Wash cloths, towels, rags (any cloth item)
• Clothing
• Sheet plastic or plastic of any kind
• Hair products such as bobby pins, foils, etc
• Cups
• Qtips
• Children toys

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Avoid purchasing flushable items. Clean with a sponge or a rag that you can reuse
• Use the City’s food waste recycling program or compost your food waste
• NEVER discard hazardous materials such as used motor oil, antifreeze, etc.
• If it can’t be reused, recycled or composted, please place it in the garbage

WHAT SHOULD BE FLUSHED IN THE TOILET?

“Just toilet paper and human waste”

What about wet wipes?

If you must use a “wet wipe” product rather than just toilet paper, dispose of them in the garbage, not down the toilet.  While packaging on some “flushable wipes” says the product will disintegrate like toilet paper, that generally is not accurate and these items can cause messy sewage backups into your home or neighbors’ homes, local businesses or the street.  If you are concerned about odors, try a lined garbage can with a well-fitting lid, a “diaper genie” style of container, wrap your wipes in pet waste bags or reused plastic grocery bags, or perhaps look into installing an after-market bidet on your toilet.

What happens if I have a blockage?

As listed in your signed lease the toilet had been free from any blockage prior to your occupancy, thus it is the tenants responsibility to prevent such clogs or plumbing issues that could results in expenses to have a plumber clear in the household plumbing system.

Such you have a blockage utilize a plunger in attempts to remove the blockage.  Do not flush the toilet until the water has subsided or it will cause damage the floor or ceilings of adjacent residents.

At no time should any tenant use chemical products such as Drain-O to remove any plumbing blockage.  Cost to repair damage will be the responsibility of the tenant.

Submit a service ticket if you are unable to clear the blockage.  A repair technician or plumber will be sent and invoice be applied to your rental unit for payment. Standard invoice amount is $500 but may be higher.

If more than 2 incidents occur in a calendar year, it will result in a breach of tenant/landlord agreement, and you will be subject to eviction and/or tenancy termination.

If you have any questions, please call 630-296-9660 or email office@kettleandoak.com.

Thanks,