The Common Clogs and How to Avoid Needing Drain Cleaning

May 3
08:56

2012

Antoinette Ayana

Antoinette Ayana

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Drain cleaning can be a good thing for your household plumbing, but it isn't cheap to have it done professionally. Here are some of the most common clogs and how to avoid them.

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Drain cleaning can be a good thing for your household plumbing,The Common Clogs and How to Avoid Needing Drain Cleaning Articles but it isn't cheap to have it done professionally. While it may be something you want to schedule in to your home's maintenance needs, it isn't something you want to be up against in an emergency. Having said that, millions of homeowners have found themselves in just such a position at one time or another. 99% of the time, these clogs could have been avoided by following some simple rules about what should go down the pipes and what shouldn't. Stick to those rules, and you shouldn't experience any trouble. Here are some of the most common clogs.

Hair

More than anything else, hair is the primary culprit behind most household clogs, especially as it pertains to the bathroom pipes. It's only natural, of course. Shaving, grooming, even shampooing can cause you to lose quite a lot of hair over a short period of time. If you have people with long hair in your family, the chances of facing a clog in the near future grow ever more likely. While having everyone in the family shave their heads is a drastic measure to take, there are some simple steps you can take to avoid needing professional drain cleaning. Install some special filters or strainers and catch the hair rather than letting it flow into the pipes.

Cooking Oil

Pour a bottle full of vegetable oil down the kitchen sink and you probably won't run into any problems. Pour that same amount down the hole after you've cooked with it and it may be the last thing that goes down without a fight. When it comes to the kitchen sink, no substance creates as much need for drain cleaning as used cooking oil. Once it cools after cooking, it hardens into a white, sticky mess that clings to the side of your pipes. It doesn't take many times of doing this before you're facing a real problem with water flow. Instead of pouring it down the sink, pour it into a sealable bottle or can and throw it out with the trash.

Paper Products

Toilet paper is very light and practically disintegrates when put through the plumbing system. Paper towels, tampons, and feminine napkins are not the same and should never be flushed down the toilet. It is another of the most common reasons for a clog and it is why nearly all drain cleaning specialists advise finding something else to do with these paper products.