How to Avoid Clogged Drains

Having a clogged drain is a pain and can lead to wastewater coming into your home and lead to you not being able to use your sinks, showers, or toilet. Thankfully, there are many ways that you can avoid having a clogged drain.

Ways to Prevent Having Clogged Drains

Here are several different things that you can do to avoid a clogged drain.

Lint catcher

Installing a lint catcher on your washing machine hose can help you to avoid getting a clogged washing machine drain. When you wash clothes, pieces of fabric, lint, and other debris can quickly clog the drain. This lint trap is put on the end of the drain hose and will keep this debris from entering the drain line.

Use bacteria

Use bacteria drain cleaners to get rid of organic matter that may clog your drains. If you notice the drain getting slow, you will immediately want to reach for this drain cleaning bacteria.

Never dump grease

You should never dump grease down your drain line. Once the grease cools down, it will harden and form a clog. This can lead to a very expensive repair bill.

Catch hair before it goes down the drain

Hair and soap can cause a nasty clog that can be hard to get out. Use a mesh screen or hair catcher in each of your drains to ensure that hair does not cause any clogging issues.

Never put food down the drain

Never allow any food to go down your drains. Food that goes down the drain can clog the pipes. Consider starting a compost pile for all your food scraps.

Toilet paper

When you flush your toilet, the only thing that you should be flushing down is toilet paper and waste. Never put sanitary napkins or anything else down the drain. You will also want to check your toilet paper to ensure that it is septic tank safe. If not, you may want to consider using a trash can for your toilet paper. After a while, the toilet paper can create a tremendous clog.

Replacing drains when necessary

If you live in an older house and you know the drains were made with cast iron piping, you should consider replacing them. Cast iron piping will break down over time, and when this happens, it can create clogs and backups.

Do not use chemical drain cleaners

When you see your drain getting slow, you may want to use a chemical drain cleaner. While chemical drain cleaners can remove a clog, the reaction that happens can also damage your pipes.

Plumbing maintenance

Getting routine plumbing maintenance like getting your septic system cleaned can help you to ensure that there is nothing wrong with your drain pipes. A plumber can come out and inspect all your plumbing to ensure everything is in good shape. They can also offer drain cleaning services in Chantilly that will help to clean out your pipes.

Hiring A Good Plumber

In addition to doing all the tips above, you will want to have a good plumber on standby. You can do all the things above and can still get a clog. While minor clogs you can get out yourself, there are some bigger clogs that will require a professional. If you try to remove a clog yourself, you may end up damaging the pipes or even making the clog worse.

Doing all that you can to prevent your pipes from being clogged is imperative. If you do notice that your drains are getting slow or notice that they are clogged, call out a professional plumber so that they can help you to remove the clog and restore the functionality of your drain system.