Drains aren’t something that most homeowners think of until they don’t work. When you have a clogged drain, it can be messy, an inconvenience and frustrating. Most drains you can tell are starting to clog when they’re draining slower than normal. When drains are clogged one of the worst things that can happen is that they can overflow. While there is nothing you can do to 100% stop a drain from clogging, here are some things you can do to help prevent them from clogging.
Common Reasons Drains Clog
Most of the clogged drains that we deal with are because of a few big reasons including tree root intrusions in the main sewer lines, hair clogs in showers and bathtubs, and grease build-up in the kitchen drains.
Some of those reasons can be prevented, you can add a hair basket or some sort of trap in the bath/shower to catch any hair that is going down the drain. If your kitchen sink gets clogged by grease you can be more cautious of what you’re putting down the sink, throwing away food/grease instead of putting it down the drain. You can also cut back large trees so their roots don’t get near the sewer lines.
Prevent Clogged Kitchen Sinks
The best thing you can do to prevent a clogged kitchen drain is to not let anything go down the drain other than water. We understand this is easier said than done. To help with this, you can add a basket strainer in the sink when washing dishes.
When you’re cooking any greasy foods like bacon, make sure to dump the leftover grease into an old jar and then throw it away in the trash. To take that one step further, you can use a damp paper towel to wipe off any grease that may have stuck to the pots/pans before rinsing them off in the sink. After washing any oily/greasy pots or pans, you can put a liquid degreasing dish soap down the drain and run the garbage disposal with hot water for 30 seconds to prevent any grease from sticking.
Prevent Clogged Bathroom Sinks
Like any drain, bathroom sinks can become clogged by normal use. Hair, soap, and any personal products are the majority of things that will cause a bathroom sink to clog. To avoid a bathroom sink from clogging, you should ensure that the pop-up assembly is always working correctly.
If something happens to fall down the sink, you should immediately stop the water and call the plumber in hopes of retrieving that item.
To avoid buildup, you should run hot water down the drain on a frequent basis.
Prevent Clogged Bathtubs/Showers
Hair is the biggest reason that bathtubs/shower drains get clogged. If you don’t already have one, you should add a strainer to prevent hair from going down the drain. Homeowners can also brush their hair before showering to try and help pull out any hair and prevent it from going down the drain.
Prevent Clogged Toilets
Like most drains that are built, toilets are built to withstand normal use. Often times toilets will get clogged because of something that has been put down the line. The only thing that should be going down the toilet is waste and toilet paper, anything else will most likely cause the toilet to clog. Homeowners should be careful about how much toilet paper they use – anyone with children has probably walked into the bathroom to find a lot of toilet paper, maybe even a whole roll, that tried to go down the drain which caused the toilet to become immediately clogged.
One of the most common clogged toilet problems we run into is from feminine hygiene products which can even cause mainline sewer clogs. These clogs cause any warranties to be voided and can cost homeowners a lot of money.
If you are experiencing any frequent backups and don’t know why, turn to the professionals at Elite Plumbing & Heating. For both preventive maintenance and emergency service in the greater Boston area, you can call us at (781) 438-2997 or contact us on our website.
