4 Tips How to Avoid Clogged Drains

Let’s face it, having clogged drains can be one of the most annoying (if not the most) things that can happen to your home plumbing system. Not only does it cause nasty backups, but it can also cost a ton of money in repairs. Here are some practical tips to help you avoid clogged drains.

1. Act, Don’t Wait

There is no sense in waiting for a mainline blockage to happen. So if you have been experiencing some clogged sewer line for a while, you should be aware that cleaning will not do the job. There is something wrong with the pipeline that only a proper camera inspection can reveal.

In fact, several things can go wrong depending on the age of your sewer pipes like tree roots, collapsed pipes, and other things that can cause a blockage. So, always act immediately when backed up sewers become too frequent for comfort, call a licensed plumbing service today!

2. Stop the Lint

How can something so small cause so many problems? There have been countless times that lint has caused blockage of the drain in your laundry room. Without you noticing it, over time, these small particles get trap in the drain causing it to clog and back up. The easiest thing to avoid this problem is to stop it from happening by putting a lint trap at the end of the washing machine’s drain hose. You can purchase these drain screens and lint traps from your local hardware or home center. If you have an old nylon stocking lying around, you can use this as well. When the trap is full,s simply replace it.

3. Stop Dumping It

When will we learn that the drain is not a trash bin or a place to dispose of all types of junk and debris? Are you even aware that many homeowners are responsible for causing the clogging of their drains? How many times have you poured down grease or disposed of grout or cement compound down the drain?

All of these things do not belong down the drain and, therefore, should not be dumped there. Pouring down grease will cause it to form a blockage once it cools down. The worse part of it is that it hardens and gets stuck in the pipe, causing a significant problem.

The same can be said with grout or cement compound, which contains chemicals that allow it to harden even when submerged in water. This means that such hardened blockage cannot be dislodged easily and would require professional help.

This is why it is essential to dispose of these types of materials properly and not allow them to enter the drain system. For grease, keep a jar in your kitchen where you can conveniently pour it in before even washing it off the dishes. Make sure to wipe away any remaining grease before you wash it over the sink. For grout and cement compound, please rinse it in water and allow the material to solidify before disposing of the sludge in the garbage bin.

4. Catch It

In the bathtub or shower, two of the most common culprits of clogged drains are hair and soap scum. When they combine in your bathroom plumbing, you can be almost sure that you are headed for trouble. The problem with hair is that it does not dissolve quickly, and soap scum has a tendency to cling to the inner lining of the pipes.

So what should you do? The most comfortable and most convenient solution is to catch it before it gets into the drain. How would you do that? Buy a drain strain or install a mesh screen over the drain so that clogging problems can be minimized. Just make sure that you keep the drain or filter clean regularly to keep it productive.

If you follow these tips, you should reduce the possibility of having clogged drains. Have your plumbing system regularly inspected as well by a licensed professional plumber like Scott English Plumbing, Inc. for good measure.