9 Helpful Plumber Tips For Preventing Clogs | Memorial City

9/24/2020

Photo By Lopolo at Shutterstock

Regular maintenance and good habits are what you need to prevent drain blockage. However, there are still homeowners who would neglect their drains. The result? Clogged drains. Minor clogs can be quickly resolved but for serious drain clogs, you will need to call a plumber in Memorial City to help you unclog it.

What Causes Clogged Drains?

Some homeowners think they can get away with throwing food particles and other debris down the drains. Over time, these will build up in your pipes. Eventually, they will clog and you will have an even bigger problem.

The main culprits for blocked drains are food, hair, soap scum and other debris. To avoid calling a plumber and wasting money on expensive repairs, take care of your drains. Like your appliances, they need maintenance too.

Below are some tips to help you prevent clogged drains:

1. Keep Your Drains Clean

Make it a habit to clean your drain with a baking soda solution and vinegar, then run hot water down the drain. You may do this once every few days. This prevents the buildup of grease and hard water deposits that may accumulate in your pipes. When you do this regularly, you shouldn’t worry about having drain problems in your kitchen and having to call a professional to help you unclog it.

If you have strainers, keep them in place. They are there for a reason: to catch food particles, debris, hair, soap scum and other debris that will clog your drain. Just make sure you clean the strainer regularly.

2. Check Bathroom Drains

Apart from the kitchen drains, clean the drains in your shower and bathtub for hair and other dirt build-ups. Check the tub’s stopper whether it’s still in good working condition. Fill your tub with about half-full of hot water and drain. That should remove any buildup. You may do this once every week.

When other minerals buildup in your bathroom’s drain, it will eventually clog. Avoid calling a plumber for drain repairs by regularly cleaning and checking your drains.

3. Do Not Use Chemical-Based Cleaners

As much as possible, use drain cleaners made with natural or environment-friendly ingredients only. Chemical-based cleaners are never good for your pipes, especially when you have older pipes at home. This will cause corrosion if you have metal pipes. You may want to talk to your plumber about enzyme-based drain cleaners. Although it will take time to remove clogs with these cleaners, they will not damage your pipes. The baking soda and vinegar solution is also a good idea, as well as pouring hot water down the drain.

4. Watch Out What You Flush in the Toilet

You can only flush solid or liquid human waste in your toilets, and a considerable amount of tissue. You may also want to consider the type of tissue that you use — make sure that they will not contribute to clogs. If you have small children, tell them not to flush any foreign object or their toys down the toilet to avoid clogs. Cotton balls, sanitary pads, facial tissues, paper towels and baby wipes must be thrown in the garbage.

5. Put a Lint Catcher in Your Washing Machine Hose

Facial tissue and lint may find their way into your washing machine’s hose and may clog your drain eventually. You can prevent this by putting a lint trap in the drain hose. Lint traps are available at either your hardware stores or home centers.

6. Use Your Garbage Disposal Wisely

Your garbage disposal isn’t designed to break down all kinds of food particles. Avoid putting coffee grounds, eggshells and banana peels in your garbage disposal. While using the disposal, make it a habit to also run water in your faucet to help in fully carrying the waste into the drainage system. It is also best practice to run cold water in the disposal after using to get rid of bad smells.

You can definitely avoid calling a professional in Memorial City for plumbing repairs when you clean your disposal and when you do not dump large chunks of food inside.

7. Do Not Ever Dump Grease Down the Drain

The worst thing that you can dump down your drain is grease. Grease congeals and clogs your drains eventually. It will become even worse when you throw food particles down the drain — it will get stuck and you will have an even bigger clog problem. To avoid calling a plumber for drain repair, collect grease instead. Just keep a container in your kitchen for the grease. You can put it in the fridge to freeze them so you can throw it in the trash.

8. Collect Your Food Waste

Do not grind all of your food waste in the disposal. Do not dump them in the drain either or you will end up calling a plumber for a drain repair. Consider collecting all of your food waste and maybe add it to a compost pile. Just make sure you avoid putting meat as it takes longer for them to break down.

9. Schedule Drain Cleaning or Maintenance with a Licensed Professional 

Taking the time to clean your drains prevents clogs. However, it’s always best to call for professional help at least every few months. Professional drain cleaning by a plumber ensures that mineral build-up deposits in the pipes are removed. You are assured that your drains will work perfectly.

Get in Touch with bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of West Houston

Do you need a plumber to help you with drain cleaning or repair? Call bluefrog Plumbing + Drain today! Our experienced plumbers are always ready to assist you with clogged drains. Rest assured, we can resolve your plumbing problems the soonest possible time.

Contact us today for an appointment!