Keeping your drains free and clear
Nothing is more annoying than a slow-moving drain or a drain that just won’t clear at all. Whether you’re stuck with a slow-running toilet or are trying to figure out why it takes so long for your kitchen sink to clear, it pays to think about common causes of clogged drains. Figuring out what’s slowing down your drains is key to addressing the issue and preventing future problems.
What’s Stuck Down Your Drains?
Almost all San Antonio homeowners will experience plumbing problems at some point in time. Among the most common of these problems are clogged or slow-moving drains, which can cause inconvenience and seriously impact the performance of your plumbing system. The first step in treating and preventing such clogs is understanding what causes them. Some of the most common causes of clogged drains are:
• Fats and greases that make their way down the kitchen sink
• Hair and dead skin cells shed by the human body
• Soap residue and mineral buildup from hard water
• Dirt and grass clods
• Tree roots and limbs that have infiltrated pipes
Of course, a wide variety of foreign objects can also cause clogs. These objects might never have been meant to go down the sink or toilet but end up there on accident. Whether it’s a small bath toy a kid flushed down the toilet or a hair accessory that fell down the drain, foreign objects can cause major clogs. In most cases, it will be necessary to call in professional plumbers to remove these types of clogs. If foreign objects have found their way into your plumbing, it’s best to let a professional find and remove them to prevent damage and messes.
Preventing Nasty Plumbing Clogs
One of the easiest ways to tackle slow-moving and clogged drains is to prevent clogs from happening in the first place. If your drains are unprotected, consider covering them with mesh screens to prevent dirt, grass, hair and other small objects from entering your pipes. Be sure to clean out mesh filters regularly to ensure that debris isn’t pushed through them.
If you live in a home with small children, it’s also essential to keep the toilet lid down. This will both protect your kids from drowning risks and help ensure that it’s tougher for them to toss foreign objects into toilets. Teaching your kids what can and can’t go down drains is also a great way to prevent clogs caused by foreign objects.
Taking care of slow-moving or clogged drains can be a serious chore. Browse the ABC Home & Commercial Services website or call us today to learn more about how our plumbing specialists can help keep your drains free and clear.