Preventing Drain Blockage 101

Drains always appear to clog at the worst possible time, like when you’ve got a houseful of overnight guests or a huge party. And as you may not have the ability to stop every drain clog, there are steps you can take to prevent most clogs and nasty backups. Here are ten suggestions that will assist you to keep your drains running freely.

Do Not Wait for a Mainline Blockage

For those who have a clogged sewer line each couple of years, do not just keep getting it cleaned. Most sewer service businesses will extend’ the line to determine what’s causing the issue.

The recurring issue might be tree roots in drains, penetrating through clay tile joints, a partly collapsed pipe or perhaps rotted-out cast iron which allows the soil to fall in the line and create a blockage. It’s well worth paying to figure out the reason and get it repaired rather than hassling with regular sewer backups and sewer-cleaning bills.

Put Bacteria to Work

When it’s hair, grease or food, some organic matter causes most drain clogs. Luckily, there’s a sort of bacteria that break down organic matter in your drains. Insert the germs to your blocked drain, and it’ll consume organic matter which helps prevent clogs. You can purchase drain-cleaning bacteria in granular or liquid form.

Collect Grease — Don’t Dump It

Among the worst things you can pour down your drain is grease. Warm grease runs down your drain until it warms from the pipe, where it solidifies to begin forming a clog. Then other stuff gets stuck in it, and before you know it you have a significant clog.

The ideal solution is to avoid massaging any oil or grease down your drain. Just keep a jar handy to collect the dirt, and throw it in the trash once it gets full. Or, if you are one who likes to cook with leftover bacon grease, you can purchase a container that’s intended to save the dirt for reuse. Already poured oil down the drain?

Grab Hair Before it Reaches the Drain

Hair and soap combine on your bathtub or shower drain to make clogs which might wind up needing a drain snake to eliminate. However, you can avoid that job by grabbing the hair until it reaches the drain.

A variety of sizes of mesh screens are available for this purpose. Another choice is to replace the stopper assembly with one which contains a built-in screen. One pick is the DrainEASY Bathtub Stopper. It’s intended to replace stopper assemblies that screw into the drain.

Pop-Up Stopper

The pop-up stopper in your bathroom sink is a magnet for hair, dental floss and other yucky stuff. And it is probably a good thing as it keeps all of that from your drains. But allowing this waste to build up for too long may cause the sink to drain slower and slower and not empty whatsoever. And since the water flow down the drain can be slowed, clogs from the drain lines can form more readily.

When you see that your bathroom sink is draining slowly, remove the stopper and wash it. Most pop-ups can be set up two ways. They can be hooked to the pivot rod that lifts them rest on it. If your pop-up stopper is hooked in, you will need to unscrew the nut on the rear of the tailpiece (under the sink) and pull the pivot rod to release the pop-up (left photograph ). When you reassemble it, try reinstalling the pole without running it through the hole at the pop-up stopper. Then drop the stopper to the drain hole. Typically, it is going to work fine this way, and you will have the ability to eliminate the pop-up stopper for cleaning without removing the rod.

Flush Your Drains

Low-flow toilets and taps are amazing for conserving water but not so great for maintaining drains clear. The lower quantity of water often does not remove debris and leaves it to accumulate in your pipes. You can counteract this issue by occasionally flushing the tubes using a massive flow of water. Fill a five-gallon bucket with water and put it in your toilet while flushing to keep the sizeable principal drain line clear. Also, fill your bathtub and sinks with hot water and discharge it down the drain, this will really help with preventing a blocked toilet