Clogged drains are one of the most common plumbing issues. Problems with blockages can be serious and require professional help, and sometimes the issues can often be resolved easily by using some basic tools and methods.
The warning signs you should take it seriously!
If your toilet, sink, or bathtub is draining very slowly, or not draining at all, that is an indicator that you likely have a clog. You should always deal with the issue as soon as possible, as clogs tend to worsen over time.
Below, there is a list of the most common causes of clogged drains. Definitely, you know that fixing the problem yourself or preventing it from happening in the first place, will save you a lot of money.
Common Causes of Clogged Drains:
Hair
Soap
Dirt
Oil, grease, and fat
Food waste
Wipes and diapers
Objects accidentally flushed
Feminine products and cotton swabs
Mineral build-up
Toilet paper
Remember that many clogs consist of a combination of things (e.g., hair, soap, and dirt) rather than just one substance.
Let’s check this out together and saw beside a specialist, can we do anything?
Some of these materials seem they can’t harm so much, but most of us experience how this can be a pain in the ass!
Can we talk about hair? Yeah, human hair or any other sort of it like animal fur, is the most dangerous thing that can cause problems. Why? Because they can knot up and combine with other substances like soap and grease and attach to parts of the drain. This could happen especially in bathtub or shower drains or bathroom sinks.
In the first step, you must keep hair and soap scum out of bathroom drains. In order to do that, cover your tub and shower drains with a mesh screen or a perforated shower drain hair catcher. A shower drain hair catcher may be made of stainless steel, silicone, or a combination of both.
In second place to keep your hair from clogging the shower drain is to brush your hair before taking a shower. This method can help you to remove loose hair, so as a result, the possibility of clogging the shower drain will be so low.
In the end, if you have pets and you should bathe them in the tub or shower, place a washcloth over the drain. The amount of hair a dog sheds during a bath can even clog your regular shower drain hair catcher.
If you face this problem to fix it usually plunging the drain will often work. And yes, you can use chemical drain cleaner but remember to not use it so often. it would damage your drains. Also, we all hear that baked soda or vinegar can be helpful too. keep in your mind you should pour one cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by one cup of vinegar. Let the solution bubble and foam for a few minutes, then pour a kettle of hot (not boiling) water down the drain. Let the mixture sit for a couple of hours. If your drain still isn’t clear, repeat the process. and the last thing is a plumber’s snake that may be needed to dislodge stubborn clogs.
Soap residue, known as soap scum, can accumulate over time, especially in laundry, shower, and bathroom drain, reducing the diameter of the pipe and causing slow drainage or backups. Soap can also combine with other materials such as hair and dirt to make clogs. Yep, dirt. The common opinion about dirt is that you can wash away as much dirt as you want down a drain. But the truth is that dirt can build up and contribute to and cause clogs, especially when combined with hair, soap, and grease.
So it’s better to use soap-free washes to prevent soap scums and dirt, if you are excessively dirty, shake or rinse the dirt and mud off before you come inside. Easy, no?
Many of us had problems with food waste in the kitchen. with the aim of preventing this issue; keep food, coffee grounds, and grease out of kitchen drains. Wipe up small amounts of oil with a paper towel and throw them on the compost. And no, running hot water when pouring fat down the drain is not a solution.
Put leftover food in the trash or compost heap, not the garbage disposal. Some foods, such as tea leaves and coffee grounds, are particularly harmful because they don’t break down
Pour liquid grease into a sealable container. After it cools, put it in the trash or take it to a recycling center.
Watch out what you flush. Toilets are only designed to handle human waste and toilet paper. Flushing dense, stringy, or bulky materials can cause a clog. Wipes and diapers are too bulky and can easily cause a blockage. Even quilted toilet paper is capable of causing a clog!
So please don’t flush anything down the toilet. Be careful your child’s toy won’t be flushed. Anyway, children are so sweet but they can be a troublemaker too.
If these things happen, plunging or using an auger will often clear the clog. But maybe, in the end, you need help from a professional. solid objects can be firmly lodged.
Feminine products should never be flushed down the toilet as they can block up the drains. Tampons are a particular problem as they can grow to 10 times their size once they have absorbed fluid. Unlike toilet paper, feminine products and cotton swabs don’t break down or dissolve. If you were fortunate plunging or using an auger can often work. If not, you will have to call a plumber.
Mineral build-up in some areas can cause problems. If the water is hard where you live, and you don’t use a water softener for your home then your drains can become plugged up by mineral deposits over time. This will reduce flow and can cause back-ups. In order to fix this, you may need to remove any build-up in the drain. This is normally a job for a professional plumber.
Knowing how to prevent clogged drains will help keep your plumbing system in good shape. Learning how to unclog a drain will also help you avoid an expensive service call from the plumber. If there is just a single toilet, sink, shower, bathtub, or other fixture affected, then you may be able to resolve the problem yourself using a few basic tools and methods.
If there are multiple fixtures that are backing up, then that is more likely to mean that your main drainage system is clogged up. Fixing this issue is much more involved and will likely mean that you need to call in professional help.
