There are a lot of times when a clogged drain can be a major problem. But there are also many ways to prevent them from occurring in the first place.
The most important thing is to not put anything down your drain that you shouldn’t. Hair, cigarette butts, gum, paper, and tiny pieces of plastic can all clump together to form a clog.
- Keep Hair Out
Keeping hair out of the drain is one of the easiest ways to prevent a clogged drain. It costs nothing and doesn’t take much extra time, so it’s worth trying.
Brushing before and after your shower or bath can help remove loose strands that otherwise get stuck in the drain. Using a shower cap can also keep excess hair from falling down the drain, which helps to prevent clogs. For professional help with blocked drains in Adelaide, go online and look at reputable companies to help.
Installing a hair catcher in the bathroom is another great way to reduce clogs caused by hair. This small, inexpensive device is placed inside the drain opening to catch clumps of hair before they wash down the drain into your plumbing system.
When you do get a hair clog in the drain, it can be difficult to remove it without having to call a professional plumber. We’ve got some tips that can help you get the job done yourself. These tips will help you avoid costly clogs and save your plumbing system from damage.
- Don’t Flush Trash
When flushing, items like wipes and hygiene products that do not break down are more likely to clog drain pipes. These things are usually referred to as “unflushables.”
They can cause sewer back-ups, and they’re expensive to repair. They also contaminate the City’s wastewater treatment system and threaten the environment.
These types of items should be thrown into the trash.
Remember, toilets are designed to flush only human waste and toilet paper. Anything else can clog drains and pipes, causing a sewage back-up in your home and threatening your sanitary sewer system and the water treatment plant.
You might be wondering why this is important. Well, it’s because the waste you send down the sewer system winds up in a landfill, where it decomposes and releases harmful chemicals into the environment.
- Don’t Put Oils and Fats Down the Drain
Fats, oils and grease (FOG) – including cooking oil, pan drippings, bacon grease, salad dressings, mayonnaise and sauces – can cause clogged drains. They can also clog sewer lines and lead to sewage overflows, which can be expensive to clean up.
The fatty oils in these substances tend to harden when they come into contact with cold water. They then solidify and form stiff deposits inside your drain pipes, blocking them from moving freely.
This is especially true for cooking oils that are liquid at room temperature, such as olive oil and canola oil. Chasing these down with hot water can help them travel further down the drain, but it doesn’t actually do much to get rid of them completely.
Instead, be sure to pour these down into a container and dispose of them in the garbage bin when they have cooled down enough to coagulate. This will ensure that they won’t cause problems in your plumbing system down the road.
- Keep Your Sink Clean
One of the biggest things you can do to prevent a clogged drain is keep your sink clean. Grease, coffee grounds, hair and soap scum are all big culprits when it comes to clogged drains.
A good way to keep your sink clean is to install a drain trap or mesh screen to catch any food debris and soap scum that may fall into the drain. This will prevent these things from clogging your drain and making it more difficult to flush out the waste.
Another great tip is to run hot water after each use of your sink. This will keep the oils in your food products from forming hard-to-digest deposits in your pipes and keeping them from building up and making them sluggish and likely to clog your drain.
Another way to keep your sink clean is to rinse the stopper in a solution of hot water and vinegar once a week. This will clean the stopper and remove odors from your plumbing system.
