3 Common Causes Of Plumbing Clogs And Pipe Damage
Your home's plumbing is actually something you have to maintain over the years. You cannot put anything you want down the drains and just hope that it all makes its way to the sewer system. Some items are more likely to cause clogs than other items, which is why you must be aware of everything that you put down a drain. Pay special attention to these 3 things:
Flushing Items That Shouldn't Go in the Toilet
Homeowners often use their toilet to get rid of things that should never go down there. It could be a clump of hair that is being pulled off a brush, wipes that claim to be flushable, cigarettes, paper towels, and even cat litter. All of these items will harm your plumbing.
You should only be flushing toilet paper and human waste in your toilet. Anything else has the potential to cause a blockage that cannot be fixed by using your plumber. Major clogs will require a sewer snake to cut through the clog and get the drain flowing once again.
Be sure to have a trash can located near the toilet in your bathroom. It will make it less tempting to throw something into the toilet when it is so easy to put it into the trash instead.
Using Chemical Clog Removers
When you do have a clog in your drain, a typical solution is to go to the store and buy a commercial chemical clog cleaner to take care of it. They work by dissolving the items that are blocking the path of the pipe, which should get the water flowing once again.
The problem with these cleaners is that they can be too powerful for older homes. The chemicals have a potential to damage pipes, especially when chemicals are frequently used to clear clogs. You should try using a natural solution to clear the clog or have a plumber investigate the problem to find out why clogs happen so often. The chemicals may work now, but they will eventually cause problems with your plumbing.
Dumping Grease into a Drain
Grease is one form of kitchen waste that should never go into a drain. Grease may be liquid when you first pour it in, but it will eventually harden and limit the interior diameter of the pipe.
Running hot water while dumping grease won't fix the problem either since it is believed that the hot water will stop the grease from becoming hard. Your best solution is to pour grease into a container and dump it into your trash once it cools down.
Contact a drain cleaning service for more information and assistance.