Flushable Wipes and Old Sewer Pipes

Toilet paper is made to fall apart in water. Most wipes are made to stay strong when wet, which is the opposite of what a sewer needs.

Wipes catch on rough scale, roots and joints, then trap paper and grease behind them.

Smooth plastic lets more pass. Old cast iron and clay give wipes plenty to snag on.

Wipes also clog pumps and screens in public systems, which is why utilities ask people not to flush them.

Keep a lidded bin by the toilet for wipes, cotton and hygiene products.

One may pass. A habit will not. Slow toilets are the first sign.

A cable machine usually pulls them out. Jetting can help if grease built up behind.

The first wipe snags on a rough joint. The next one catches on the first. Paper and grease fill the gaps. Within weeks or months, a mat forms that slows the line and finally stops it.

Toilets that clog more than other drains, slow flushing, and a provider who pulls back cloth-like material on the cable.

Paper towels, cotton balls, swabs, dental floss, hygiene products, cat litter and medications. Each causes trouble either in your pipes or at the treatment plant.

A small sign in the bathroom and a bin with a lid make the right choice easy for guests and children. It is a small change that prevents expensive calls.

Homes on septic systems face similar problems: wipes do not break down and can clog pumps and drain fields. The advice is the same: put them in the trash.

Wastewater utilities across the country report wipes clogging pumps and screens at treatment plants. Clearing them adds cost that customers eventually pay through rates.

A single call to clear a wipe clog from the main line costs far more than a year of trash bags. If wipes have caused repeated clogs, ask the provider to check the line with a camera to make sure nothing else is wrong.

Labels vary. Some products break apart better than others, but none behave like toilet paper in an old pipe. If you want to avoid trouble, the safest choice is the trash bin.

Landlords in older neighborhoods often post a reminder in bathrooms. It is a simple step that prevents many service calls.

Only the three Ps go in the toilet: pee, poo and paper. Everything else goes in the bin. Repeating that rule to children and guests is the easiest way to protect older pipes.

If you share a lateral with a neighbor in a rowhome block, it helps to share the rule too, since one household's wipes can affect both.

Drain providers often pull long ropes of wipes and paper from main lines, sometimes tangled with roots or grease. In older pipes with rough walls, a few wipes a week can be enough to cause a backup within months.

Kids' wipes are among the most common culprits. A bin next to the changing area and in each bathroom keeps them out of the toilet.

Disinfecting and cleaning wipes are even tougher than personal wipes. They should never be flushed.

Stop flushing anything but toilet paper for a few weeks and see whether the problem stops. If it continues, call a provider. The clog may be farther down, and wipes flushed earlier may still be caught in the line.

In blocks where laterals are old and sometimes shared, everyone's habits matter. A friendly word with neighbors can prevent a shared backup.

The cheapest drain repair is the one you never need. Keeping wipes, paper towels and hygiene products out of the toilet protects your old pipes, your neighbors and the public sewer system. A bin with a lid is all it takes.

If a toilet or main line is already clogged, a local provider can clear it and check the line with a camera.

People often ask whether one wipe can hurt, whether septic-safe means sewer-safe and whether hot water helps wipes break down. One wipe may pass, but habits add up. Septic-safe labels do not mean a product behaves like toilet paper in an old lateral. Hot water does not dissolve wipes. The answer is the same each time: use the bin.

Bin the wipes. Your lateral will thank you. If a drain is backing up now, call (717) 459-0752 to reach a local Harrisburg provider.