Is it possible to throw toilet paper into the toilet: possible consequences

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The debate about whether to throw toilet paper down the toilet has been going on for years. In most cases, experienced plumbers take part in the discussion, but it happens that ordinary visitors to the bathrooms also try to express their "professional" opinion. There are a lot of arguments. Who is right? Let's try to analyze the problem and understand: "why not" and "what will happen next".

Paper paper strife

Very often people believe that toilet paper that gets into the toilet immediately dissolves in water. In fact, only some types of paper dissolve. In most cases, only after a long journey through a long maze of sewers, toilet paper gradually loses its shape. It is very important to read the label carefully when buying this product. Modern manufacturers almost always indicate what material the paper is made of, how quickly it will dissolve inwater and whether it is possible to throw in the toilet. Toilet paper, of course, is made from materials that are designed to soak rapidly. A dangerous plug that creates blockages in sewer pipes simply does not have time to form from such paper.

People living in private homes should be especially careful when buying toilet paper. The sewerage of an apartment building and the treatment facilities of summer cottages and country houses differ significantly. In a septic tank, most manufacturers do not recommend dumping paper. But here, too, there are a number of nuances and moments that refute the categoricalness of manufacturers, giving users a chance to get rid of paper by throwing it into the toilet.

Sewage of an apartment building

If you ask professionals if you can flush toilet paper down the toilet, they will name a few nuances. The first, which we have already mentioned above, is the type and quality of toilet paper. The second point is the design of the sewer system. When paper enters the sewer of an apartment building, it does not immediately soak, but only gradually breaks up into separate pieces and fibers. Then, picked up by the flow of water, it is sent to the collector. The next stage is the transfer of the contents of the collector, including toilet paper, to a specialized cleaning station. This is where the toilet paper you throw in the toilet ends up. Its shreds and fragments settle forever in coarse filters.

As a result, small portions of paper can be thrown into the toiletapartment building. Of course, a whole roll that gets into the sewer can create a blockage.

Toilet paper: to throw or not to throw in the septic tank of a private house

It would seem that the sewerage system in the country should be similar to the sewerage of an apartment building. Only the cycle and path of human waste is a little shorter. In fact, this is an erroneous opinion. In suburban septic tanks, there is completely no powerful flow of water in the sewer. Most often, this causes blockages.

If in a private house the diameter of the pipeline is less than 100 mm, its length exceeds 5 meters, and the pipes have numerous bends and turns, then the owners are strictly forbidden to throw toilet paper into the toilet. Can I use special paper that quickly dissolves in water? This option is acceptable if there is complete confidence in the quality of the paper. Simple, cheap models can tightly clog a septic tank. More expensive types of paper, the cost of which varies from 350 to 500 rubles, can be safely thrown down the toilet. Paper labeled Aqua Soft will not cause any problems.

Why not?

Despite the fact that manufacturers strive to make high-quality, correct, water-soluble paper, the inscriptions "Do not throw paper into the toilet!" do not disappear, but on the contrary, appear more and more often. What is it about?

First of all, these signs can often be seen in public restrooms. They appeared back in those distant times when toilet paper wasluxury, and most people used newspapers or pages from an uninteresting book. Such paper does not dissolve in the sewer for a long time and causes blockages.

Secondly, similar inscriptions can be seen in various establishments. Despite the modern arrangement of public toilets in restaurants, cafes and so on, designs may differ. If small diameter pipes are used or pipes have a poorly maintained slope, then a clogged sewer is a matter of weeks.

Thirdly, in public toilets, paper towels have often been offered instead of paper. They are known to be more resistant to water, so they too can cause blockages if flushed down the drain.

What can't be flushed down the drain other than toilet paper?

So that the toilet in a city apartment or a septic tank in the country does not cause discomfort, several conditions must be observed. In addition to low-quality, poorly soluble toilet paper, it is forbidden to flush into the toilet:

• plastic bags;
• candy and chocolate wrappers;
• baby diapers;
• women's personal care products (pads and tampons);
• animal wool;
• human hair;
• debris;
• paper multilayer towels;
• newspapers and magazines;
• drugs and chemicals that contain chlorine and kill microorganisms.

There was a blockage. What to do?

It would seem that modern man knows you canwhether to throw toilet paper down the toilet or better not to. However, blockages and problems with the toilet, both among city dwellers and summer residents, periodically occur. How to deal with blockage? Can I deal with it myself or is it better to turn to professionals right away?

The easiest and most popular way to deal with blockages in sewer pipes is to use a plunger. If the toilet was clogged with toilet paper, then the paper cork can be easily removed using this item. If improvement does not occur, then you should move on to more radical methods. There are many cleaning devices for home use on the market. Mechanical sewer cleaning will be much more effective. As a rule, the design is a cable, at the end of which a special nozzle is fixed to destroy the cork. For faster and more convenient operation, some models use compact electric motors. If such means do not cope with the task, then you will have to call a specialist who will get rid of the blockage by hydrodynamic flushing of pipes.