Plumbers are seeing the effects of more people spending more time at home while the city of Phoenix has issued a flushable wipe warning. The experts at Donley AC & Plumbing are sharing ways to avoid water-related damage and repairs during the pandemic.
Wipe Warning
Despite what the packaging says, flushable wipes should not be flushed. As Phoenix’s Water Department says: only the three P’s belong in the toilet: pee, poo, and (toilet) paper. Everything else should go in the trash. Phoenix operates the Southwest’s largest wastewater treatment plant and now, more than ever, people need to avoid anything that could create clogs and slow the flow of wastewater to the treatment plant.
To keep your toilet running correctly, Donley recommends:
• Never flushing food down the toilet
• Never flushing cotton balls or swabs
• Keeping a trash container nearby so everyone in the house is reminded to use the container and not the toilet.
Disposal Do’s and Don’ts
With kids spending more time at home, it’s a good time to remind them of some disposal do’s and don’ts. Just like a toilet, the disposal is not meant to be a trash collector.
• Don’t treat your disposal like a trash can. Instead throw leftovers in garbage or compost pile.
• Avoid putting starchy, stringy and fibrous waste into the disposal. Potato peels and celery don’t sufficiently break down.
• Turn the disposal on before you toss in scraps. Add scraps gradually to avoid overloading the disposal.
• Keep water running while disposal is on and for a full minute after it’s turned off.
• Avoid pouring cooking oil and fat down the drain.
• Use a paper towel to wipe off greasy pans before placing them in the sink.
• If you think there’s a problem with your disposal avoid using the dishwasher because it discharges into the disposal.
