Don’t Let These Things Go Down a Drain

Chances are as a homeowner you’ve got a pretty good handle on what should or shouldn’t go down the drains in your home. But maybe you have family members who aren’t so enlightened. If that’s the case, here’s a short primer on drain safety in your home to share with them.

What Not to Dispose of in the Drains

1. Grease or oil. Stress to your family members that it is never all right to pour even small amounts of grease or oil down the drain. Even if they are warm and seem to go down, they will cool off and coagulate further down the line, trapping other substances and forming a big clog in your drain.
2. Chemicals. Pesticides, solvents and other toxic chemicals shouldn’t be disposed of in the toilet or sink. Do not pour them on the ground, either. If your municipality allows you to dispose of them in the garbage, do so, but otherwise take them to the designated place in your town for hazardous chemicals. Although the water utility can scrub some of these substances, others remain, and end up in our drinking water or in the ocean or waterways.
3. Feminine products. No matter what the box says, you should never dispose of tampons or sanitary napkins in the toilet. They absorb water and will clog your plumbing. The same goes for cotton balls.
4. Paper products. The only kind of paper that should go down your toilet is toilet tissue. Don’t flush paper towels, newsprint or printer paper. It does not dissolve quickly and will adhere to the walls of your drains, eventually forming a clog.
5. Medications. These should never go down the drain, as they can enter our public water supply and do harm.
6. Pasta and starchy foods. Don’t dispose of starchy foods in your disposal. They will form a sticky paste that can clog the drain and damage the disposal.
7. Drain cleaners. These can harm your pipes. Call a plumber to remove clogs.

For more information on drain safety, contact Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions. We serve Orlando and the surrounding area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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