Clogged drains have the tendency to pop up at the most inconvenient times. Have you ever had your guest bathroom shower not drain properly just when you’re about to entertain guests? Or have your sinks started backing up, making it impossible to thoroughly wash dishes or properly wash hands? These problems are stressful at home but can be even more problematic if you run a business. Calling your local plumbers is always the right move when you’re dealing with drain clogs. But you can prevent them from happening in the first place. Keep reading to learn how to prevent drain clogs and keep your home and/or business running smoothly.
Know What Clogs Drains Most Often
When considering how to prevent clogs, it’s important to know what clogs drain pipes most often in the first place. Here’s a quick reference list of the top items that any licensed plumber will agree wreaks havoc on drains in homes and businesses.
- Hair
- Hygiene products
- Grease, fat, and oil
- Food
- Minerals
- Small objects
Know How to Keep Your Pipes Problem Free
Hair
Hair and animal fur are two of the most common things that cause drain clogs in bathrooms and laundry rooms. When a drain is clogged with hair, it’s often visible from the surface of the drain but the problem usually extends much further below the surface. Hair has the tendency to tangle itself up, essentially creating a net that’s perfect for catching things like soap, grease, and other debris, creating an even worse clog.
Installing a drain guard to catch hair before it slips down the drain can help prevent this problem. Calling for same day drain cleaning to take care of this problem before it gets worse is crucial if you suspect it’s been a problem for some time.
Hygiene Products
“Flushable” wipes, feminine products, cotton swabs, and tissues aren’t truly made to go down the drain. Unlike toilet paper, they aren’t designed to fully dissolve in water, so after they’re flushed, the chance of them making it all the way through your pipes and out into the main sewer line is slim. Instead, it’s more likely that they will absorb water, expand, and cause a major blockage in your pipes.Eventually this could cause a burst pipe or other more serious issue. If you have a septic tank, the problem could be even worse.
The best way to prevent this is by never flushing these types of products. However, if you’re a business owner, you don’t have full control over what gets flushed down your toilets.
Keeping a small bin by the toilet and throwing them there for disposal is ideal if you or anyone else must use them. If you have been using them and think your drain is clogged as a result, Cellino Plumbing offers emergency plumbing services for issues like clogged toilets and beyond.
Grease, Fat, and Oil
Cooking fried food, bacon, burgers, and other foods like these leaves you with some type of oil to dispose of afterward. If you’re cooking at home, it might not seem like much. If you have a restaurant, it will likely be a lot.
In either case, pouring oil down the drain is a guaranteed way to clog your drains. This grease solidifies over time, causing blockages. For small amounts of oil you can simply soak it up with a paper towel and toss it in the trash. For larger amounts, a jar or even a specialized container designed for business use might be necessary to properly discard the waste.
Food
When talking about the kitchen sink, in particular, it’s not surprising to know that food makes its way down the pipes quite often. It’s easy to accidentally let it flow down when washing dishes or preparing food in that area.
Even if you have a garbage disposal, it’s best to avoid putting food down the drain. Contrary to popular belief, garbage disposals aren’t designed to handle large amounts of food. They’re really made to take care of the scraps. Plus, did you know there are certain foods you should never put through the garbage disposal at all? They include pasta, rice, bread, and potato skins to name a few.
Installing a sink strainer to catch food before it goes down the drain is one way to solve this problem. You should also try to clear food off plates as best as you can before placing them in the sink.
If you have problems with your garbage disposal, never try to fix it yourself. The sharp blades are dangerous for inexperienced people. Instead, contact Cellino Plumbing and Heating to get master plumbing work done right.
Minerals
It might be hard to believe, but the minerals found in the water itself could be the reason for your drain clogs. Hard water especially is full of minerals that build up along the pipe walls and drains, restricting the flow of water.
Installing a water softener is one solution. But having your pipes/drains cleaned regularly will help keep the build up in check.
Small Objects
Small objects can fall into open drains or get flushed down the toilet by accident. People might not even realize they’ve dropped something. Or, it could be children tossing in things when they’re too little to know any better.
However they end up there, these small items of course eventually cause problems. And, depending on the item, it can be devastating to lose it in the first place.
Ensuring your drains are properly covered and protected with drain guards is crucial.
Expert Advice
These quick pieces of advice from expert plumbers in Buffalo, NY are sure to set you up for success.
Never Use Drano
It should always be your goal to unclog a drain without Drano. Using Drano and other store-bought chemical drain cleaners can leave you with a major headache in the long run. The harsh chemicals in them can corrode your pipes over time. This can cause your pipes to weaken, leak, burst, or even totally collapse!
Take Clogs Seriously
Some people think that drain clogs are nothing more than a minor annoyance. But the truth is they can be a plumbing emergency. When they aren’t taken care of, they can go from a relatively easy fix to a large plumbing project in no time. Explore our full service plumbing solutions and don’t hesitate to give us a call for even the smallest of issues because you never truly know what you’re dealing with.
Banish Clogs for Good
Drain clogs are preventable if you follow the expert advice outlined here. Protecting your home or business is likely one of your top priorities, so implement these tips and take advantage of the best plumbing in Buffalo when you need an extra hand (we service Hamburg, NY 14075; Elma, NY 14059; Tonawanda, NY 14150 & beyond!). We offer several coupons so our customers can save money no matter what service they need! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions you might have.
