We’ve been talking a lot about drains lately… Is your water pressure too high? Should you put fats or oils down your drain? How to unclog a drain without harsh chemicals?
What about your toilet paper? Does it actually dissolve when you flush it? Septic tanks function better when you select a toilet paper that is safe for use in, or especially made for use with a septic system.
We’re here to tell you why cheaper toilet paper can be better and what you can do to make sure your toilet paper is both good for your body and safe for your septic tank.
Not All Toilet Paper Is Created Equally
Everyone knows how unhealthy it is to drain fats and to only flush toilet paper into your septic tank but, not everyone knows that certain toilet paper can be just as bad for your septic tank as grease is for your drains.
Thicker toilet paper may seem better as far as a personal choice, but it’s not better for your tank. Thicker-plys take longer to break down and can cause build ups. Not only will buying thinner, septic tank safe toilet paper help, but you should also be careful not to fill up your tank faster than water and bacteria can dissolve the waste.
Overfilled septic tanks can potentially cause you to spend more in septic tank repairs than what you were trying to save on toilet paper in the first place!
Quick Tip: It’s recommended you clean or pump out your tank every few years or so to remove the buildup.
How To Test Your Toilet Paper
Follow the following step to help you determine which toilet paper is best for your plumbing system:
- Place 4 sheets of your favorite toilet paper into a Tupperware container
- Fill the container with water about 2/3 of the way full
- Carefully, shake the Tupperware container for about ten seconds, then it settle for a moment
Did the tissue dissolve? If so, YAY! your favorite toilet tissue is septic tank friendly. If it didn’t, leave it in the container and see how long it actually takes to dissolve, then imagine how many flushes could take place in the meantime allowing more and more paper to pile up!
If you are set in your ways and want to keep your tissue that could cause build up be prepared to see us — your local plumber! While we enjoy seeing you, we want to make sure that your home’s plumbing system is working at it’s peak efficiency.
If things aren’t working properly and you think it may be more than a toilet paper issuse, don’t hesistate to give us a call here at Donnelly’s.
We’d be happy to come out and help, day or night. Our trucks are fully-stocked trucks, and our emphasis on customer service will provide peace of mind knowing that we’re hard at work for your household.
To schedule service, give us a call at (215) 855-2014 or click the banner below.
