Things That Can Damage Your Well Pump

Wet wipes

Wipes are made from fibers that become stringy when immersed in water. These fiberss can easily become tangled around the rotating parts of the pump, building up over time until they cause a serious obstruction and the pump stops working. These wipes can include:

• Nappy wipes
• Antibacterial wipes
• Wet wipes
• Makeup remover pads
• Disinfectant wipes

Even biodegradable wipes can cause problems for your pump so it’s generally recommended to avoid disposing of them via a water pump.

Latex items

Latex material is very strong and is not biodegradable. The latex will not break up in water and can easily clog the impellers in both standard vortex and grinder/macerator operated pumps, rapidly leading to pump breakdown. Wrapping latex items in toilet paper won’t help, as the paper disintegrates, leaving the latex item free to become tangled in the pump. Therefore, if you need to dispose of items such as latex gloves or condoms, you should wrap them in toilet roll and place them into a suitable bin.

Dental floss

Dental floss is designed to be very strong, despite its light, flimsy feel, and does not degrade in water. Consequently, lengths of dental floss can become entangled around the rotating parts of grinder or standard pumps, causing them to lose efficiency and ultimately fail.

How To Prevent problems

The only way that you can completely eliminate the problems caused by non-degradable items such as those listed above is simply not to put them down the loo. Provide a suitable bathroom bin in your home with a discrete sign indicating that visitors should not put certain items down the toilet.

If you run a business with a public or staff toilet, provide clearly marked bins and invest in some suitable signage for display on the back of cubicle doors and near sinks, giving clear instructions as to how non-degradable items should be disposed of.