5 Drain Clogging Culprits
Is your drain clogging again? It’s important that you get this fixed before your plumbing backs up or explodes. But it’s even more important to figure out why this keeps happening in the first place.
That’s where we come in. Today, we’re going to show you how to avoid these pesky clogged drain causes with this guide.
Specifically, there are 5 extremely common culprits that people mistakenly assume are meant to be flushed. In any case, read on to learn what causes a clogged drain and how to put an end to it.
- Non-Flushable Paper Products
You flush toilet paper all the time. It makes sense to assume that it’s okay to flush facial tissue as well. Unfortunately, it’s not.
You see, toilet paper is specifically created to break apart easily in water so it won’t clog the drain. This isn’t true of any other type of paper product including:
- Tissues
- Paper towels
- Cardboard roll from toilet paper
- Binder/printer paper
- Paper food wrappers
So, if you’ve been flushing these items, that explains why your drain is clogged all the time.
- Non-Flushable Hygiene Products
Similarly, many people assume that disposable cleaning wipes/baby wipes are flushable because they use them in the bathroom. And, actually, some of them are.
Most, however, are not. You should only flush these if the packaging clearly indicates that they are designed to be flushable. Other non-flushable toiletries include:
- Dental floss
- Feminine hygiene products
- Cigarettes
- Containers or wrappers of any kind
These items will not break down in water. They will remain in the pipes until a plumber removes them.
- Certain Foods
Your garbage disposal shreds food waste into tiny pieces so that it can easily travel down the drain with the water. This works fine for items like fruit and pasta, which dissolve in water anyway.
But food items that don’t dissolve in water will compact into a hard blockage in your drainpipe. This includes:
- Eggshells
- Potato peels
- Avocado rind
- Coffee grounds
Also, oils/greases that are solid at room temperature (bacon grease, chicken fat) will become solid in your drainpipe, too. Never put these down your drain.
- Hair
If you’ve been intentionally putting hair down the drain when you shower or clean your hairbrush, don’t. Still, this can accidentally accumulate over time, too. Thus, it helps to clean the hair out of your drains every week or two so that they don’t clog.
- Time/Buildup
Similarly, the passage of time naturally results in the buildup of:
- Soap scum
- Hard water deposits
- Mold/mildew
- Dirt
It’s somewhat unavoidable that these culprits will eventually clog your drain. At that point, all you can do is Google “drain cleaning near me” and hire a good plumber.
Prevent Drain Clogging With These Tips
Don’t forget the important tips you learned here today. To prevent a plumbing disaster, avoid these common drain clogging culprits.
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