How the pandemic virus and panic can not only make you sick but send you broke.
Don’t flush the wrong things down your toilet.
CRG Plumbing and Maintenance Pty Ltd has been working through the COVID-19 with new information and advice received daily. Our priority is the health and safety of our staff, clients and our client’s customers during these worrying times.
As we sit back a watch with anticipation of this pandemic to subside, we are also anxiously looking on as supermarkets are being wiped out of toilet paper, wipes, paper towel and tissues.
As professional and experienced plumbers this is a concerning development due to the increasingly overwhelming demand of sewer blockages we are dealing with as a result of consumers flushing irregular items down their toilets.
As our country is suffering from a shortage with toilet paper it is our responsibility as a respected plumbing provider in Sydney to advise to our community, clients and their customers of the importance of not flushing certain products which can cause major damages to the drains and pipes of homes and business premises.
We cant stress enough of the importance of common sense and diligence when going using the bathroom.
The following products that shouldn’t be flushed include:
- Wet or Biodegradable Wipes.
- Tissues
- Paper Towels
- Cleaning Cloths
- Sanitary Items
These products don’t disintegrate the way toilet paper does and they absorb water, so they’ll only expend once they have been flushed. Not only is this terrible for your pipes, and our environment but will evidently a hole in your pocket and a dip in your bank account
Keep an eye on your toilet to monitor or spot a potential blockage. You might have a blockage in your pipes if:
- your sinks, bath or toilet are slow to empty
- your toilet is not flushing properly or has overflowed
- your toilet or floor drain is making funny gurgling noises
- wastewater (sewage) has overflowed from the drain near your outside tap.
Call a licensed plumber like CRG Plumbing & Maintenance if you have a blockage in your pipes.
So im sure your reading this going, OK that’s great CRG but if we can’t flush these items what can we do? Well we are glad you have read this far and asking the question. There are a couple of options that you can do.
Our tips for you
Given the circumstances we are in at present, if you can’t obtain toilet paper, may we suggest organizing a bin for beside the toilet. Use this for other items and dispose of in your outside bin on a regular basis. Although not ideal, it will be a better alternative to clogging up your pipes.
Our second suggestion comes with important conditions but can be effective if installed correctly.
A toilet seat douche or bidet can be installed however must comply with AS/NZS 3500 plumbing standards. This is that no device or system that may cause contamination of a water supply shall be connected directly or indirectly to any part of a water service without appropriate cross-connection or backflow prevention control suitable for the degree of hazard’. In other words, a bidet or toilet seat douche – a mechanism that enables the flexi connection of a hose installation in close proximity of your toilet to enable washing must have a backflow device installed onto to ensure no cross contamination with our water system.
This can be an expensive set up, and requires annual testing annually required by Sydney Water, however, will reduce the use of paper and other wiping items to be flushed.
Alternatively, you could take a leaf out of our ancestors and go back to using cloth nappies for your bum. Not only will this be environmentally friendly but also cost effective by being reusable. Just be sure to clean and sanitize them appropriately before reusing.
We are advising all of our customers who are real estate agents, property managers, maintenance managers and those who manage multiple properties or patients to share this information, erect signs around and near bathrooms outlining the importance of these issues and to act accordingly.
If you have any questions, concerns or general plumbing questions or require advice, do not hesitate to contact the experts here at CRG Plumbing & Maintenance.
Stay safe, stay healthy, use common sense and try to be kind in the crazy times we are currently living in.
If you would like to ask us a question send it through to info@crgplumbing.com.au
Or connect with us through Facebook.
Until next time, keep those wipes out of the toilet, call a professional, and always
Remember:
- skilled plumbers aren’t cheap
- cheap plumbers aren’t skilled.
Cameron & Renee, CRG Plumbing & Maintenance – your trusted plumber.
