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Clogged and blocked drains are some of the main issues with plumbing that are faced by homeowners. While there are plenty of DIY situations that you can use to get rid of small clogs in the drains in your home, some problems are going to require the assistance of a plumber, and this can get costly. Blockages and clogs in your drains might often start off as a minor issue but will turn into a much larger problem if you don't act immediately. Clogged drains can lead to several massive problems in your home including flooding, slow water drainage, sewage backup, corrosion and more. The good news is that there are several things that you can do to keep your drains clog-free. Preventing drain blockages doesn't require you to spend a huge amount of money; all you need to do is get familiar with the common causes of clogs and the best ways to deal with them.
Common Causes of Clogged Drains
Clogs and blockages in drains can be caused by several different reasons. Some of the most common include hair, oil and grease, soap, dirt, toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, food substances, and tree roots in outdoor trains. Knowing what is likely to clog your drains up over time gives you a better idea of how clogged they might be and allows you to keep on top of preventing blockages. Here are some of the best ways to make sure that you don't end up dealing with serious drain blockage problems in your home.
Inspect Regularly
Since most of your home's plumbing is located under the ground or in the walls where they are out of sight, it's often hard to tell if there's a blockage forming until your water begins draining slowly or failing to drain. A camera inspection of your drains can be performed to find out if there are any objects that are starting to block the water from flowing efficiently and determine the risk of any bigger issues. In addition, this type of inspection can also help you keep your drains and pipes in good condition by checking for any cracks or breaks in the pipes.
Where a camera inspection reveals more than surface debris, professional cleaning methods can stop a small problem turning into a repeat nuisance. Technicians often combine targeted drain snaking with high-pressure hydro-jetting to remove hair, grease and mineral build-up, then use video confirmation to ensure the line is clear. If DIY steps haven't helped, searching for trusted local options like drain cleaning near me can help you compare approaches and guarantees. Choosing a service that pairs diagnostics with modern cleaning methods usually gives the longest-lasting results.
Treat Hard Water
If you live in a hard water area, treatments might be necessary to prevent drain clogs. Hard water consists of minerals like magnesium and calcium, and this can lead to blockages in your drainage system over time, by forming a white substance that can reduce the gap that wastewater uses to pass through. In addition, these minerals may react with soap, generating soap scum that will harden as it travels through the pipes and down the drain. A water softener to treat the water before use can help you avoid these problems.
Catch Hair
If you have long hair, it's inevitable that you are going to shed some of it when you wash your hair. However, this can be one of the biggest causes of a blocked drain in the shower or bathtub. If you are finding yourself regularly dealing with a blocked bathroom drain, a hair catching tool like the TubShroom can be an ideal investment. While you can find chemical solutions to unblock your drain easily, these can sometimes take a few hours to be effective and will prevent you from using your bathroom in the meantime. This drain protector from The Shroom Company fits snugly inside your drain, where it catches any hair to prevent it from causing a blockage. It's very easy to maintain and clean and will allow water to drain away as normal while protecting your drains from clogs. The Shroom Company sells drain protectors for tubs, shower stalls, bathroom sinks and kitchen sinks so you could have one for all your drains.
Avoid Pouring Food Down the Sink
Oil and food substances are some of the most common causes of drain blockages in your kitchen. When food substances build up in your sink drain and pipes, they will get in the way of efficient water drainage. The best way to prevent this is to have a garbage disposal system installed or have a designated container that you can use to throw leftover food waste in. Oil and grease should also be prevented from reaching the drains since these will flow down the drain until it cools down, at which point it can form clogs due to the substances that it will collect on the way.
Be Careful What You Flush
The toilet is usually the most used fixture in the home and it's definitely essential. However, many people don't realize just what can cause toilet drains to become clogged, such as cleaning wipes or feminine hygiene products. Although you can usually avoid a clogged toilet by making sure that only toilet paper is flushed down it, it can sometimes be difficult to avoid things like dirt or even kids' toys being accidentally flushed down the toilet in your household. A lid lock can be installed on your toilet to restrict unflushable objects from finding their way into it. Make sure that you have a lined trash can in easy reach in your bathroom so that you can easily use it for items like cleaning wipes or feminine hygiene products.
Regular Cleaning
Many people don't really give a lot of thought to regular drain cleaning until they find themselves in a situation where a drain has become blocked and is causing problems. Minor plumbing issues can be inconvenient to fix, and if the clog has been left to get bigger over time, it can lead to further big issues with the plumbing in your home. Since clogs can occur due to several different things, some of which might be unavoidable like washing your hair, it's important to regularly clean your drains so that any small blockages that are forming are prevented from getting any larger. Regular drain cleaning will prevent any small blockages from attracting other substances which can lead to a much bigger issue. You can find DIY drain cleaning products that you can easily use yourself or hire the services of a professional for cleaning your drains thoroughly.
Install Grate Drains
Finally, your outdoor drain should also be checked regularly and cleaned to ensure that blockages from the smaller pipes inside the home are not being pushed through and gathering in the outdoor drain where they can become a larger problem. In addition, your outdoor drain is more likely to attract things like leaves and debris, which can quickly form large clogs if they are allowed to collect in the drain. A grate drain should be installed over your outdoor drain to prevent anything except water and other liquids from entering and flowing down it. This will mean that any objects that could potentially block the drain will instead collect on top of the grate drain where you can easily clean them away.
Drain blockages are often simple to fix, but since they often go unnoticed until they're causing problems with drainage in your home, they can easily become much larger problems without you realising it. To avoid plumbing issues and the inconvenience of blocked drains in your home, consider these strategies for avoiding clogs and keeping your drainage system working effectively.
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