There’s no doubt that clogged drains are a real frustration. The real pain in the butt often comes with trying to determine why your drains are backed up in the first place.
Whether your toilet is starting to overflow, or the shower and sinks are draining slowly, these situations are something most of us have to deal with from time to time. If you know what the likely cause of your backups is, it will help determine whether you should tackle the problem on your own, or call in a professional.
Below, you’ll find a list of some of the more common causes of clogged drains, and later, how to prevent backups in your home.
Fat and Grease
When fat and cooking grease go down the drain, it’s only a matter of time before you have a major clog on your hands. Even if your home has a garbage disposal, the grease will still build up in your pipes over time, leading to ugly blockages that won’t be easy to remove.
Foreign Objects
Sometimes things get accidentally dropped in the sink. Items such as soap and jewelry can clog smaller drains in the kitchen and bathroom. A frequent problem in households with kids involves flushing random things down the toilet. This could be anything from toys to clothing and almost anything else that fits in a toilet.
Hair
This one always tends to plague the shower and bathroom sink. It’s only natural that hair will build up in the pipes over time and eventually cause a blocked drain. Once the clog has taken hold, it can be a tough one to remove on your own.
Plants
Those beautiful plants growing around your home have the potential to wreak havoc on your pipes. One problem is tree roots. They grow toward sources of water and sometimes that water source just happens to be your plumbing. Strong roots can break right through the pipes, causing leaks and blockages.
Sewer Line Problems
If it seems like every drain in your home is getting slower, it could be the result of a problem with your sewer line. In many cases, severe blockages with sewer lines may require replacement of the sewer line. Luckily, advances in technology and equipment allow for replacement without digging a massive trench on your property.
How to Prevent Blocked Drains
Preventing drain clogs is easy when homeowners take a few simple steps to address the most frequent clogging culprits.
Traps
Keeping the hair and small objects out of your drains is easy. There are plenty of products out there that are easy to use and affordable. A simple stainless steel drain screen only costs a few dollars. These are easy to clean and will keep hair, clumps of soap and other foreign objects out of your sink.
Vigilance
Paying attention to what items end up going down your drain will help you minimize those instances of blocked drains. Make sure fat and cooking grease get tossed in the trash bin, not dumped down the drain.
Maintenance
Too many people are not aware that most reputable plumbing contractors offer a maintenance service or plumbing tune up.
The purpose of these services is to provide a careful inspection of someone’s plumbing system and fix small issues before they spiral out of control, causing more expensive problems. Most plumbing tune-ups will include a few key benefits that make the cost a great value.
Drain Line Treatment: This is essentially a professional drain cleaning performed by a licensed and bonded contractor. You can count on such cleanings to be effective at not only removing clogs but helping to prevent future blockages.
Water Pressure Test: Making sure your home has the proper water pressure is critical. Scheduling a plumbing tune up will let you know if your pressure is adequate.
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Author Bio:
Erik Bryan is the owner of Pipetech Plumbing. He enjoys educating consumers about trends in the industry and helping them get the most out of their air conditioning systems.
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