What not to flush with a grinder pump
Short answer
Keep wipes of any kind, grease and cooking oil, diapers, feminine products, rags, dental floss, hair, kitty litter, plastic, glass, metal and chemicals out of every drain. E-One, Keen, Barnes and the local utilities all publish lists, and they agree. Toilet paper is not on any of them.
The things that kill grinder pumps are wipes, grease, rags and anything else that wraps a cutter or coats a float, and the manufacturers say so in writing. E-One's owner's guide, Keen's manual, Barnes' user guide and the Baldwin County Sewer Service and Gulf Shores Utilities customer pages each publish a do-not-flush list.
This page merges those lists, explains why each item is a problem for a grinder in particular, and covers the two questions people ask most: whether toilet paper is safe, and what to do about grease.
The merged do-not-flush list
Every item below appears on at least one manufacturer or utility list for grinder pump systems. The brand in parentheses is where it is named.
- Wipes of any kind, including baby wipes and wipes labeled flushable (E-One; BCSS)
- Fat, oils, grease and cooking oils (E-One; BCSS Keen guide; Zoeller; Gulf Shores Utilities)
- Diapers (E-One; Keen; Barnes; BCSS)
- Tampons, applicators and sanitary napkins (E-One; Keen; Barnes; Gulf Shores Utilities)
- Rags, cloths, towels, socks and underwear (E-One; Keen; Barnes; BCSS)
- Mop strings and dental floss (BCSS Keen guide)
- Hair and cotton swabs (E-One)
- Kitty litter and aquarium gravel (E-One; BCSS)
- Plastic, glass and metal objects (E-One; Keen; Barnes; BCSS)
- Rubber or latex items, cigarette butts, syringes, candy and food wrappers, disposable toilet brushes, seafood shells (E-One)
- Paint, paint thinners, strong chemicals and solvents (E-One; Keen; BCSS)
- Gasoline, lubricating oil, flammable or explosive material (Keen; Barnes; E-One)
- Any pharmaceutical products (E-One)
Why a grinder pump is pickier than a gravity sewer
On a gravity sewer a wipe floats to the treatment plant and becomes the city's problem. On a grinder system it meets a cutter the size of your hand. Gulf Shores Utilities puts the result in four words: grinder blades jam and pump will not work. Fibrous things such as wipes, floss, mop strings and hair wrap around the cutter instead of being cut, and hygiene products lodge in the grinder mechanism, which Gulf Shores Utilities lists as a failure cause.
Grease is a different failure. It does not jam the cutter; it coats the level controls. Keen's BCSS guide says operation will stop if the sensors build up enough grease to obstruct movement, and Gulf Shores Utilities names grease or powdered soap scum build-up in the reservoir causing float control failure. A float that cannot rise never calls for the pump, and the first sign is an alarm or a backup.
Can you flush toilet paper with a grinder pump?
Yes. None of the manufacturer or utility lists we read names toilet paper, and the pump is built to grind it. The lists target things that do not break down in water: wipes, which E-One singles out even if the label reads flushable, and fabrics, plastics and hygiene products. Ordinary toilet paper in ordinary amounts is what the pump expects.
Toilet paper can still clog an ejector pump or a grinder if it arrives as a mass, for instance a whole roll at once, or if the pump is already fouled with grease. Treat that as a symptom of the other items, not a reason to stop using paper.
Grease, soap and the kitchen sink
The kitchen does more damage than the bathroom. E-One's user instructions warn that a kitchen disposal does nothing to stop grease and oil reaching the plumbing. Zoeller's service checklist says simply: do not drain kitchen grease down the sink. BCSS tells customers to pour larger amounts of grease into a sealed container and to wipe small amounts off dishes with a napkin or paper towel before washing.
Soap matters too. Gulf Shores Utilities tells its customers to use liquid soaps for dish washing and laundry, because powder soaps coagulate in the cool temperatures of grinder basins and restrict the on and off float switches. BCSS adds a positive habit: squeeze one cup of dish soap down the kitchen sink once a month, which helps keep the basin and sensors clean.
Rentals, guests and the sign on the wall
Most of the wrong things go down the drain in homes where the people flushing do not know there is a pump. Around Mobile Bay that is a large group: the Census (2020-2024 estimates) puts 7,412 of Orange Beach's 14,887 units and 1,167 of Dauphin Island's 2,262 in the seasonal or occasional-use column, and many of those are rentals with a new household every week. A short card by each toilet and over the kitchen sink is the cheapest grinder pump maintenance there is.
