When you don’t take precautions with the drains around your home, miscellaneous debris can rinse down along with water. Even things as small as pieces of hair and chunks of soap can cause problems for your drains.
It’s easy for buildup to happen slowly over time until you have a tough clog that needs to be addressed. When this happens, you need to schedule plumbing service in New Hope, PA. You can also keep reading to learn more about how installing mesh drain covers in your sinks and showers can help prevent plumbing issues.
Benefits of Mesh Drain Screens
Many times the drains in your home already have a protective cover. However, these permanent drain covers usually have fairly large holes that can allow debris to rinse down your drain. A mesh drain screen is something you place over these existing drain covers to capture even more particles.
Since the covers are made of a very fine wire mesh, they capture much more of the debris that would otherwise rinse down your sinks or tubs. Cleaning these mash drain covers is as easy as removing them, wiping away the debris, and then replacing the cover again. You might be surprised at what your mash drain cover captures that would otherwise be rinsing down your drain.
Risks of Open Drains
In your bathrooms you have to worry about hair and pieces of soap going down the drain. In the kitchen you have to worry about scraps of food. Many homeowners think that if particles will fit through the drain grates, they won’t hurt plumbing fixtures. But this is not true. All it takes is a few small particles of debris to stick to the side of a pipe and begin forming a clog. A few pieces of sticky soap, hair or food can quickly attract other debris until your pipe is completely blocked.
And of course when your pipes are blocked and water cannot flow freely, you have a clog. Clogs are not just a nuisance, they can actually have a negative impact on your plumbing and your health. When clogs form, they begin to foster bacteria and mold growth that can deteriorate the lining of your pipes. As water backs up into your sinks as a result of the clog, these bacteria and mold spores can enter your sink and spread into the air you breathe. You may be more likely to get sick if you have a serious drain clog.
Reasons to Skip Chemical Drain Cleaners
Many homeowners think that over-the-counter drain cleaning chemicals are a great solution for breaking down tough clogs. However, these chemicals do more harm than good. They are abrasive enough to break down tough clogs, so they also damage your plumbing in the process. Using drain cleaners often can result in your pipes wearing down faster and needing to be replaced.
Ironically, drain cleaning chemicals can also leave behind a residue that can attract debris and contribute to future clogs. If you want to break down a tough clog on your own, we encourage you to instead purchase a snake tool to break down clogs. If clogs are too deep in your system and you cannot reach them or your efforts don’t work, you can always give our team a call. We have a variety of tools that we can use to break down even the toughest clogs safely without harm to your plumbing system.
Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling does what’s right for our customers. Schedule an appointment today for all your plumbing needs.