Yes, you can flush hair down the toilet but whether it’s safe or not is a question to ask. In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of flushing hair down the toilet.
Hair is made up of a protein called keratin. When it comes to disposing of hair, you have a few options.
You can throw it in the trash, flush it down the toilet, or compost it. So, what’s the best way to dispose of hair? Let’s find out.
Is It Safe to Flush Hair Down the Toilet?
To many people, flushing their hair down the toilet doesn’t seem like a big deal. After all, it’s just some little hair strands.
Unfortunately, the answer is no, it’s not a safe practice to flush hair down the toilet, especially long hair strands. Though you may be tempted to flush hair down the toilet, it’s not a safe practice and we don’t recommend it.
If you’ve got some hair strands you want to dispose of, don’t make the mistake of dumping them into your toilet bowl, even if it’s little strands.
If you do, the hair may combine with more hair or other things in the drain pipe to create a clog. That is, if you flush hair down your toilet, you may end up clogging your drain pipe over time.
Blockage in the Sewage Pipe
A possible negative effect of flushing hair down the toilet bowl is a blockage in the sewage pipe. Though the toilet bowl may not likely get clogged with the hair strands, the sewage pipe may end up getting clogged.
Hair strands can get stuck to the sewer pipe as they mix with soap suds or solid wastes along the pipe.
Also, hair strands are tough, they can tangle together in the drain pipe to form a mesh or web. The mesh will trap anything that passes through it and can subsequently form a blockage as more grimes and particles get trapped in the mesh.
Usually, toilet paper, paper towels, and flushable wipes should go down the drain without an issue when flushed. But these objects can get trapped in the hair mesh and clog the sewer line.
Unfortunately, hair strands are not easily biodegradable. They can take two years or more to break down. So, don’t expect them to break down soon and unclog the pipe.
Blockage in the Septic Tank
A more severe effect is a blockage in the septic tank. A blockage in the sewer line is easier to handle than one in the septic tank. Hair blockage in the septic tank is usually a result of accumulated hair strands – hairballs.
A blockage in the septic tank will increase the need to empty your septic tank more often even when it’s not filled up yet. If the hair clogs the outlet or effluent filter, you have to dig up the access and clean the filter and outlet.
In summary, human waste, water, and biodegradable toilet paper are the only waste to go down the toilet. Hair strands should never be flushed down the toilet.
Can Hair Go Down the Shower Drain?
No, hair should not go down the shower drain. Did you know that hair is a common cause of shower drain clogging? It’s unlikely that hair will go down the shower drain without clogging the drain.
So, you shouldn’t let your hair go down the shower drain if you don’t want to clog your shower drain.
More so, don’t wash or rinse your hair down a shower drain. But if you need to wash your hair in the bathtub, fit a hair stopper on the drain to keep your hair out.
If you’re already shaving or washing your hair in your shower without a hair stopper, you’re at risk of blocking your shower drain.
Blockage in the Shower Drain
We can always prevent our hair strands from falling off during a shower. These hair strands slip down the shower drain and get stuck to soap scum and other debris to form a large mass. This can eventually cause a stubborn blockage in the shower drain.
Are you wondering how this happens? Soap scums and oily deposits from your body tend to make the inner surface of the drain pipe sticky. This sticky surface traps other oily deposits and hair strands – either long or short.
With time, the hair strands will attract themselves and transform into a hydro-dynamic shape, making the wastewater flow unable to dislodge them.
The hair strands will gradually accumulate to form a big mesh in the shower drain. Once the hair strands form a mesh, it’ll trap enough soap suds and oily deposits on its surface.
This will form a blockage that can prevent the normal flow of wastewater. Though there’s no way to keep your shower drain free of hair, don’t intentionally send hair down your shower drain. As said above, you don’t need to stop washing your hair or shaving in the bathtub.
Use a hair stopper or drain screen to prevent the hair strands from going down the shower drain. However, if you notice that your shower is draining slowly, or not draining at all, it’s an indication that the drain is likely clogged with hair. To fix this, you would need suction equipment or a plumbing snake.
Conclusion
In short, human hair should not be flushed down the toilet or shower drain because it can cause a blockage.
However, blockages only because of hair are rare as hair is biodegradable and doesn’t take too much space.
But it’s best to not take any chance when it comes to plumbing issues as they can cause you to lose a significant amount of money in the end.