This is a question we get often. What the heck could be doing so much work to clog your drain? It’s not like you go out of your way to put paper towels or hygiene products down there. Most of what goes down your drain is water, so what’s going on?
The problem with a drain clog is that it happens slowly over time. The combination of time and all the other materials that go down our drains with water leads to frustrating clogs. If you’re trying to prevent drain clogs from happening in the future, then you’re in the right place. Let us help you with that.
The first step in dealing with a drain clog is coming to us for drain cleaning in North Wales, PA. Then, as we’ll describe in this post, you can use tools and good practices to avoid clogging your drain again.
The “Usual Suspects” of a Drain Clog
Let’s talk about what commonly clogs a drain, and why knowledge is power in this situation. The more you know about these materials and what is good or bad for your drain, the less likely you are to flush them down and deal with them later!
Bathroom Drains
Bathroom drains are different from kitchen drains. We use different chemicals and materials in the bathroom, so you’ll likely be dealing with different types of clogs. Here are a few materials to avoid flushing down the drain:
- Hair clogs. Hair clumps can commonly be found in the bathroom. They’ll quickly clog up a drain in no time and they can be pesky to deal with. Try using a mesh screen or a paper towel to catch your hair while you’re shaving so you can throw it away later.
- Toothpaste and viscous materials. Toothpaste and certain creams are great for your body and can easily dissolve in water, but sometimes they’ll stick to the lining of your pipes or a small drain entrance. Use a drain snake every once in a while to clean out the buildup and ensure no viscous liquids are cloggings the drain.
- Paper towels and cotton swabs. These usually get flushed down the sink accidently, but they’re terrible for your drains. They’ll contribute to a drain clog and cause quickly other objects to get stuck. Make sure you throw them out!
Kitchen Drains
Here are a few materials to keep out of your kitchen drains:
- Food waste. For those who do a lot of cooking, you go through a lot of food waste. Bits of rice, nuts, and vegetable skins can easily fall into your kitchen sink drain. The problem is that without a garbage disposal, you’ll quickly see them clog up your drain. Try to stop them with a mesh screen.
- Fats, oils, and grease. Fats, oils, and grease, (or as some may call it, FOG) are bad for drains. They might seem like a liquid you can just flush down the drain, but they actually solidify in your pipe system as their temperature decreases. This means they’ll soon turn solid and clog up your drain.
Contact Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling to have your drain cleaned.