3 Things That Can Damage Your Submersible Water Pump
Submersible pumps are generally very reliable in assisting your loo to flush and drain properly, but there are a few things that can kill them outright! To extend the life of your pumps, here are a few things that you should dispose of separately.
Wet wipes
Wipes are made from fibres that become stringy when immersed in water. These fibres 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 reccomended to avoid tdisposing 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.
Preventing 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.
If the event that your pump stops working efficiently, you should always call a suitably qualified technician to investigate the problem for you. Get in touch with Anglian Pumping by calling 01473 719950 should you come across any issues.