What is Plugging My Drains?
Clogged drains surely rate as one of the most annoying plumbing problems you can encounter. Because water refuses to drain sufficiently, you are left to struggle through all the slime and bad odours emanating from the sink, bath, or pipes. The reasons for drain clogs in the kitchen, bathroom, or toilet can be quite surprising or just the usual suspects. Knowing the likely and unlikely ones can help you fix the problem and avoid getting a drain cleaning service from a professional plumber.
Bathroom Drain Gunk
They may seem harmless, but dirt, hair, and skin flakes can block the drain pipes in your shower. When they accumulate and bind to soap scum that sticks to the walls of the pipes, they can result in a premium clog and impede water flow.
You can fix the flow by removing and cleaning the drain stopper. You can also use a plunger to unclog it, but if this doesn’t work, try removing the elbow joint in the piping and cleaning it out. It is hardly an uncommon problem, but a hair-straining drain cover can help prevent future clogs if not waylay them.
Toilet Blockage
Clogged toilets represent the nastiest of clogs one must address and for obvious reasons. Though your actions are usually to blame for toilet drain blockages, this plumbing problem is usually the last one you want to address yourself. Toilets get clogged when you flush stuff that doesn’t belong in its plumbing, such as feminine hygiene products, cotton-tipped swabs, pre-moistened diaper wipes, dental floss, and cat litter, among other stuff. Tissue paper dissolves up to a certain volume of it. If too much is discarded in a short amount of time, it can create a clog.
A properly flowing toilet can hinge merely on your mindset about toilets. Try to keep in mind that toilets aren’t garbage cans. Keep the stuff that can clog the pipes out of them. Cleaning it regularly can also minimize the number of times you are relegated to pinching your nose and reaching for a plunger.
Kitchen Sink Clog
Grease, coffee grounds, and eggshells are only some of the food particles that can clog your kitchen sink. The list is endless, so it’s best to avoid throwing any solids or grease into the kitchen sink. Use a separate garbage disposal or your compost pile for many of your leftovers. Otherwise, residuals from these can accumulate and cause a sink clog if they don’t actually damage the water pipes.
Avoid using liquid drain cleaners as well. While you think you can save money by using them instead of hiring a plumber, you stand to actually exacerbate the problem in the long run. These cleaners contain hydrochloric acid that can damage pipes and kitchen finishes such as enamel.
By doing a little preventative maintenance, your drains are more likely to be free of obstruction. Just a little blockage can get worse in no time, so make sure you monitor any signs of blockage. Once the water starts draining slowly, act on it immediately. You may also want to call a Saskatoon professional for a drain cleaning service to keep the water going where it is intended to go.
Sources:
4 Reasons Not To Use Liquid Drain Cleaners, Angieslist.com
Common Causes and Possible Fixes for Clogged Drains, Directenergy.com
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