Thanks to the wonders of indoor plumbing, we’re able to filter debris while flushing water down the drain and away from our homes. However, drains can, unfortunately, get themselves clogged during this process.
While it usually only starts out as a fairly minor issue, blocked drains and clogged pipes can very easily and quickly escalate into some pretty major problems which require costly repairs, such as pipe corrosion, flooding water, and sewage backing up.
What Does It Mean If Your Drain Becomes Clogged?
Whenever your drain becomes clogged, blocked, or is only draining water slowly, it will usually be caused by some kind of obstruction in the pipes, which will usually depend on which room the drain is located.
For example, the main cause of clogged drains in the bathroom is when soap scum builds up inside the pipes and binds with foreign particles of dirt, skin flakes, and especially hair. This accumulation of gunk continues building up over time as it reduces water flow and eventually blocks it off completely.
On the other hand, clogged drains in the kitchen are usually caused by the build-up of food particles, detergent soap scum, and cooking grease or oil. When food and other substances that are unable to quickly dissolve are washed down the drain, it doesn’t take too long before they create a significantly gunky and stubborn blockage.
While slow drains and blockages are a fairly common problem, they can sometimes be an early indicator of a much more serious plumbing problem such as gurgling drains, bad smells, broken pipes, or a tree root infiltration. These are significant situations that call for professional repair work before they end up causing broken water pipes, extensive interior damage, or raw sewage starts backing up inside your home or business.
6 Easy Tricks To Keep Your Drains Clear
While clogged drains in your home or business are always annoying, even more so when they happen regularly, they’re usually a preventable issue. And it’s much easier to prevent clogged drains by eliminating the problems that cause them than it is to unclog them. So, here’s the best ways to keep your drains clear and avoid clogging them altogether:
- Use a screen, guard, or drain-grate over drain openings
- Discard organic food waste in the trash rather than washing it down the drain
- Avoid pouring any hot oil or grease down the drain
- Use hot water with a handful of baking soda or a cup of vinegar with slow drains
- Run hot water down your drain for 30 seconds each day
- Perform monthly drain checks & arrange annual professional plumbing inspection
By taking these simple proactive measures, you’ll be able to limit how often your drain will clog by noticing any drainage issues before they cause more severe problems that are irreversible and costly.
What You Shouldn’t Do If You Drains Block Up
While something needs to be done if you have a clogged drain in your home or business, there are some things you shouldn’t do. For example:
DON’T keep running water down a completely blocked drain
DON’T use any other drains until you know the problem is with only the one drain
DON’T try pouring boiling water down a blocked drain
DON’T use acid drain cleaners or other dangerous chemicals
How Can Service Fox Help?
Attempting to fix basic issues with clogged drains by yourself is sometimes possible, but can be difficult without the right plumbing tools and knowledge. That’s why you should contact your expert local plumbers from Service Fox when you first notice any issues with slow drainage or clogging. Our professional experts offer a complete range of plumbing services to both residential and commercial properties, allowing us to locate the cause, deal with the issue, and provide your drains with a thorough deep clean.
