Clogged drains are never fun. They’re a smelly mess and usually require the help of a professional Plumbers Shreveport to fix. Preventing these clogs is all about being proactive and mindful of what you put down your drains. Food scraps (such as pasta, rice, and bread) will expand in your pipes and cause clogs. Even gum can clump up and become hard to dislodge.
Toys
Small toys like marbles and bouncy balls can find their way into the drains of bathroom sinks, especially if you let kids play with them while they’re taking baths or washing dishes. To prevent this, install a sink strainer or have children use the toilet for such activities.
Rings, keys, makeup sponges and toothpaste caps are just a few of the many objects that frequently lodge in residential toilet drains. You can try to retrieve these items with your bare hands, but you run the risk of pushing them farther into the pipe. Instead, put on a pair of rubber gloves and reach into the first bend of your toilet drain, which is easily accessible on most commodes. If you feel a toy stuck in there, pull it out and then rinse the clogged drain with hot water.
Paper towels are another culprit of clogged bathroom drains. Though they might seem harmless, they don’t dissolve as quickly as toilet paper and can cling to the sides of drain pipes over time, causing serious blockages.
Other items that frequently clog bathroom drains include whole meals that kids dump down the sink, pet poop and cat litter (which also causes septic system problems), grass, metals, goldfish, animal parts and waste from other animals. These items can clog kitchen sinks, bathrooms and showers, and they’re also dangerous to wildlife and humans.
To help avoid these problems, don’t ever flush anything other than sewage, human waste and food scraps. Also, use a kitchen drain cleaner that’s safe for septic systems and other sewage pipes. Plumb On’s XionLab Safer Drain Opener is an excellent choice, and its formula can also tackle hair or grease clogs.
Hair
Hair, both human and pet fur is a major contributor to clogged drains. When it falls down shower, tub or sink drains it tangles together and can stick to grease and soap scum, creating dense and knotted masses that restrict your pipes. To reduce the build-up of hair strands, you can use drain guards for your showers and tubs, or simply keep up with regularly cleaning them to prevent them from becoming clogged in the first place.
Kitchen drain clogs often happen when grease solidifies inside your pipes. To avoid this, you can try putting hot water down your drains after you’ve finished cooking. You can also dispose of excess fat and oil by throwing it in a trashcan or placing a container in your freezer to collect it for garbage collection day.
Wet wipes are another common culprit of blocked drains. These products do not break down in the plumbing system and can cause extensive damage to your pipes if they aren’t flushed correctly. To avoid wet wipes clogs, you can place a waste basket near your toilet and prioritize positioning it so that any sanitary items, cotton pads or face wipes can be placed there instead of in the drain.
Tree roots, dirt and leaves can also find their way into your drain lines, especially if they are unprotected and exposed in the yard. If these natural elements combine with the aforementioned substances, they can create drain blockages that are impossible to clear without professional help. For this reason, you should always cover any exposed and outdoor drains with protective covers to prevent the entrance of these elements into your plumbing systems.
Grease
Grease is a common cause of kitchen drain clogs. It starts off as a liquid, but hardens when it meets the cool interior of your pipes. This causes a blockage that’s often difficult to remove without the help of a professional. When a grease clog happens, the most obvious sign is foul odors from your sink or tub that won’t go away no matter what you do. You might also notice that water runs down your drains slower than usual or that it makes a loud, gurgling noise.
If you suspect that you have a grease clog, try pouring a few cups of hot, boiling water down the drain. This should dissolve some of the grease and prevent it from clogging your drain completely. If you’re still having trouble with your drains, try using a commercial drain cleaner like Liquid-Plumr. This product contains chemicals that work to dissolve soap scum, hair, grease, and food residue. It’s unscented, so it shouldn’t be a problem for those who are sensitive to harsh chemicals.
Another solution is to use a drain snake, which can be purchased from most home improvement stores. This tool uses a rotating snake to push the clog down your pipes and dislodge it. If you’re unsure how to use the snake, it’s always best to call in a professional.
By preventing common clogs, you can keep your drains working properly and avoid expensive repairs and damage to your home. Be sure to check out our tips for preventative plumbing maintenance! For more information on how to keep your drains clear, contact the friendly professionals at Ace Solves It All today. We’re happy to answer your questions and schedule service!
Oil
While it may seem harmless enough to pour used cooking oils down the drain, oily substances coat and clog pipes, causing them to overflow. This is why it is so important to take care of clogs as soon as they are noticed, preventing them from worsening over time.
Clogged drains are an extremely frustrating problem that can cause major damage to a home or business, not just because of the slow and ineffective flow of water, but also because the plumbing system itself can be damaged by debris that is forced into it by the blocked drain. As such, it is essential to know what the most common causes of drain clogs are, so that you can prevent them from occurring in the first place.
Fortunately, there are a number of do-it-yourself ways to clear a clogged drain. One of the most popular is to mix salt and baking soda together, and then pour this mixture down the drain. The combination is effective at loosening and breaking up clogs, and it can also eliminate odors in the drain. Another option is to use a plunger, or even better, a snake. The latter is especially good for removing debris that has become lodged in the bottom of the pipe, where it can easily be pulled out.
Although some homeowners are tempted to use caustic materials like sulfuric or hydrochloric acid to clean a drain clog, this is not a safe or smart option. These chemicals corrode and break down metal pipes, and can also be dangerous to your health. Instead, try to avoid using chemical drain cleaners, and stick with natural methods like plunging or the baking soda and vinegar solution described above.
Soap
You may not think that soap can clog drains, but solid soap (like bar) tends to accumulate on the walls of pipes and clump into a thick gooey mass known as soap scum that eventually clogs shower and bathtub drains. This buildup not only prevents water from flowing through the drain, but it also attracts bacteria, making for a gross-smelling, potentially dangerous situation. Switching to liquid soap can help cut down on this buildup, but you should also try flushing your drains every month by pouring about half a cup of baking soda down them, followed by boiling water.
You can also keep a bottle of biodegradable drain cleaner on hand to tackle tough clogs and prevent them from happening in the first place. This cleaner dissolves hair, soap scum, food particles, and more while still being safe for pipes. It is recommended to use this product monthly for the best results, and it can be used in toilets, showers, sinks, and garbage disposals.
Backed-up wastewater or sewage is perhaps the worst sign of a clogged drain, but you should also pay attention to other symptoms, like slow drainage and foul odors. Depending on the location of the clogged pipe, you may notice that it is especially smelly in one particular room or that it affects more than just a single sink or tub. If you aren’t sure what is causing the problem, you can always call a plumber to investigate and take care of the issue before it becomes worse. They can even offer professional video inspection services, which allows them to see the exact cause of your clog. This way, you can avoid costly repair bills in the future!
