Doherty Sale House

Keeping Your Pipes From Getting Clogged

Home plumbing problems like blocked drains are prevalent, especially in hotter seasons when people shower more. Hair down the drain is a common culprit, but it’s not the only one. Maintaining a healthy plumbing system begins with knowing how to prevent drain clogs.

However, it’s still best to call a plumbing service company for your drain and pipe maintenance needs, but you can start with prevention.

A Mainline Blockage Doesn’t Have to Wait

Avoid having your sewer line cleaned every year or two if you experience clogged sewer lines regularly. In most cases, sewer service firms will use a ‘scope’ to check the line and see the cause. They send a remote camera into the tube and visually inspect the pipes.

For example, tree roots can enter via joints from clay tiles, a pipe about to collapse, or decayed cast iron that lets soil enter the line, creating blockage and forming a clog. To avoid repeated sewer backups and costly sewer cleaning, it’s worth paying and understanding what’s going on and solving it.

Make Use of Bacteria

When it comes to drain blockages, it’s almost always due to organic materials such as food, grease, or hair. Fortunately, you can decompose organic debris found in drains thanks to a particular bacteria. Your gutters will stay clear if you add the bacteria. It is possible to purchase the drain-cleaning bacteria in liquid or granular form from a variety of sources.

Non-corrosive, bacterial drain cleaning won’t damage your lines and won’t interact with your septic system’s bacteria. Make sure to follow the package’s instructions carefully. As soon as drains will not be used, such as before everyone goes to sleep, place the bacteria inside. Stores such as Home Depot and Lowe’s sell trap and drain cleaning supplies. When treating multiple drains, one package can last up to several months.

Place a Lint Catcher on Washing Machine Hoses

If your washing machine’s drain has never backed up, consider yourself lucky. The hose for your washer’s rain might get clogged with a bit of fabric, lint, and other debris, including facial tissue or a sock.

At the tip of your drain hose, make sure to put a catcher to keep debris from clogging your drain. Alternatively, you can use an old nylon stocking or a mesh lint trap you can purchase at hardware stores or home centers to catch the lint from your washing machine’s discharge hose. Using a zip tie, secure the lint trap. Be on the lookout for a full trap and replace it as soon as it is.

Buying Sioux Chief’s Lint Trapper can also get you added insurance Buy a Lint Trapper by Sioux Chief for added insurance. To use, simply clip the cone-shaped trap into the drain hole of your washing machine’s tub. You can either get it at hardware stores or online.

You Should Flush your Drains

Reduced water consumption is friendly, but it can cause clogs in drains such as low-flow faucets and toilets. Due to the lesser water volume, debris is less likely to be carried away and instead collects in your pipes. Occasionally cleansing the lines with a significant amount of water can help you avoid this problem. As you flush, pour a five-gallon bucket of water into the toilet to maintain a clear pathway for the sizeable main drain. Then, run hot water down the drain in your sink or bathtub.

Don’t Throw Away Food Waste

Disposing of food that has been ground up in a garbage disposal can cause clogs in drains, no matter how convenient it might be. However, composting your organic waste is an excellent idea. Consider having your own compost container if your city does not collect organic garbage. You should not compost meat or other oily foods since they take too long to decompose.

Don’t Throw Away Grease — Collect It

Grocery grease is among the worst things you can put into the drain. When you pour hot oil down the drain, it eventually cools and thickens in the pipe, causing a blockage. Things get stuck in there, and before you realize it, your drain is full and clogged. Prevent yourself or other members of the household from pouring oil or grease down the drain.

The best solution is to have an empty container where you can collect grease. You can throw it away once it’s full. You can purchase a container designed to store it for later use and repurpose it for those who like to cook with used bacon grease. 

Larger blockages in the main sewer lines can result in backups into our homes, place extra strain on our public wastewater and sewer systems, and severely harm our environment, even if you haven’t yet encountered clogs in your home’s plumbing line. As a result, clogs cost us personally and our community a lot of money, which you may prevent with appropriate drain care.

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