Local utilities back the point. BCSS says you should not allow unsuitable materials, such as grease, wipes and rags, to enter the drains, and its user tips list wipes, grease, paint, plastic, diapers and cat litter. Gulf Shores Utilities asks that no trash be flushed down the sewer drains. On BCSS, the pump is the owner's, repairs can go to BCSS or a plumber, and starting January 1, 2026 only BCSS installs replacements, so a wipe-wrapped cutter is a bill one way or the other.
Questions people ask
What not to put in a grinder pump?
Wipes of any kind, grease and oil, diapers, feminine products, rags and fabric, dental floss, hair, kitty litter, plastic, glass, metal, paint, solvents, gasoline and medications. The merged list above names which manufacturer or utility lists each item.
Are flushable wipes safe for a grinder pump?
No. E-One says even if the label reads flushable, it is safer to place the item in a trash can, and BCSS lists wipes among the materials that should never enter the drains.
Can I use a garbage disposal with a grinder pump?
E-One cautions that a disposal does not stop grease and oil from reaching the plumbing. The disposal is not the problem; the grease that goes through it is. Scrape plates into the trash and keep oil out of the sink.
What is the worst thing for a grinder pump?
By the number of lists it appears on, grease, closely followed by wipes. Grease disables the level controls; wipes jam the cutter. Together they account for most of the failure causes the utilities publish.
Does the same list apply to a sewage ejector pump?
Largely yes. Ejector pumps pass solids without grinding, so wipes and fabric are even more likely to clog them, and grease fouls their floats the same way.
Sources and facts
- E-One do-not-flush list: fat, oils and grease; diapers or baby wipes; tampons, applicators, sanitary napkins; wipes of any kind (even if the label reads flushable); rags, cloths, towels, socks, underwear; hair; cotton swabs; kitty litter or aquarium gravel; rubber or latex; cigarette butts; syringes; candy or food wrappers; disposable toilet brushes; glass; metal; plastic; flammable or hazardous materials; strong chemicals or paint thinners; seafood shells; any pharmaceutical products. eone.com/… (E/One Owner's Guide, p.3) (read 2026-11-04)
- E-One: kitchen garbage disposals do not keep grease and oil out of the plumbing system. eone.com/… (E/One DH071 installation instructions, p.15 User Instructions) (read 2026-11-04)
- Keen O&M: never introduce explosives, flammable material, lubricating oil or grease, chemicals or solvents, gasoline or petroleum products; regulators advise against glass, metal, diapers, clothing, socks, rags, plastic objects, sanitary napkins or tampons. keenpump.com/… (Keen KPCG O&M, p.4 Use and Care) (read 2026-11-04)
- BCSS Keen user guide list adds mop strings, cooking oils and dental floss; level sensors stop working when grease obstructs them. www.baldwincountysewer.com/… p.13-14 (read 2026-11-04)
- Barnes user guide: do not flush glass, metal, diapers, socks, rags, cloth, plastic objects, sanitary napkins or tampons; never explosives, flammables, lubricating oil or grease, strong chemicals, gasoline. d1pkofokfruj4.cloudfront.net/… p.3 (read 2026-11-04)
- Zoeller: do not drain kitchen grease down the sink. zoellerpumps.com/… (Zoeller 818/820 owner's manual, p.12 service checklist) (read 2026-11-04)
- Gulf Shores Utilities: grinder blades jam and pump will not work when trash is flushed; failure causes include non-biodegradable materials, feminine hygiene products lodged in the grinder mechanism, and grease or powdered soap scum causing float control failure; use liquid soaps because powder soaps coagulate in cool basins and restrict float switches; never pour oil or grease down the drain. www.gulfshoresutilities.com/grinder-pump (read 2026-11-05)
- BCSS FAQ: do not allow unsuitable materials such as grease, wipes and rags to enter the drains; squeeze one cup of dish soap down the kitchen sink once a month. BCSS user tips: do not allow wipes, grease, paint, plastic, diapers or cat litter into toilets and drains; pour larger amounts of grease into a sealed container; wipe small amounts off dishes before washing. www.baldwincountysewer.com/…; www.baldwincountysewer.com/… (read 2026-11-05)
- Census ACS 2020-2024: Orange Beach 7,412 seasonal or occasional-use units of 14,887; Dauphin Island 1,167 of 2,262. U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year 2020-2024, table B25004 via api.census.gov (read 2026-11-04)
- On BCSS the pump is the owner's; repairs may go to BCSS or a plumber; from January 1, 2026 BCSS installs all new pumps on its system. www.baldwincountysewer.com/…; www.baldwincountysewer.com/… (read 2026-11-05)
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