Tips and Methods to Prevent Clogging of Drains
Drains clogging is a very common household plumbing issue. Sometimes the clog is easier to clear and you remove it with some simple DIY tips and methods. However, not all clogs are easier to handle. Some of them need the services of a professional plumber.
Whenever you notice any sign like foul smells, slow water drainage, or pooling of water around the drains, then you should examine your drain for any type of blockage. All these signs could be a warning that there is some blockage deep down in the pipe.
You should always be careful about what is going down into your drains in order to prevent any type of blockage. There could be many possible reasons for the clogs but the point is that you should try to avoid prevent them in order to reduce the number of times you have to hire a plumber. Hiring a good plumber can cost you a good amount. You can save this amount by following some simple prevention tips.
How to Prevent Clogging of Drains
Drains clogs happen very often and you are not able to stop every drain clog happening in your house. Therefore, you should follow some prevention methods in order to reduce them as much as possible. Following are some of the prevention tips and methods you can use to prevent drain clogs.
1. Lookout for Main Line Blockages
Sometimes you keep on getting clogs in your house drains one after the other. You keep on clearing them with DIY methods or sometimes by calling a plumber, but the issues keep on coming back. This recurring blockage issue can be a sign of a blockage in the main sewer line. If this is the issue, then no matter how many times you unclog your drains, they keep on clogging again and again until the sewer line issue will be resolved. Therefore, for recurring clogs, first look for any issues with the main line first in order to save your time and money on removing the clogs in your house.
2. Lint Trap for Washing Machine Hose
Have you ever heard of a washing machine backing up? If not, then you are lucky because this also happens with many people. Lint is actually small, tiny particles of fabric that keep on shedding while washing. They keep on gathering in the washing machine hose and ultimately went to your main drain with water and cause a clog. Therefore, the suggestion is that you should get a lint trap for your washing machine hose. The trap will catch the lint that you have to dispose of after a week at least. In this way, the lint will not be able to go to the main drain and it will remain clear. Lint traps are easily available online or you can buy one from the hardware store.
3. Use Bacterial Drain Cleaners
Most drain clogs are caused by some kind of organic matter for example hair, grease, food particles, etc. bacterial drain cleaners contain bacteria that help to break down this organic matter inside your drains. When you will use these drain cleaners, the bacteria in them will consume the organic matter inside the drains causing the clogs. In this way, the clog will be removed and the drain will become clear. These bacterial cleaners do not contain any harsh chemicals like other commercial cleaners. Therefore, they are harmless for your pipes. You should use the bacterial drain cleaner at the time when the drain is not in use. That is why night time is best to let the bacteria work till morning using the CCTV drain survey.
4. Never Allow Grease in Your Drain
Grease is the biggest enemy of your drains. It is the worst thing that you can pour down your drain. When you pour down hot grease into the drain, it reaches the pipe and cools down, and solidifies causing a very tough clog. After that, whatever goes down the drain keeps on sticking with this hardened grease, making the clog bigger and tougher. The only solution is that you should never ever pour down grease or oil into the drain. You can place a jar near the sink in which you can pour the grease and dispose it of when it gets full.
5. Do not Allow Building Material into Your Drains
We know that cement and grout etc harden with time. Therefore, if these compounds go into your drains, then this means there will be a hard solid clog ready inside the pipes. Sand is another building material that has very good settling properties. It is heavy and settles down in the drains quickly resulting in clogs that are very difficult to remove. In order to prevent these types of tough clogs, prevent pouring such items into your drains.
6. Try a Pop-Up Stopper
A pop-up stopper is a magical device to catch items before they go down into your drains. They are like magnets for items like hair, dental floss, animal fur, or any foreign item that does not belong to your drain. The mechanism is very simple. Whenever you are doing such an activity that involves items that can go into the drains, you have to press the pop-up stopper downwards. The sink will be locked for every type of input including water. Everything will start gathering in the sink bowl. After finishing your task, you collect everything, dispose of it in the bin and then pull out the stopper in an upward direction to let the water flush out.
Final Words
Drain clogs though common can lead to bigger plumbing issues if not dealt with on time. Therefore, you should try the above-mentioned methods and tips in order to prevent clogs.
Sanju kmr