Common Places and Causes of Drain Clogs and How to Prevent Them
Your plumbing has to deal with a lot more than water. High-use areas see all manner of solids go swirling down the drain. Unfortunately, the pipes below the drain are much skinnier than the drain itself, so these solids can get stuck. Find out some of the most common places and causes of clogged drains and how to prevent them.
Kitchen Sink
The kitchen sink is one of the hardest-working areas of your home. To simplify food preparation and cleanup, many homeowners install a garbage disposal. The garbage disposal is a leading place of kitchen sink clogs because people put too much down the drain. Some items that you shouldn't send to the garbage disposal include:
- Banana peels and other fibrous products
- Pasta
- Potato peels
- Eggshells
- Coffee grounds
- Grease
Prevention : Firstly, keep the above types of items out of your garbage disposal. Truthfully, the appliance is only made to handle a few food remnants. Likewise, keep the water running for several seconds after running the disposal to fully flush the remnants away. Once a week, send a solution of vinegar and baking soda through the disposal to clean it.
Dishwasher
The dishwasher is another area that sees food remnants, such as ones stuck to your dirty dishes. Most modern dishwashers feature a small macerator, but it's not enough to handle large quantities of food remnants. Food will also get stuck in the filter or the drain at the bottom. When that happens, you'll find water at the bottom of the dishwasher basin.
Prevention : Before you put dishes into the washer, scrape big food remnants into the trash, and rinse the remainder down the sink — these are the remnants your disposal was manufactured to take care of. Additionally, check the drain and filter periodically to remove any lingering food remnants before the drain backs up.
Bathroom Sink
Bathroom sinks can drain just as slowly because of partial or full clogs. The main culprits here are soap scum, hair, styling products, and shaving foam. What's more, small objects such as Q-tips and jewelry often make their way into the opening to add to the clog.
Prevention : You'll need to add another cleaning step to your bathroom routine to prevent these clogs. Once a week, remove the stopper and look for a clump of gunk clinging to the bottom. You should remove this clump before it washes down and clogs the pipe. Always keep the stopper in the sink to prevent even more items from falling inside and causing a clog.
Shower
The shower faces many of the same issues as the bathroom sink. That said, you're even more likely to see hair clogs in the shower than anywhere else because this is where you wash your hair. The soapy or conditioned mess of hair can quickly catch in the drain grate, create a ball, and slide into the drain just to get stuck.
Prevention : Prevention of shower drain clogs starts with a drain protector. You can buy a stainless steel grate or a mesh with a rubber ring to hold it in place. The holes are much smaller than with a traditional shower grate, so it catches more hair. You should also clear out the drain protector regularly.
Toilet
The toilet is an area that you do not want clogged. Clogged toilets often overflow because of the water trying to flush the bowl's contents away. Instead, said contents will flood out onto your floor. Too much toilet paper is the cause of most clogs. Likewise, flushing feminine hygiene products, dental floss, diapers, and deceased pets is unwise because they'll sit in the waste pipe as a clog.
Prevention : As with the garbage disposal, the best prevention is to avoid flushing the wrong items down the toilet. Likewise, don't believe all the items labeled as flushable, such as wipes. Even if they do clear the toilet bowl drain, they can cause issues with septic tanks or sewage grinders. Finally, if you see the toilet flushing slowly, use a plunger to clear it out.
Prevent clogs in the high-use areas plumbing areas of your home. If you have experienced a clog or other drain issue, call Roto-Rooter Sewer-Drain Service .
