Clogged drains are a real pain. They can interfere with your daily operations and can cause damage to your plumbing system and surrounding areas. Over time debris can build up and cause major drainage issues. The best way to prevent clogged drains is regular drain cleaning and watching what goes down the drain. Here are the most common causes of clogged drains.
Hair is an obvious culprit of clogged drains. Regardless if it’s the shower drain, sink drain or toilet for that matter; you should avoid putting hair down the drain at all costs! Sometimes avoiding hair going down the drain is tough, especially during shampooing when many strands get shed. As hair travels down the drain it can get caught. Once a clog starts it can quickly collect more hair and other debris and provide a barrier that prevents the proper flow of water. To prevent hair from going down the drain and causing clogged drains you should use a hair catching screen to prevent hair from going down the drain. Regular cleaning of your shower and sink drains is also recommended to keep things flowing.
Paper is another common cause of clogged drains. The only paper that should ever do down the drain is toilet paper. Toilet paper is designed to disintegrate in water, whereas other types of paper do not. Instead, other types of paper products like paper towels, baby wipes, baby diapers, and feminine hygiene products get caught and cause a major blockage. Commercial plumbing systems see a higher rate of improper disposal of paper products. To protect your plumbing system from clogged drains caused by paper post signs to remind your patrons and guests where to dispose of paper waste. Regular drain cleaning is also a good idea, especially if this is a reoccurring issue.
When it comes to preventing clogged drains, grease is a big no, no! If you think that because it’s liquid it is safe to pour down the drain, you are sadly mistaken. As grease cools off it solidifies, if it
solidifies in your drains, you could have a major plumbing problem on your hands. The longer solid grease sits in your drains, the more debris it collects, and the bigger the obstruction. To prevent clogged drains from grease, avoid pouring grease down the drain at all costs. In commercial establishments like restaurants, regular drain cleaning can really do a lot of good for preventing clogged drains.
Over time soap can also cause clogged drains. While it is designed to be used with water, soap can slowly coat the insides of your pipes, this restricts the flow of water and can cause drainage issues. Hard water can exacerbate this issue. Installing a water softener can help as well as regular drain cleaning.
Many people think that because it is called a garbage disposal you can treat it like a garbage disposal. This couldn’t be further from the truth. While a garbage disposal is designed to pulverize food particles so that they can travel easier through your pipes, you should avoid putting food particles down the garbage disposal. Food particles can jam the blades of your garbage disposal and cause a clogged drain. When it comes to what you put down the garbage disposal uses your better judgment. Large pieces of food and fibrous pieces of food like corn husks should always go in the trash. When using the garbage disposal always run water. Installing a screen over your drain can also help prevent unwanted food particles from going down the drain and causing clogs.
Clogged drains got you down? Call John Owens Services today!
Our philosophy is simple, we always want to maintain equipment to give it the longest life possible. Next, we want to focus on repairing when something goes wrong. Then only as the last choice, we replace equipment when needed. That’s the John Owens Way.
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