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A clogged drain is among the most common plumbing issues. It may start as a minor issue but soon starts blocking pipes and turns into some major problems. Moreover, it can cause corrosion, flooding, and sewage backup. To prevent yourself from this trouble, start understanding the common causes of clogged drains. But remember not to try to unclog your drains using DIY methods- instead call in a professional for drain cleaning in the NE Dallas, TX area.
Here are the 10 most common causes of clogged drains in households.
1. Hair
Hair, be it human or animal fur, is a major contributor to clogged drains. While taking a shower or using the bathtub, your hair may fall and clog the washroom drain. It may also slow down your bathroom sink. The worst part is that it combines with grease or any other sticky substance and forms a clog.
To ensure clean drains, you should prevent them from occurring in the first place by adding drain guards that can catch hair. You should clean those drain guards regularly. It’s important that you don’t use commercial drain cleaners as that can be damaging to your plumbing. Instead call in a professional service.
2. Dirt
Often, we make a mistake of washing away everything in our sinks. We think that drains and pipes are there to wash away all kinds of materials. However, this is not true. Excess dirt can buildup and clog your drain. It can also combine with hair or other greasy substance and block your pipes. In such a case, a professional drain cleaning service can help. It is recommended that you rinse or remove the excess mud/dirt off from your clothes, body, etc. before letting it swirl down the drain.
3. Mineral Buildup
Water contains different minerals. Hard water can be notorious and buildup insoluble mineral masses. This continuous mineral deposit can easily block your drains and reduce the flow of water. One way to solve this issue is to use a water softener. Another way is getting a professionalservice. Give a call to a professional plumber who can descale the pipes and remove the mineral buildup.
4. Food Waste
Kitchen sinks usually get clogged due to food waste. Don’t let food waste to go down the drain even if your sink has a garbage disposal. Because even then the oil, grease or tea leaves can solidify and block your pipes.
In order to avoid blockages, you should absorb the excess oil of vegetables, fruits, meat or chicken in a tissue paper before washing them off in your sink. Set up a compost bin for food waste. If the blockages still occur, contact a professional for drain cleaning.
5. Soap
It’s hard to believe that soap can also cause blockages in your pipe. But unfortunately, it is true. Soaps are made up of fats and minerals which can accumulate over time. This is known as soap residue or soap scum. It can clog your laundry, bathroom, and shower drains. Furthermore, soap scum often combines with hair and mineral buildup causing severely clogged drains. To avoid clogged drains, you should use soap-free washes. Other than this, you may also opt for pressure cleaning to remove the traces of soap buildup, but make sure to call in a professional service to handle the job for you.
6. Toilet Paper Buildup
If you use toilet paper in a moderate amount, then it will not cause an issue. However, excessive use of toilet paper can clog and stop your toilet from flushing. If water can be flushed from your toilet, then you should use a plunger or toilet auger whereas; if it doesn’t flush and it just fills without draining then you should contact a drain cleaning service .
One more piece of advice: try not to use quilted toilet paper as it’s more damaging and tends to clog your drain.
7. Cat Litter
Do you have a cat at your home?
If yes, then be aware as cat litter is particularly terrible for the drainage system. It can ruin your home’s drainage system in the long run. Cat litter combined with clay and sand creates large clumps and will block your pipes.
Train the cat to use the litter box. We would say never flush out cat litter. Instead bag it up and throw it away with the trash. If mistakenly, you have flushed it down the drain, you should call a professional plumber for drain cleaning to unclog the drain before any serious problem occurs.
8. Small Objects
Small objects somehow find their way to the drain. For example, your child’s toy car or pencil. These are the objects which should be disposed of in the trash bin, yet they accidentally get flushed out.
To prevent this issue, be careful and educate your children about toilet fixtures. You can use a sink guard for your bathroom and kitchen sink. If the object is firmly lodged, call a professional plumber for drain cleaning without any delay.
9. Tree Roots
Do you know even the tiniest crack in the pipe can allow nearby tree roots to work their way in? Tree roots then start growing within the pipe, causing a clogged drain. It can seriously obstruct water flow and damage your drainage system. Unclogging such a drain can be tricky as well as cost several hundred dollars.
You will likely need to call a professional drain cleaning expert to fix this problem.
10. Cotton Products
Don’t flush out any cotton product; be it wipes, cotton swabs, diapers or feminine hygiene products. These products don’t break down and can easily clog up the drain. Tampons can grow up to 10 times their size by absorbing fluid. Therefore, be extremely careful when disposing these and do not flush them down the drain. Otherwise, the only solution will be to call an expert plumber who can provide a drain cleaning service .
Call the best plumbing and drain cleaning service, