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Comment by vr46 | Hacker News Reader

But… you can’t flush baby wipes, unless you want to be a monster that contributes to sewer pipe fatbergs or local blockages.

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I toss them into the waste bin.

Or if you're on a septic system. Even if you're on a public sewer, clogs in the line under your property, from your house to the main sewer line, are your responsibility. If you rent, and the landlord figures out that you clogged up the sewer by flushing wipes, you'll probably pay.

Wipes are not flushable. Even if they say they are.

I believe you're mistaken:

https://www.stwater.co.uk/news/news-releases/we-applaud-new-...

Not according to my plumber. Feel free to pay thousands of dollars in plumbing bills when your pipes clog up, if you like.

We’ve had our pipes clog up, and paid thousands of dollars. Fortunately for us, it wasn’t so-called flushable wipes.

That link is a water company - they run sewer systems. Your plumber is out of touch or you're using non-flushable wipes. The two types of wipes are not made the same.

Anything other than toilet paper, which is designed to disintegrate completely in water, should not be flushed. That includes facial tissue, paper towels, and cleansing wipes. If you have modern, smooth PVC waste pipes you might get away with it but the water treatment plant won't like it.

If you have older clay or cast iron waste pipes, feel free to take your chances as GP says. I'd rather not deal with overflows and I'd rather keep my money than give it to a plumber to snake out a clogged drain line.

Let's put it this way, are any of these "flushable" wipe companies willing to insure you against plumbing costs and damages caused by their wipes?

My plumber says that there are no wipes that are actually flushable, regardless of any claims made on the packaging.

We all know about advertisements and how companies lie to us. Why would this be any different?

I’m not taking any risks with our pipes, and we’re not flushing any wipes down the drain. Only human waste and toilet paper. Nothing else. That’s the recommendation from our plumber, and I’m sticking with it.

That link is a water treatment plant company.

There are ones that are flushable. I use them at home. It specially says flushable.

Even the ones that say flushable aren’t. It’s just a marketing ploy.

Seems otherwise:

https://www.stwater.co.uk/news/news-releases/we-applaud-new-...

You're arguing with a water company?

Hah those are exactly the ones I'm using. And the only ones wide available here anyway (even in Spain though it seems to be a UK brand)

Never have issues with them anyway.

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