One of the main issues concerning septic tanks is that many homeowners flush down their toilets or fail to advise other household members not to flush. Either through lack of awareness or ignorance, flushing items down your toilet tank that your septic tank can not handle can cause major damage to your property.
Never Flush These Things Into a Septic Tank:
Condoms
There is a widespread misconception that condoms are biodegradable and thus safe to flush down the toilet. However, even latex condoms are not made entirely of latex rubber. To make them stronger and thinner, synthetic materials such as polyurethane are commonly added. Condoms are non-biodegradable due to the synthetic materials that are added. If you continue to flush them down the toilet, they may clog the septic system's pipes. If you feel you have a septic tank IL problem, you should consult septic tank services to ensure the issue is dealt with quickly before more damage is sustained.
Sanitary Products
Sanitary towels and tampons are not designed to be flushed down toilets. The material these types of products are made from is not designed to break down in the water. In fact, this fact stands whether you have a septic tank or not. When changing your sanitary towel or tampon, you need to ensure it is correctly wrapped as per the manufacturer’s direction and disposed of in the waste receptacle.
Expired Medication
Most medication is designed to be broken down, meaning that when you flush it, it will dissolve instead of blocking your pipes and sitting in your septic tank. This isn't the reason why you shouldn't flush medication in your toilet if you have a septic tank. The real reason is due to the harmful toxins contained in specific types of medication and the damage it can do to the tank and environment as a whole. Always return unwanted or unused medications to your pharmacy for them to be disposed of correctly.
Wipes of Any Type
Wet wipes for babies or cosmetic purposes and should never be flushed down a toilet, especially if they have a septic tank. Even if your wipes are marketed as biodegradable, chances are they aren't and will continue to build up and cause issues in your septic tank. I think your septic tank has a blockage; call septic tank IL services before the issue causes further damage and for the blockage to be removed.
Paint
Paint is made up of a pigment, a binder, a solvent, and additives. Water-based paint is commonly thought to be safe for septic tanks, but this is not the case. The only distinction between water-based and oil-based paint is the solvent. Turpentine is used as a solvent in oil-based paints, but water is used in water-based paints. However, because all of the other components are the same, all paints are toxic. Any leftover paint from your home improvement project should be disposed of properly at a hazardous waste disposal facility.
If you are concerned about how best to care for your septic tank or need a service to ascertain the efficiency of your tank, trust expert septic tank IL services to ensure your tank is working as it should be.