You can call our team for drain clog services any time of day. But wouldn’t you rather prevent blockage from affecting your drain in the first place? We are here to help you identify objects and substances around the house that may lead to clogs, along with some things you may not expect.
#1: HAIR
One of the most common reasons for a drain clog in the bathtub, or even one that’s made it further down the drain, is hair. Often clumped together with soap and other bath products, hair forms a nearly impenetrable lump when it collects enough.
We know how unpleasant it can be to deal with hair in the bathtub, but a fairly inexpensive purchase from a hardware store can do wonders for your drains. Just be vigilant about cleaning out the drain trap you add to your bath and shower drain!
#2: COFFEE GROUNDS
We understand that the easiest way to get rid of coffee grounds is in your kitchen sink. However, when coffee grounds clump together in the drains, they form a blockade through which water must slowly trickle (a coffee filter, if you will). It’s one of the most common clogs we find in kitchen drains, and something so easy to prevent—just throw them out instead!
#3: PAPER PRODUCTS
There’s really only one paper product that belongs in your drain, and that’s toilet paper (and only in the toilet, of course). Any other product—even one marked as “flushable” may be the reason for your clogged toilet or sewer system. We see it a lot with so-called “flushable wipes.” Flushable wipes and other paper products are a persistent, costly problem in our area. Tell your family members to throw these types of items away.
#4: TREE ROOTS
When you were young, you may have dreamed of having a tall, shady tree in the backyard—only to find it’s a lot more trouble than expected. Unfortunately, trees can take root where there is the most chance of water and nutrition: your sewer lines. This creates frequent clogging and issues requiring sewer line repair.
Professional drain cleaning may be able to take care of the problem. Hydro jetting can break up roots and send them through the pipes. Of course, the best way to take care of the problem is to kill the roots near the sewer line or dig them out and control the growth.
#5: FATS, OILS, AND GREASE
These heavier liquids just don’t work down the drains in the same way as water or juice. Fats, oils, and grease—that means things like vegetable oil, butter, and bacon grease—get poured down the drains in liquid form, when it seems they could glide down the pipes with ease. But the pipes can be very cold, and these substances actually solidify when they cool, creating blockages and making it easy for debris to stick onto the pipes.
That’s why you need to dump these in the trash instead. People find a lot of simple ways to store these items for easy disposal. But perhaps the easiest way is to save a disposable food container and use this as your storage can.