Some individuals don't give plumbing much thought until something breaks or a leak becomes apparent. Even though most of your home's plumbing fittings are located inside, the piping system is hidden behind walls and is not easily accessed.
While significant blockage difficulties may necessitate expert assistance, you can often handle the problem quickly and easily with only a few common household items.
Identification
You may have a clog if water drains slowly or does not flow from the toilet, bathtub, or sink. Clogs are common and may be identified if they occur. Clogs tend to get more severe over time; it is in your best interest to take care of the issue as soon as possible.
Before trying to clear a clog, it is important to determine what sort of blockage you are dealing with. When compared side-by-side, a clogged kitchen sink, which often comes equipped with trash disposal, and a clogged bathroom sink are quite different.
You may be able to handle the problem on your own if it is isolated to a single fixture, such as a sink, bathtub, toilet, or shower; you only need a few basic methods and tools for the job.
Reasons for Clogging
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Hair
Drains in the bathroom, laundry room, shower, and bathtub frequently become clogged due to human hair, animal fur, and floss.
The fact that it tangles with other particles like soap or oils and sticks to the insides of the drainpipe makes it more problematic. Hair is common in plumbing disasters, especially in bathrooms where tubs, showers, and sinks tend to get most clogged.
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Soap Residue
Over time, soap residue can build up in drains, mostly in the shower and laundry drains. This can cause the pipe's inside diameter to decrease, leading to sluggish drainage or even backups.
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Oil and Grease
Drains are particularly vulnerable to the destructive effects of fats, oil, and grease. To put it another way: when oils and grease cool and solidify in the drainpipes, it clogs them.
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Food Waste
Sinks in kitchens can become clogged due to food waste. Food scraps can still cause a clog in the pipes, even with garbage disposal. For example, coffee grounds and tea leaves don't break down and are problematic.
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Water Quality
Drains in areas with hard water may eventually become clogged due to the accumulation of mineral deposits. This can cause slowed absorption and extreme plumbing damage.
How do you fix clogged drains?
Ways to Prevent Clogging
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Lint Trap
Consider yourself lucky if your washing machine drain has never backed up. Things like lint, fabric scraps, face tissue, and even the rare sock can find their way down your washing machine drain line and clog up your drain.
Installing a lint trap on the end of the drain hose will prevent this debris from clogging your plumbing. Mesh lint traps for the washer's discharge line can be purchased at home improvement stores or hardware shops, or you can use old nylon stocking instead. Keep the lint trap in place with a zip tie. If the trap gets full, replace it immediately.
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Use of Bacteria
Most drains' clogs are caused by organic debris, including hair, grease, or food. To your relief, some bacteria can help decompose the organic waste that accumulates in your plumbing systems.
The bacteria will devour the organic debris and help keep the drains clear of buildup. Granular or liquid forms of drain-cleaning bacteria are commercially available.
Bacterial drain cleaning is safe for pipes since it is noncorrosive and does not kill the beneficial bacteria already in your septic system. It is important to read the package's directions and stick to them. It will help if you put in the bacteria when no one is using the drains, like soon before bed.
Drain and trap cleaners are sold at local hardware and home improvement stores. Depending on the frequency with which drains are cleaned, one package may last several months.
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Pop-Up Stopper
Hair, dental floss, and other grossness seem to gravitate toward the pop-up stopper in your bathroom sink. It's good since it prevents all that gunk from ending up in your sewers. But if you let the garbage pile up in there for too long, the drain can become clogged and refuse to drain at all.
As a result, water drains more slowly, which increases the likelihood of obstructions. If your bathroom sink is draining slowly, take out the stopper and give it a good cleaning.
They can be lifted by hooking them onto the pivot rod or just leaning on it. Unplug the nut on the rear of the tailpiece (behind the sink) and remove the pivot rod to remove the pop-up stopper if it is hooked (left photo).
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A Drain is Not a Waste Dump
It's easy to get in the habit of flushing any of your care items down the drain. After all, there's a sizable drain in the floor, and liquids flow smoothly down it. But flossing your teeth doesn't necessarily mean it will reach the city sewers. It could get stuck on something and cause a backup in your pipes.
Many of these products don't decompose easily, which places an unnecessary strain on the water treatment facility. They can also accumulate in drains and cause clogs. Therefore, you should not throw trash in the bathroom. Plus, it'll keep your pipes and sewers in better shape.
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Flush Your Drains
When it comes to maintaining clean pipes, low-flow toilets and faucets are a double-edged sword. The decreased water flow makes it more likely that junk will settle in your plumbing. You can solve this problem by regularly cleaning the pipes with a high volume of water.
Keep the large main drain line free, fill a five-gallon bucket with water and pour it into your toilet while flushing. In addition, run hot water down the drains of your bathtubs and sinks.
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Don't Flush Compounds
The chemical reaction that causes the setting-type joint compound to harden also occurs under water, so if any of it ends up in your drain, you may expect a rock-solid clog. Sand is another common construction material that clogs pipes and drains. Sand is dense and settles rapidly, making it difficult to dislodge from drains and traps.
To prevent these issues, you should never flush the setting compound, grout, mortar mix, or concrete down the toilet. Instead, collect the rinse water in a container and wait for the sediment to settle before using it again.
Our Final Thoughts
Your drains are not high maintenance, but they require some attention to keep running smoothly! You can do things to prevent your drain from clogging, but if you ever do find yourself in a pickle, Mesa Plumbing Company is here for you!