How to Prevent Sewer Clogs in Nursing Homes

Sewer clogs, aside from being unpleasant, can be dangerous. Sewage backing up into a basement can be a health risk, something that nursing-home staff must be especially attentive to. Nursing homes also present some plumbing challenges. Residents may be using products such as adult diapers that often end up clogging drains. They may also not be aware of what can or cannot be safely put down a drain. A nursing home can prevent sewer clogs through education and technical solutions.

• 1

  Educate the residents of the nursing home about what can and cannot be put down the drain. Special attention should go to solid waste such as diapers, wet towels, and hygiene products, all of which should go into the garbage.

• 2

  Provide sealed garbage cans next to every toilet and empty them regularly. This will make it convenient for residents and staff to throw out things they may have otherwise flushed. Clearing them regularly is essential to avoid a smell building up.

• 3

  Equip the nursing home kitchen with a vat to dispose of grease and fats. Pouring these fats down the drain is a major cause of sewer clogs. Large institutional kitchens produce a great deal of this type of waste.

• 4

  Plant trees away from sewer lines. Tree roots will seek water and may break into sewer pipes. Trees, while an important part of landscaping a pleasant environment for nursing home residents, should be planted after sewer pipes are marked out. If the trees already exist, avoid running any new sewers close to them.

• 5

  Clean all drains weekly with a solution of 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup vinegar, followed by a boiling-water flush.

• 6

  Install a grinder pump. These pumps grind solid waste into a fine slurry before pumping it into the municipal sewer system and can help avoid clogs. A grinder pump will still be fouled by large solid items, so using one without taking other steps is unlikely to stop all clogging.

• 7

  Install a filter grate along the main sewer line. If clogging is a problem, it is possible to install a grate with holes sized to let normal solid waste pass but catch items such as towels and diapers. The area behind this grate will need to be cleaned out very frequently to avoid it clogging the system completely as foreign matter builds up.