Knowing the best methods of drain maintenance can keep you from experiencing a clogged pipe.
Our home drains undergo a lot of wear and tear from daily use. Whether it’s food waste, human waste, or toothpaste, we send a wide variety of things down our drains. Unfortunately, you might be sending things down your drains that you shouldn’t. This can lead to a serious clog that only a professional plumber will be able to handle. Follow some simple drain maintenance tips to keep your drains from experiencing an emergency clog.
Be Careful With Your Sink Disposal
Sink disposals are very convenient for getting rid of food waste, but it’s important to know what isn’t safe to send down your disposal drain. Food castoffs such as used coffee grounds, eggshells, and potato peels should never be sent down your disposal. Fats, oils, and grease (F.O.G.) should also never go down your pipes. All of these items are clog risks, so dump them in the trash can.
Watch What You Flush
Toilet pipes have a lot of curves and are highly sensitive, so it’s important to avoid flushing things you shouldn’t. One of the worst offenders is flushable wipes. These wipes don’t actually break down as toilet paper does, so they have a habit of constantly causing clogged toilet drains. If you absolutely must use these, they should be tossed into the garbage. Another common contributor is tampons. Tampons absorb liquid which causes them to expand, making them very dangerous when being flushed down a toilet. Other things to avoid flushing are cat litter and paper towels, along with any other paper products that are not toilet paper.
Use Drain Strainers
Drain strainers for your kitchen sinks and shower drains are amazing and inexpensive tools to keep solid waste out of your pipes. These are used to catch any solid waste that is too big to fit through the strainer holes, which can be left to dry out and then thrown away in the garbage bin. Shower drains will benefit from specialized strainers that trap hair, which is one of the biggest factors for a clog.
Professional Maintenance
Annual plumbing maintenance is one of the most effective maintenance tips you can employ. It might seem like overkill, but plumbing emergencies are expensive and inconvenient for everyone involved. Avoid a serious problem by having yearly maintenance performed so you can always be confident that your pipes are clean and clog-free.
Call Mahon Plumbing Today
If you still have more questions regarding your plumbing, we here at Mahon Plumbing are here to help. We have been serving the wider Baltimore area since 1994, so we have 25 years of experience to back up our fantastic service! Call us at our Baltimore location at 410-766-8566 or our Pasadena location at 410-636-7944. Be sure to keep up with us on social media by following us on Facebook or Twitter.