A clogged drain or toilet can quickly escalate into a plumbing emergency. However, you can take steps to prevent these problems from arising by keeping your drains clean.
It’s important to use prevention methods like regular cleaning and mindful disposal, but when an issue arises, it’s best to consult a professional plumber. A plumber has specialized tools that allow them to determine what’s causing the problem, offering a more lasting fix. Keep reading the article below to learn more about Drains 4 Less Plumbing.
With the busy holiday season approaching, kitchen and bathroom drains will be working overtime. With proper drain cleaning, clogs and slow drainage can be avoided. Regular drain maintenance prevents clogs, saves money on plumbing bills, and ensures a healthy home environment.
A combination of good drain habits and preventative professional services is the best way to keep your drains in top condition. Good drain habits include scraping food into the trash instead of down the sink, avoiding pouring grease down the drain, and using drain screens to catch debris. Professional drain cleaners use modern tools like drain snaking and hydro jetting to eliminate even the most stubborn of drain blockages. These methods are more effective than store-bought chemical drain cleaners, which often provide only temporary relief and can damage pipes over time.
Clogged drains are not just a nuisance, they can also present serious health and safety risks. The sewage and waste that accumulates in your pipes is a breeding ground for bacteria, viruses, and molds, which can trigger allergies and respiratory issues for your family. Regular drain cleaning prevents clogs and keeps water flowing properly, reducing the risk of these dangerous microbes.
Practicing proactive drain cleaning also helps to reduce the need for professional emergency drain services. Clogged drains and overflowing toilets can be hazardous to your family’s health and can also cause significant structural damage to your home. By implementing a routine maintenance plan and monitoring the symptoms of slow drainage and lingering odors, you can avoid these costly and inconvenient plumbing emergencies.
If you have noticed a problem with your drains, contact a plumbing expert right away to perform an inspection. An experienced professional will be able to identify the problem and determine whether a simple drain cleaning service is all you need or if more extensive repairs are needed. The old saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies to many things, including drain cleaning. Proactive drain cleaning with a reputable company is an excellent way to preserve the life of your plumbing system and protect your family’s health and wellbeing.
Prevent Clogs
Your home’s plumbing system delivers fresh water and carts away waste every day. A healthy plumbing system is essential to your family’s comfort and convenience. Clogs are a common residential plumbing issue, but many of them can be prevented.
Clogged drains are a huge nuisance that can keep sinks, tubs, showers and toilets from functioning properly. A professional plumber can quickly scour a drain of its blockage, but it is much cheaper and easier to prevent clogs in the first place.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This is true when it comes to your home’s drains. A little prevention can keep your drains and sewer lines clear of obstructions, preventing the need for expensive professional repairs or replacements.
Most clogs occur when small particles collect over time. These particles include soap scum, grease, and food waste, all of which can create serious blockages in your drains and pipes. While a clog can occur in any drain or pipe, some areas are more prone to this problem than others.
In the kitchen, a garbage disposal can often become clogged with starchy foods like potato peels and eggshells. This can also happen with the sink drain, especially if you have low-flow faucets and showerheads. These faucets and showerheads conserve water, but they don’t carry away debris as well as older style fixtures.
Using a kitchen drain strainer will help reduce the amount of food that ends up in your sink. You should also avoid dumping grease down the drains. Cooking grease may be liquid when poured down the drain, but it will solidify into drain-clogging sludge when it cools. Instead, pour your cooking grease into a jar or can and throw it in the trash after it has cooled.
Hair is another major cause of clogged drains, especially in bathtubs and showers. Installing a hair catcher in your bathroom will catch most of the hair that would otherwise end up in your drains and pipes. You should also switch to liquid soaps and body washes, which are less prone to creating soap scum than bar soaps.
Save Money
Having to deal with drain obstructions can cost you both time and money. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The key is preventative maintenance and long-term drainage strategies.
A little effort now can save you big money on expensive and disruptive plumbing repairs in the future. For example, a simple and affordable DIY solution can be used to break down minor drain clogs. Pouring a combination of baking soda and vinegar into your drains can dissolve organic debris and dislodge stubborn build-up. The natural chemical reaction is safe for your pipes and is also eco-friendly. It is easy to make this DIY fix and is available at most grocery or hardware stores.
Regularly flushing your drains with hot water can help prevent clogs and keep them working properly. This can be done with a simple, inexpensive tool—the common plunger, which is available at most home improvement and discount stores. Proper plunging involves creating a firm seal over the drain opening and pumping up and down in smooth, strong motions. Regularly using a plunger can break down and dislodge most drain clogs.
One of the most effective ways to prevent clogs is to install a mesh drain cover or strainer in your kitchen sink and other household drains. These simple, cheap tools catch food particles, hair, and other debris before it can enter your pipes. They are especially useful for preventing drain clogs caused by grease and fats, which solidify in the pipes and can cause blockages.
Another prevention strategy is to dispose of cooking oils and grease in a separate container rather than down your sink. While bacon grease and other fats melt into liquid when cooked, they harden in your pipes and can form a sticky coating that can trap other debris. Grease and fats should be poured into a separate container and disposed of in the trash.
If you have a recurring drain problem, it may be time to contact a professional plumber for an inspection and maintenance visit. Regular professional cleaning helps extend the lifespan of your drains and pipes, reducing costly and invasive repair work in the future.
Avoid Emergency Calls
The holidays are a time for family, friends, and celebrations, but they can also put a strain on your home’s plumbing system. All of the extra cooking, washing, and showering can lead to clogged drains and plumbing emergencies if you don’t keep up with your preventative maintenance routine.
A burst pipe can be a devastating experience, leaving your home with water and property damage, not to mention costly repair bills. However, knowing what constitutes a plumbing emergency can help you minimize damage and get the help you need quickly. This guide breaks down the most common plumbing emergencies and what to do if you find yourself in one.
If you suspect that you’re experiencing a plumbing emergency, the first thing you should do is shut off your water supply. This can be done by turning off the valve located under the affected fixture or, if you’re unsure where it is, by locating your main water valve and finding the emergency shut-off lever nearby. If you’re unsure of how to turn off your water valves, it’s best to call in a professional plumber who can check the location and ensure that you know how to do this properly.
Non-flushable items such as baby wipes, paper towels, and feminine hygiene products can create clogs that can lead to overflowing toilets, backed up drains, or sewage backup. These clogs can be caused by buildup over time, tree roots looking for moisture, or broken pipes. To help avoid these clogs, make sure that non-flushable items are placed in a garbage bag before throwing them away and run hot water down your drains after every use to prevent blockages. It’s also a good idea to avoid using scent sticks and pods in your home, as these can clog the entire line if they aren’t flushed correctly.
If you’re facing a drain emergency, contact the professionals. Their team is available 24/7 and can offer quick, affordable solutions to keep your home or commercial building’s drains in top condition. They offer plumbing repairs, maintenance, leak detection, piping, and repiping services, as well as free inspections and transparent pricing.
