Tips to Keep Your Drains From Getting Clogged Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Sometimes clogged drains just happen, but there is much you can do yourself to prevent them.

One of the best ways to prevent plumbing issues is by keeping the drains in your home free of clogs. Most homeowners don't think about the things they dump down the drain, or into the garbage disposal, until the day they find water backing up.

The best way to steer clear of a major plumbing problem is to exercise preventative measures. This keeps clogs and blockages from occurring in your home.

Three Major Items That Block Drains

There are many items that shouldn't go into your drains but end up going down anyway. Here are the top three items we see clogging drains on our jobs:

• Cooking Grease - Once cooled, cooking grease can become a sticky situation for anyone's drain. To avoid a clog from a cooking grease buildup, save your cooking grease in an old container or milk jug, wait for the grease to harden, and throw it away in your garbage.
• Coffee Grounds - Another common cause of blockage in a kitchen sink, coffee grounds should be disposed of a different way. Try throwing them into your garbage or even using them in your landscaping mulch.
• Hair & Soap Scum - These are most common in bathroom drains such as showers and baths. You can go to your local hardware or plumbing store and buy a screen or drain grate that will catch the bulk of these substances from going down the drain.

Be Proactive in Preventing Drain Backups

You can hire us to service your home and do maintenance on your drain pipes when they need a full cleaning. However, there a few tips and tricks you can do to keep your drains as clean as possible, minimizing clogs and blockages in your plumbing system.

Easy Drain Cleaning Options

Both baking soda and vinegar are wonderful cleaning solvents that do wonders for your drains. Simply toss a bit of baking soda down the drain and follow with hot water for one method. The other method requires one cup of vinegar to go down the drain, let it sit for approximately 30 minutes, and chase with very hot water. (Hint: Not a fan of the scent of vinegar? If you have a garbage disposal, simply stick a wedge of lemon in it for a fresh scent.)

Garbage Disposal: Preventative Measures

Make sure garbage disposals remain unclogged by running it with cold water, which prevents food from attaching to the inside of the pipes. Flushing your kitchen sink with cold water before, during, and after using the garbage disposal will keep the pipes free of any remaining food particles. Never run it dry!

Keeping Toilets From Backing Up

While the majority of clogs can be found in both bathrooms and kitchens due to the amount of food, hair, and other substances being dumped, there is the matter of the toilet as well. Plumbing can easily be obstructed from items being flushed down the toilet that are not intended to be flushed. Avoid flushing the following items to keep your toilets clog-free here as well:

• Feminine products
• "Flushable wipes" (they are not actually flushable)
• Toys
• Other items that don't belong

By taking cautionary and routine action, your drains will have less blockage and fewer odors released from your pipes. If a clog or blockage does occur, you can give us a call to assist in rectifying the situation.

Do you have a clogged drain that needs fixing? 

Call us today at (863) 667-6364 and we can come help you figure out the source of your drain problems!