How can I prevent sewer backups?When sewer backups happen in a home or business, the resulting mess is likely to require professional clean-up, repair and restoration services, at a cost of hundreds or thousands of dollars. The good news is that preventing sewer backups is simple—just keep grease, wipes and garbage out of drains and toilets.
How should I dispose of fats, oils and grease? Never pour fats, oils and grease (FOG) down a drain! Even when hot, FOG quickly solidifies when it combines with cooler wastewater and builds up in pipes. FOG includes not only butter, cooking oils, lard and grease, but also foods that contain them. Reduce FOG in pipes by:
How should I dispose of wipes and other personal-care products?Cleaning wipes, baby wipes, personal-hygiene wipes and other personal-care products never should be flushed down a toilet. Many wipes are mislabeled as “flushable”. These products take a very long time to break down and quickly cause blockages. Do your pipes a favor by disposing of these products in the trash only.
What should not be put in a garbage disposal?Garbage disposals are not designed to tackle hard-to-grind items like poultry skin, banana peels, pasta or egg shells. These items and others can build up in pipes and are difficult to remove. Dispose of food waste in the trash to keep your pipes free of food build-up.
