5 Ways to Prevent Your Drains from Clogging This Spring | Tips from Your Trusted San Antonio, TX Plumber
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No one wants to deal with a clogged drain. In fact, it can be extremely frustrating and the longer the clog sits the harder it can be to deal with it. Eventually, it can escalate and lead to extensive water damage. This is why if you have a clog you should call a San Antonio, TX plumber right away.
If you don’t have any clogs right now, spring is a great time to change your habits, so you don’t have to deal with any future clogs. There are many preventative measures you can take to prevent clogs from forming in your home plumbing system. Here are just a few tips that can help you keep your plumbing system clean for the spring system.
Properly Dispose of Oil and Grease
It is very easy for oil and grease to drip down drains. Rinse off a pan after cooking vegetables or frying meat and you will be rinsing oil, grease, and fat down your drains. Instead of rinsing off your pans in the sink, you should first drain the residue into a disposable container. This way you can just toss it in the garbage and keep the filth out of your sinks.
The problem is that oil and grease harden once they cool down again. Anyone who has walked away from a used pan and come back to it later is familiar with the caked substance. Even if you put it down your sinks as a liquid, it will harden and stick to the sides. Over time debris sticks to the residues and eventually, you have a serious clog that will require a call to a San Antonio, TX plumber. The good news is keeping a plumber away can be as easy as draining your grease before washing dishes. This one simple step can save you a lot of money and hassle.
Buy Some Drain Screens
Add drain screens to your spring-cleaning shopping list if you don’t already have them installed in your kitchen and bathroom sinks. Drain screens are a great way to prevent debris from getting into your pipes. The more debris you keep out of your pipes the less likely it is that a clog will form. Your kitchen sink, bathroom sink, and shower drain all have the ability to catch a large degree of debris such as hair, soap, dirt, and other miscellaneous items. If you have children in your home, the list of things that can slip down your sink grows even larger.
One simple drain screen is all it takes to prevent a lot of problems down the line. A stopper can also help do the same thing, while still letting the wastewater get down your drain when you are done. Of course, you will need to clean your drains otherwise water will stop draining. You will be able to see the clog at the drain screen, however, versus guessing where in your piping the clog is after you call your plumbing company.
Keep Food Out of Your Drains
In homes without a garbage disposal, it should never be an option to put food down the drain. Although small pieces are going to sneak in from time to time, your aim should be to only rinse plates. Any food debris should be scrapped off in the trash can.
Homes with garbage disposals still need to be capable, because disposals are not able to handle all food items. People tend to think that their garbage disposal should be able to destroy anything, but your plumber will tell you differently. You should never put eggshells, coffee grounds, peels, or skins down your garbage disposal because not only can these larger items gum up your garbage disposal, they also tend to stick to the side of pipes. Overtime this can cause a blockage or a full clog.
As a side note, a plumbing company will tell you that if you have to run your garbage disposal, always turn on the cold water from your faucet. Although it may seem contrary, cold water will actually flush the debris down your pipes and out of your home much better than warm water. Your goal is to get the wastes quickly out of your home and into your drainage system so that you won’t have to see them again when the plumber shows up to break up a clog.
Only Toilet Paper Goes Down the Toilet
Outside of fishing children’s toys out of the toilet, your plumbing company will tell you that most toilet clogs are the result of people using the wrong types of paper. The only thing that should ever be flushed down the toilet is toilet paper. Toilet paper is made to disintegrate in your sewer system and is not likely to get stuck in your piping system.
On the other hand, paper towels, napkins, tissues, regular towels, etc. are made to absorb messes. These paper materials are much thicker and will mess up your plumbing system. While one incident is not going to cause a clog if you keep using anything else in the bathroom but toilet paper you will end up calling a plumber to help you with a clog. A word to the wise: flushable wipes are not generally a good idea unless you want to be on a first-name basis with your plumber. While they are advertised to be safe for your septic system, countless plumbers have been out to fix the messes that occur after their use.
Call a Professional Plumber in San Antonio, TX
Finally, spring is a great time to schedule a seasonal drain cleaning service. A professional drain cleaning service is a proactive way to prevent clogs since it thoroughly flushes out your drainage system. It is the number one way to keep your plumbing system in great health, and bluefrog Plumbing & Drain is happy to provide this service. Give us a call today and we will schedule a seasonal drain cleaning so that you never wake up to a clogged drain.
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