A clogged drain is an issue almost all of us have to deal with on occasion. Some clogs aren’t all that serious and are something you can often easily deal with just a plunger. If you have a more major clog, you’ll usually need to pay a plumber to fix the issue. In severe cases, a clog can also cause major damage to your home’s plumbing or sewer line. That’s why it’s important that you know what issues often contribute to clogs so that you can protect your plumbing and ensure you can always use it as needed.
Fat, Oil, Grease and Food Scraps
The drains in a kitchen are more likely to clog than all of the other drains in the house since there is a higher chance of solids like food scraps ending up going down the drain. The other major issue is that some people pour grease, oil and other fats down their kitchen sink, which then end up coagulating inside of the drain and drain pipe as well as the home’s main sewer line. The buildup of grease then forms a sticky coating that can end up trapping food scraps and other solids, leading to the drain getting completely clogged up.
Some people will try to prevent grease and fat from solidifying and sticking inside pipes by running hot water so that everything gets flushed away. While hot water can prevent grease and fat from collecting in the drain itself, everything will still cool off and start coagulating before it flows out of the sewer line into the municipal sewer system.
The issue with washing food scraps down the drain is that they’ll often get stuck in the bend in the P-trap underneath the drain. That means you can quickly end up with buildup in the P-trap that partially or completely clogs it. This is something you can easily prevent by scraping your dishes off into the garbage before rinsing them and making sure to always use a sink strainer when washing or rinsing your dishes.
Not Using Your Garbage Disposal Properly
Garbage disposals can be useful, but they can also create many more issues than they solve if not used properly. Despite the name, a garbage disposal isn’t designed to be used like a garbage can. Instead, the main purpose is to pulverize any food scraps that get washed down the drain to reduce the chances of them getting stuck in the P-trap and causing a clog. You can use a garbage disposal to cut back a bit on the amount of garbage your home produces such as by tossing certain types of food scraps into it when prepping your meals. However, it’s important to first cut up the scraps into fairly small pieces and only put a few pieces into the disposal at a time so that you don’t overload it.
You also need to make sure everyone in your household knows what types of things you can and can’t put into your garbage disposal. Most types of fruits and vegetables are safe to put into a garbage disposal. The exceptions are anything starchy like potatoes and potato peels or anything fibrous like celery or squash. Starchy items in general such as pasta and grains should always go into the trash since they can absorb lots of water and end up creating a thick, sticky paste when ground up that can easily cause a clog. Meat should also never go into garbage disposals since it can be fibrous enough that it can get stuck and jam up the disposal. Other things to avoid are coffee grounds, egg shells, onion peels and skins, seeds, nuts and anything overly hard like bones and fruit pits or stones.
Hair
Hair is generally the biggest contributor to shower and bathroom sink clogs. Trying to occasionally fish any hair out of your bathroom drains can help to prevent clogs. Nonetheless, a much more effective option is to use shower and sink strainers to catch all of the hair so it can’t go down the drain. Many men just plug up the sink when shaving, which can make it difficult for sink strainers to do their job depending on the type of drain is there. An alternate option to protect your drain is to use a mug or container of water to rinse off your razor instead of rinsing it in the sink. Once you’re done, you then want to pour the water down the toilet. When trimming your facial hair, find ways to catch the hair before it goes into the drain, such as spreading a towel out or trimming onto the floor to sweep up afterward. They even make vacuum trimmers that are specially designed to keep hair out of your bathroom drain to reduce the chances of it getting clogged.
Biofilm Accumulation
Biofilm is the term used for the thick layer of slime that can build up inside drains over time. The slime consists of bacteria that grow inside drains and feed on any organic materials that go down the drain. This includes not only grease and food scraps but also things like hair and even soap. If you don’t occasionally try and clean your drains, so much biofilm can build up that it starts to prevent water from draining properly. You’ll also often end up with food scraps, hair and other solid items getting stuck in the biofilm to where the drain gets completely clogged.
One fairly effective option for eliminating biofilm and cleaning your drains is to just occasionally pour vinegar and baking soda down the drain. If you let the mixture sit and continually foam for 15 minutes or so, it will help to loosen up the biofilm so that you can then flush all of the slime away by running the water for a few minutes. There are also enzymatic drain treatments that are specifically designed to kill bacteria and are quite effective at keeping drains clean. What you shouldn’t do is pour bleach down your drains or ever use any type of drain cleaner since either one has the potential to damage your drains and lead to them leaking. Lye-based alkaline drain cleaners are especially problematic since they create heat when they come into contact with water. While the heat is effective at melting away anything in the drain, it can also damage your plumbing by causing PVC pipes to warp.
Flushing Things Other Than Waste and Toilet Paper
Toilet clogs are also an extremely common plumbing issue. You can easily clog a toilet just by using too much toilet paper, in which case you can usually quickly unclog it with a plunger. The bigger issue is if you routinely flush anything other than toilet paper, such as wet wipes, cotton pads, paper towels and tissues, feminine hygiene products, condoms, cat litter, and so on. Toilet paper essentially disintegrates when flushed, but most other things remain solid and can easily get stuck and cause a clog. This is true even of so-called “flushable wipes.” Despite being marketed as flushable, they generally aren’t, as they don’t break down and will often get stuck somewhere in your drain pipes or sewer line. Over time, this can lead to a massive clog that essentially renders your toilet or even your entire plumbing system unusable until you can get a plumber out to clear the it.
If you’re facing a major clog or dealing with any other plumbing issues in your home, you can always count on the team at Anderson Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric for help. We’ve been offering top-notch plumbing, drain cleaning and sewer services in Mentor and the Greater Cleveland Metro area since 1982 and are ready to handle all of your HVAC and electrical service needs as well. To schedule an appointment for any home service, contact us today.
