Drain Maintenance Dos And Don’ts Every Homeowner Should Know About
Cleaning out your drain may seem like a simple idea at first. Well, it can be if you know what you’re doing. Working blindly without knowing how drains work or what it’s common issues are could just lead to more problems. Make sure you maintain your drains properly by considering these dos and don’ts about drain cleaning as advised by expert plumbers.
Do: Try Flushing with Hot Water
One of the most common causes of clogged drains is the buildup of grease and gunk on your pipes. Clogs can be formed with a variety of materials, like hair, food waste, solidified grease, and other objects. Over time, this blockage gets bigger and bigger until your water supply just can’t seem to flow right through it. When this happens, pouring boiling hot water down a clogged drain can help weak and break down the caked-on grease and gunk, releasing any clogs that may have formed.
Don’t: Use Store-Bought Drain Cleaner
One natural solution to clogs that most people do is to use store-bought drain cleaners. While they can be pretty effective at doing their job, they can also damage your pipes. Avoid using these drain cleaners on a regular basis as the chemical components of those cleaners are strong enough to break down your pipes. This could cause leaks and other costly problems on your drain pipes.
Do: Install a Drain Filter
Drain filters are great for preventing future clogs and headaches down the road. They don’t actually help remove any existing clogs, but they do make sure it doesn’t happen in the future. For kitchen sinks, bathroom sinks, and shower and tub drains can all benefit from having a filter of their own. Filters usually sit at the top of the drain and let water fall through its tiny holes while catching any stray hairs, food waste, and other objects.
Don’t: Snaking Your Drains Yourself
A drain snake is typically a tool used to fish out and break down any clog-induced blockages. These are usually made from flexible steel cables that can be fed through your drain to clear or pull out food, hair, and other debris. The downside to snaking your own drains is the risk of snapping your drain snake when it gets caught inside the pipe. When this happens, tiny slivers of steel in the pipe can cause significant damage to it or, worse, cause personal injury to your family.
Do: Have it Professionally Cleaned
Of course, no matter how hard you try to clean and maintain your drain, nothing beats having a professional take a look at your drains. A professional plumber from Clearlake, CA, will be able to use specialist tools that can easily and safely remove any debris that may be causing a blockage. Plumbing services are relatively inexpensive and can provide all the necessary services to help solve all your plumbing problems in a jiffy. Professional plumbers also use a sewer jet tool equipped with a high-pressure hose fixed with a jetting nozzle that can easily reach underground. This is used to funnel the water through and clear out your sewer lines.
Conclusion
A clogged or blocked drain can be a major inconvenience to anyone. They also have the potential to damage your plumbing system, which could lead to costly repairs. Make sure you follow these steps to prevent that from happening.
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing has a team of plumbers in Clearlake, CA, capable of providing quality plumbing and excellent customer service to our clients. We make sure to do the job right and on time, all the time. If you’re looking for licensed, bonded, and insured plumbers in Clearlake, CA, feel free to call us. Contact us today for drain cleaning services!
