3 Ways You Might Be Contributing to Clogs in Your Drain Pipes

10/08/17

The drains in your home serve a vital role until one stops working. When a drain stops draining, it typically means that you have a clogged drain. What you may not realize is that the ways you use your drains might be the main reason you keep experiencing clogs. Here are some examples of how your actions are contributing to the drain clogs you keep encountering.

1. You Put the Wrong Things in Your Garbage Disposal

Do you have a garbage disposal? If so, did you realize that homes with garbage disposals are more likely to experience drain clogs and sewer system problems? Garbage disposals serve an important purpose and make kitchen cleanups easier, but they also lead to problems when people misuse them.

A garbage disposal eliminates the need to clean the strainers in your kitchen sink, but they are not designed to be garbage cans. If you place every piece of food scrap you have into your garbage disposal, you are asking for problems.

Doing this can jam the blades in the device or can cause clogged drain lines. If you get a clog in your drain and cannot unclog it yourself, you will need professional drain-cleaning services to unclog the drain pipe.

If you want to avoid clogs and jams, never place coffee grounds, melon rinds, egg shells, or bones in your disposal. Use it only for small food scraps, and place the rest of your unwanted food in a compost pile in your yard.

2. You Place the Wrong Items in Your Sinks and Toilets

Using your sinks and toilets as garbage cans is another problem that leads to clogged drain lines. Your drains can handle wastewater and human waste, and that is pretty much it. They cannot handle diapers, sanitary products, condoms or baby wipes.

If you place anything in your drains that does not belong there, you are asking for problems. These types of items get stuck in the pipes, and this leads to clogs in the pipes. If you are not sure if something is safe to place down your drain, then don’t put it in there.

You can always throw questionable items in the trash instead of putting them down the drains and hoping for the best.

3. You Do Not Have Screens on Your Drains

One other thing to think about is what goes down your drain lines by accident. A perfect example of something that does not belong in a drain yet gets put in a drain by accident is hair. If you or any of your family members have a lot of hair, you might struggle with frequent drain clogs.

The best way to stop hair from entering drains is by placing screens over every drain in your home, and this is especially important for your tub drains. A screen is a small device that allows water to flow through it but stops debris, like hair, from getting in.

If you place screens on your drains, you can clean the screens when needed, and this will prevent you from needing to clean your drains. You can purchase screens from hardware stores, or you can make your own.

A cheap way to make your own screens is by using coffee filters. A coffee filter will let water through it but will catch the hair before it goes down the drain.

If you currently have a clogged drain, contact HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Drains. We have nearly 80 years of experience serving this community, and we can help you fix the problem you have and prevent clogs from forming in the future.

Posted in: Plumbing