Common Causes of Clogged Drains
- By: Amer ZaghloulehDrainsComment: 0
Let’s be honest: there are a few maintenance tasks that most of us postpone or avoid doing. We’re talking here about cleaning the gutters or making sure the drains are not clogged.
Yet, clogged drains are a common nuisance in a home, and they can cause further damage if ignored. And, as much as we dislike taking care of this issue, postponing it will only lead to bigger issues.
So, what can you do?
Make sure you clean your drains regularly and deal with stubborn clogs with the help of professionals.
Here’s how.
Common Causes of Clogged Drains
Kitchen and bathroom drains are the most used in a household, and various types of debris can get stuck in them, preventing the water from draining properly. If a clog is ignored, more debris will get stuck to it until you might look at a bigger problem, like overflowing sinks, toilets or shower drains.
Here are some of the most common causes for clogged drains, as seen in our years of experience.
- Food residue like coffee grounds, used cooking oil and grease, bits of food from rinsing the dishes, and so on. This debris can cause a foul smell in your kitchen and encourages bacteria to multiply.
- Hair combined with soap scum in your bathroom drain: hair, especially long one, can easily clog your bathtub or shower drain, especially since it combines with soap suds.
- Sand, dust and other debris that you might be tempted to flush down your drains.
You can discard food scraps properly and prevent clogs by learning a few simple tricks.
How to Keep Your Drains Clean
In order to keep water flowing freely down the drain, avoid discarding any chunky residue in the kitchen or bathroom sink, or the toilet. Instead, collect used cooking grease in a jar and take it to a recycling center. Also, use a compost bucket or simply throw food debris in the trash.
Protect your drains with strainers, especially the bathroom ones, as hair can easily flush down the drain during your daily shower, and accumulate in your piping.
Use home-made solutions like boiling water, white vinegar, baking soda or drain snakes to solve minor clogs. If these solutions don’t work, call a plumber.
Schedule a Yearly Deep Clean
In order to do their job properly, your pipes and drains should be deep cleaned every once in a while. If not yearly, then schedule a deep clean at least every two years. We at Anytime Plumbing, Inc. have the equipment and expertise needed to deep clean your drains without affecting the plumbing in any way, and we do it at an affordable price.
Contact us to schedule an inspection and cleaning and prolong the lifespan of your plumbing, avoiding expensive repairs in the near future.