How to Keep Your Drains Clog-Free

December 1st, 2017 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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Drain clogs are the most common problem in plumbing. The substances that go down the drain do not always make it through the piping, getting caught inside. Clogs are usually an accumulation of debris that congeals and creates a blockage. Hair, soap, grease and food debris are common clogging factors. To avoid the cost of professional drain cleaning, there are a few preventive measures you can take. Here are some tips.

Use Liquid Soap

Many people prefer bar soap, but it can lead to problems in your plumbing. Bar soap is made from fats that turn into a solid. The small pieces of soap and even the foam can build up in your plumbing, attracting hair and other debris to form a clog. Liquid soap is less likely to create a clog, since it will not revert to a solid.

Add Drain Catchers

Keep hair, soap pieces and other small items out of your drains with a drain catcher. These are especially needed in your bathroom drains. Hair is the biggest issue in these drains, both human and pet hair. Make sure to keep a drain catcher in your tub, shower and bathroom sink to prevent hair and other debris from going down into your pipes.

Do Not Over Use Your Garage Disposal

Garbage disposals can breakdown food and keep smelly items out of your garbage. However, overusing your disposal can lead to drain clogs. Garbage disposals are not meant to grind up all foods. Keep tough peelings from produce out of your disposal. Also, avoid egg shells, coffee grounds and fats from foods, all which can create drain clogs.

Making an effort to keep clogging elements out of your drains can prevent many drain problems. However, when a clog does occur, make sure to have it completely removed by a professional plumber to keep your drains flowing.

Posted on behalf of:
Kiddco Plumbing, Inc.
106-M Oakgrove Road
Sterling, VA 20166
(703) 435-4441

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Do You Have a Clogged Drain in Your Future?

August 2nd, 2017 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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It is easy to take your kitchen sink drain for granted, rinsing food debris down the pipes. Grease from pans, coffee grounds from the bottom of your pot and all types of food morsels can end up going down into your pipes. While one rinsing session will not usually clog a drain, over time all those food particles can accumulate in your plumbing. If you have bad kitchen sink habits, a clogged drain could be in your future.

Many people think their garbage disposal will save them from plumbing clogs. Unfortunately, having a garbage disposal can foster bad habits and lead to even more plumbing problems. Just because this device will chop food into smaller pieces doesn’t mean you can put anything down your kitchen sink drain. When those chunks of food encounter grease or fat pockets in your pipes, a major clog can happen.

Preventing Kitchen Drain Problems

To prevent a clogged kitchen drain, start changing your habits. Start by not rinsing food residue down the drain. Scrape plates and pans into the garage or compost bin. Wipe grease and fats away with a paper towel. This will eliminate a large amount of fat that ends up coating the interior of your plumbing pipes.

When it comes to the garbage disposal, remember that not all food is meant to go through the grinder into your drain. Keep fibrous fruit and vegetable peels out of the disposal. Never put egg shells, coffee grounds or bones down the sink drain – these are too hard to dissolve and can get caught in your pipes.

By practicing good kitchen habits, you can avoid many clogs that could have plagued you in the future. If a clog does happen, call in your local plumber to clear your pipes and plan on better habits going forward.

Posted on behalf of:
Metro Septic LLC
1210 N Tennessee St
Cartersville, GA 30120
(404) 973-2471

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Preventing Bathroom Drain Clogs

August 30th, 2014 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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Bathroom drains seem to be the most prone to clogs, from the toilet to the shower. Bathrooms are one of the most used rooms in any house, which means that plumbing fixtures get their fair share of use, too. While some clogged drains cannot be prevented, there are ways to reduce the chance of encountering a clogged drain in your bathroom.

Bathroom Sink

From sticky toothpaste and shaving cream to the leftover hair trimmings after a shave, the bathroom sink is often the most common victim when it comes to a bathroom drain clog. Having a drain cover which can catch any longer hairs and debris is one way to reduce the amount of clogs. Since even stubble is still hair, it can gum up your drains. Try shaving over a container and throwing away this hair instead of washing it down the drain every day.

Toilets

A clogged toilet is something that no one wants to deal with, especially if it overflows. While some clogs cannot be prevented, there are items that do not need to be flushed. Excess toilet paper and feminine hygiene items can clog up a toilet on their own, or make an existing situation worse. Try throwing away any items which do not need to be flushed, or flushing twice for larger tasks.

Shower

The main culprit behind clogs in the shower or bathtub drain is hair. Each person loses about 100 hairs a day, many of them in the shower. Hair combined with oils, grease, soap and other products can easily clog up drains. The best way to prevent these common clogs is to use a properly fitted drain cover to catch the hair, then physically remove it after each use.

Even with prevention methods, bathroom clogs can and will occur. When you have a tough clog, call your local plumber to get it completely removed by a professional.

Posted on behalf of Seagraves Plumbing Septic and Sewer

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Why Is Your Tub Draining Slow?

October 10th, 2013 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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Whether you’re standing in a few inches of water during your morning shower or waiting forever for a full tub to drain, slow draining tubs are a major inconvenience. Sluggish drainage can usually be traced back to one of a few common causes, most of which are easily corrected by an experienced plumber.

The most common cause of slow-moving drains in a bathtub is simple clogged drain pipe. Oils and hair can clump together, effectively reducing the amount of water that can move through the drain. Keep in mind that the average person loses about one hundred hairs per day. In a household consisting of just two people, that equates to thousands of shed hairs over the course of a month.  Mineral deposits from hard water can also build up over time, rendering the drain impassable.

Pay attention to the drains in other plumbing fixtures before fixating on a slow bathtub drain. If sinks and other fixtures drain sluggishly, it may be time to consider the vent system. Blockages in a house drain vent system can create slow draining situations all over the house.

Dumping a bottle of corrosive chemicals purchased at the local home supply chain may lead to a temporary improvement when slow drains are caused by blockages and clogs. However, caustic chemicals can also be damaging to the pipes themselves and to the environment.

Whether you suspect that your slow drain is the result of blockage or vent issues, it’s always best to call in an experienced plumber to clear clogged drains. A licensed plumber will be able to get to the root of a slow moving drain, correcting the problem without inadvertently causing larger ones in the process.

Posted on behalf of Chuck Seagraves, Seagraves Plumbing

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Drain Clog Getting You Down?

August 1st, 2013 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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Nothing can stop up business in the kitchen quicker than a clogged drain. Normally, if there is only one fixture clogged, your first choice would be a typical drain cleaner that can remove obstacles that tend to accumulate close to the drain opening (like hair and grease).

Most common drain cleaners you could use would be a chemical drain cleaner readily available at most retail stores, a plunger, a handheld auger or air burst drain cleaners.  However, you can damage your drain pipes if you are not careful and you may be better off calling a plumber to remove the clog.  Caustic chemicals can harm the inside of your pipes and can splash on you, causing burns on exposed skin.  Augers can get stuck in a clogged drain making matters worse and air burst drain cleaners can cause weak pipe joints to separate.

If more than one drain is slow or clogged, it is possible that you’re experiencing a clog in your main sewer line connecting the building to your city’s sewer system or to you septic system. Repairing these types of clogs is best left to a plumbing professional.  Your plumber is equipped with professional drain cleaning equipment such as heavy duty sewer snakes or high pressure hydro-jetting equipment that can clear tough sewer line clogs.   He can also use a high-tech video camera to inspect the inside of the sewer line to determine the cause of the clog.

As you can see, there are several methods to address the drain clog, and all have their own advantages and disadvantages. Should the problem persist or become repetitious, contact your local plumbing professional for an inspection of the building’s plumbing system.

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