It’s never pleasant when a drain gets clogged up. Worse, this seems to happen during the most inconvenient moments, such as when you’re entertaining a houseful of guests or when the rain is pouring and it’s past midnight. You may not clear up all drain problems or even prevent one from happening forever, but there are ways to reduce the risk of it happening too often.
Pay Attention to Repetitive Clogs
If you have a problem with a clog that seems to keep coming back, even if it’s just once every year, don’t ignore it. Have a licensed plumber do professional drain cleaning. Salt Lake City plumbing companies such as Whipple Service Champions are typically equipped with the right tools to end your drain clog problem, even a remote camera that can show them what’s causing the blockage.
Watch Where You Dispose of Laundry Water
A drain clogging problem that happens frequently in your laundry room may be due to the water discharged from your washing machine. Clothes leave lint in the water after they’re washed, and all that lint can catch in your drain and cause a blockage. To prevent this from happening, install a lint trapper or catcher in your washing machine drain hose. It’s a cheap yet effective way to end the issue.
Dispose of Cooking Oil Properly
Don’t dispose of used cooking oil in your drain. If the oil is hot, it can melt plastic parts of the drain. And when it cools down, it turns into a sticky goo that can get trapped in there. Other food particles that find their way into your drain may get trapped in that sticky mess and cause a clog. Let used cooking oil cool in a coffee mug or bottle then dispose of it properly.
Don’t Trust Your Kitchen Sink Disposal Unit to Grind Everything
Your disposal is there to make sure food particles are ground to tiny bits, but do not overwork it. Scrape all that food from your plates and dispose of it properly, before washing your dishes in the sink. Your disposal’s job is to catch the food your scraping didn’t.
Be Careful What You Pour into Your Drain to Clean It
Not all drain cleaners are safe for your plumbing. Some, such as drain-cleaning bacteria, may be safer than others. But the best way to clear a drain is to call a plumber instead. You don’t know what damage that store-bought chemical might do to your pipes. You might end up paying more for repairs.
A clogged drain can cause more inconvenience than you think. It is nasty, smells bad, and may even cause health concerns. So make sure to avoid causing the clog yourself.
