What Keeps Clogging My Drains?

Drain issues are never fun, but they are preventable. What keeps causing that pesky blockage? Stick around (no pun intended) and find out!

Hair

Hair is an extremely common culprit in prompting a drain cleaning. This commonly backs up lavatory sinks, showers, tubs, and more. Hair is not very easily degraded, so it sticks to the sides of pipes or clings on to the pop-up assembly for a bathroom sink. It also clings to the tub stopper, prompting the need of a drain cleaning. This can be easily prevented. Installing a simple hair strainer from amazon can stop this, saving you money from having to pay an expert to perform a drain cleaning.

Roots

Roots commonly cause the main sewer line to back up. This type of stoppage can be quite the headache, but yes, it can be prevented. Firstly, having a professional perform a sewer scope will show what exactly is going in the pipe. Depending on what he finds, different types of remedies may be proposed, but if there is roots in the line it can actually be prevented from even happening by performing regular maintenance on the sewer line, and the landscaping above the sewer main. Make sure no trees are directly on top of where the sewer main goes outside your house, and it will greatly diminish the odds of having roots in sewer line.

Grease

Grease sticks hard to the sides of pipes and refuses to let go unless the drain line is jetted. Hydrojet drain cleaning can be costly, and time-consuming, but this can also be avoided. Do not pour grease of any kind down the kitchen drain. Bacon grease, hamburger grease, anything like that will give you issues. It will stick to the pipes like tar. Avoid the costs of a drain cleaning, and be mindful of what goes down the drain.

Egg Shells

Eggshells will grind up like sand in the garbage disposal, and the mucous membrane lining the eggshells will make this sand compound sticky. It will cling to the pipe, and can only be displaced with a drain cleaning. Instead, toss the eggshells in the trash and skip the mess of a drain cleaning or hydrojetting.

Body Scrubs and Granular Products

Granular hygiene products that have almond scrubs or sugar scrubs in them can make you have a clogged drain. The almond becomes sand, and sugar scrubs create a sticky syrup inside the drains. A lot of scrubs will also calcify inside of shower drains, causing you to have a clogged drain. Flushing these compounds with hot water, contrary to popular belief, does not really help. All it does it push it further down the line, and could still prompt a drain cleaning in the future. Avoid using these products, or at least minimize their usage. Never use coffee scrubs.

A broken drain line

There are many different ways a drain line can break, feel free to surf our article here all about them. In short, a drain line that is broken can cause a lot of headaches. Typically the only resolution is to perform a sewer main repair or a sewer liner with permaliner technology. You can avoid these issues by having regular maintenance done on your home.

Big Box Store drain cleaners

Yup! That’s right! Big brand drain cleaners actually do the opposite of what you want. These drain cleaners become a nasty paste after sitting in your drains for too long. They might bubble and cause it to break loose for a moment, but in due time, it could lead to a bigger issue. Just check out this article by Angie’s List. Some drain cleaners are actually good, like friendly bacteria-based enzymes. But these can only be obtained by professionals. If you need some, call Expert Services- Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical! We’ll even deliver it right to your door!

Breads and pastas

Breads and pastas will swell inside the drains over time, causing a blockage and prompting a drain cleaning. Instead, throw it in the bin.

In conclusion, some practical advice:

The only thing that should go down your drains, realistically, is water, toilet paper, and waste. Kitchen sinks are the most notorious for backing up. Garbage disposals – don’t. Plumbers have a love-hate relationship with disposals. They’re prone to issues, but if used correctly – they’re amazing. Just be careful. And if you need a drain cleaning, just remember. It Doesn’t Hurt to Call Expert Services- Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical!