What do cigarettes, dental floss, and dolls have in common?
Well, it's this: we’ve found all of these items in septic tanks. In Michiana. At homes just like yours. Flushing these items can cause backups, increase cleaning fees, or become costly repairs if flushed.
Clearly there've been a few instances where someone was just being mischievous and chucked some But far more often in the name of convenience—or just plain misleading marketing—a lot of trash ends up in septic systems that never should be there.
By far the biggest culprit for excessive build-up we find in septic tanks is flushable wipes. Sure, they’re flushable, but so is used motor oil. It’ll go down the drain just fine and dandy but will never in 100 years break down or disappear. It's going straight into the environment. Wipes will never break down. They only go away when the tank is pumped and the unfortunate septic pumper that gets called out has to untangle mounds of wipes off of the tank whipper.
Fellow Citizens Alert: FLUSHABLE WIPES AIN’T FLUSHABLE.
Flushing wipes can end up costing you a lot if a wipe jams up a pump, or builds up quickly in the septic tank (up to $450-600 in service calls or cleaning fees). Save yourself the extra hassle and prevent additional build-up in your septic tank by dumping these in the trash instead.
A septic tank is designed to trap and process human waste and toilet paper only. Anything else flushed—from hygiene products to household chemicals—can damage the system and lead to backups or premature failure. So do not overload the *commode. Harsh chemicals disrupt the important bacterial breakdown of solids happening in the septic tank. So avoid using bleach or environmentally unfriendly products!
“Commode” is another word for a toilet fixture; the term comes from the French word meaning “convenient.
Convenience is a sneaky one. “If I just flush this down the toilet, it’s gone forever.” Wrong. Let me testify, having seen Finding Nemo, I know for a fact that is not the truth ("All drains lead to the ocean")! But seriously, if it’s not coming out of you or the sink, it shouldn’t go down the drain. Except for toilet paper. We’ll allow that one. But nothing else.
Been flushing 'flushable' wipes and want to make sure you won't have problems? If you’ve been accidentally misusing your septic, or it’s been over 3 years since your last pump, it’s time to get your tank cleaned out.
Want to learn how often you should pump your septic tank? Check out this article before scheduling your next service. Booking online here at Pump That Septic takes just 2–3 minutes, and you’ll get an instant estimate!