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10 Preventive Measures To Avoid Clogged and Blocked Drains

From brushing teeth, washing dishes to taking a shower, no day goes by without the use of household drains. There is no second opinion in saying that we are dependent on the drainage system; they are the opening to the whole plumbing system.

As much as we use them, we oversee their routine maintenance, intentionally or unintentionally. Drains at residential property go through a lot and eventually give in. And, we have to face the nightmare of clogged and blocked drainage systems.

A clogged drain is a significant inconvenience for a household. At iCare Plumbing, we understand the trouble a blocked drain brings. A great practice would be to avoid the problem from happening.

Here, We Present You Ten Preventive Measures To Avoid Clogged & Blocked Drains

1. Avoid Blockage In Mainline

In case, the sewer line gets constricted at your home, do not limit the work to just cleaning it. The plumbing agency can put a camera down the path to inspect the issue properly. Often, tree roots cause the mainline blockage. The roots pass through disintegrated pipes and permit the soil to pass to the front, causing an obstruction. Rather than, mending the sewer and spending money on cleaning it, having a proper inspection to find out the root cause will save you both time and money.

2. Use Bacterial Drain Cleaner

At home, organic matters like congealed fat, grease or hair clog the household drains. One of the preventive measures to avoid clogged and blocked drains are using a particular kind of bacteria which breaks down the material blocking your pipes. When you put the bacteria to the drainage, it starts eating the organic matter, and you are free of clogs. The drain cleaning bacteria is available in liquid and granular forms.

Do not worry about breaking your pipes because the bacterial cleaner does not cause corrosion. And, these bacteria shall not intervene with the septic system bacteria. Always follow the direction written on the package and give the cleaner some time to work; a night before would be a suitable time for it to function and start cleaning. You can find these cleaners in hardware stores and home centres.

3. Set Up A Lint Trap For Washing Machine

While the washing machine may seem harmless, it is often the culprit in blocking your drains. Pieces of tissues, fabric or even a tiny sock can get into the drain hose and create havoc.

To stop this issue from happening, install a lint catcher for the drain hose. These lint traps for your washing machine hose are available at hardware stores as well as home centres. Or, you could use a nylon stocking as it can serve the same purpose. Always replace the link trap where it gets packed.

4. Never Gush Grease Down The Drain

Throwing grease down your drain is asking to have a blockage. The oil you throw moves down the drain and freezes somewhere inside, it solidifies and forms an obstructive clog. When other materials move down, the congealed oil collects it too and develops a massive clog.

Always, collect the oil and grease instead of dumping it to the drain. Throw such organic matter in a garbage can. A sustainable approach would be to get a container and saving the used oil for reuse.

5. Do Not Let Hair Get In The Drain

One of the preventive measures to avoid clogged and blocked drains is to collect the soap and hair items and not letting them cause clogs in drainage. When these items reach the drain pipes, you will need a plumber’s snake to take hold of them. You can save yourself the trouble by catching them before they get in.

6. No Rinsing Grout Or Cement Down The Drain

Joint compound, grout and cement can form a hardened clog in your drain. Likewise, sand is another item that causes notorious blockades.

The only way to prevent this from happening is to never run mortar mix or joint compound through the home drain. What you may do is wait for the cement to solidify, throw out the rinse water and, dump the solid in a trash can.

7. Do Not Throw Anything In The Toilet

While it is very convenient to throw anything in the toilet, it can bring a lot of problems, especially for your drainage system. The material you put in the toilet could be stuck in the pipe and welcome a blockage.

It will be a nightmare if something that does not decompose gets stuck like a tampon or diaper. There will be a problem even in the water treatment facility.

Therefore, do not dump things in the toilet. This measure is among one of the ten preventive measures to avoid clogged and blocked drains.

8. Dump The Food Waste In Garbage Can

While running the organic food materials through the disposer makes you comfortable, you have the risk of clogging the drains. A better practice is to collect the waste and dump it in a garbage can. Instead of this, you can put it with the compost pile.

In many countries, people use organic waste to prepare compost. Do not add fat or meat to the pile because such items take longer time to break down.

9. Flush The Household Drains

One of the most straightforward measures to avoid clogged and blocked drains is flushing large volume of water down the drain. When you run a low amount of water, the debris does not go away. You shall see debris and sediments collect and cause constriction.

When you flush the pipelines with vast water flow, the main drain line becomes apparent. Note that spurting the sinks as well as bathtubs down the drain is helpful to clean the clogs.

10. Pop-Up Stopper In The Bathroom

A pop-up stopper helps you accumulate hair and gunk. You will be free of all the goo with this tool. Nevertheless, do not forget that if you forget to clean it, the sink drains slower. And, when the water moves slowly, there is a risk of having clogs down the drain.

Whenever, you see that the bathroom sink drains slower than usual, have a look at the pop-up stopper and rinse it. A stopper can clip into the pivot rod, or you can have it rest on it. When you fasten the stopper, you need to unfasten the nut residing on the tailpiece (Laying down the sink). And, the pivot rod gets out to free the pop-up. Another way is to put the rod without clipping it to the rod.

Conclusion

With these ten preventive measures to avoid clogged and blocked drains, you shall save time and money avoiding the drainage issues. Nevertheless, it is still possible that the household may face significant plumbing problems. If such a situation occurs, consult a plumber right away.

At iCare Plumbing, we cater to your plumbing needs instantly and offer you quality service at affordable rates. Call us right away.

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