Householders guidebook to dealing with clogged drains
Householders guidebook to dealing with clogged drains
Blocked drains can be a real nuisance, as every householder knows. In case of a complete blockage, the bathtub, sink, shower and the toilet can get filled with waste water that you have used. At this moment, the root cause of the blockage must be cleared in spite of the flooded water and the chances are sleek that the house owner himself, with the help of household remedies, will be able to get rid of the blockage. And of course, a plumber fixing your clogged drain can cost you heavily. If the blockage is really stubborn, the plumber’s bill can be quite stressful. When most of your drains get choked up all the time, thoughts of preventive drain inspection will cross your mind.
How Do Clogged Drains Happen?.
Not paying proper attention is a primary reason for clogged drains. Kitchen sink drain clogs can take place when you don’t use the drain strainer to catch particles of food and rubbish from falling through the drain into the pipes. Accumulation of these particles can lead to drain clogs. In order to worsen the situation, fatty substances in food like oils or cooking grease can also accumulate in the pipes and develop a clog. Excessive flushing of large amounts of toilet paper can be responsible for clogging in the toilet.
One of the main reasons for a clogged toilet drain is flushing of unintended toilet items. Items such as baby wipes, paper towels, and sanitary napkins can singularly or over time cause a stoppage. Accumulation of hair in the pipes can lead to clogging of bathroom sinks, showers and bathtubs. The sticky residue of toothpaste, gels, soaps and shampoos continously builds up inside toilet drains.
It is unfortunately the case that clogs can be caused by problems completely unrelated to what is put into your drains. Problems can also occur due to tree roots and rusting of pipes.
In case of a clogged drain, here are few things that you can do.
Try using acids and other suitable chemical products to clear drain blockages. But these chemicals have harmful long term effects on your health, the environment, your fixtures and their drainage system. But the good news is that you can clear the blocked drains in a natural way too. One such method involves running boiling water through the drains on a regular basis. Using baking soda and vinegar is another method. The clogged drain should be treated with vinegar and then later baking soda should be sprinkled over it. Let the mixture sit in the drain for at least 15 minutes, then pour boiling water over it to rinse and hopefully wash the blockage away.
Proper examination and prevention is better than facing a blocked drain.
Your home plumbing system works similarly to any mechanical device, tool or motor vehicle. So it also requires regular maintenance. As you are most familiar with the behavior of your drains, be vigilant regarding what is going on with your drains and pipes and perform some of the examination yourself. Get the drains regularly checked by a professional plumber or drains contractor to avoid worries and expenditure on severe drain blockages. Get your drain lines snaked by a plumbing technician as a part of a preventive maintenance program at least once a year. If your pipes are particularly prone to becoming blocked or you experience frequent drain clogging, it might be advisable to have your drainpipes snaked on a more regular basis. The major drain connections should periodically be subjected to video inspections.
It is very important to have your drains inspected on a regular basis to prevent problems that can be not only expensive, but also very annoying.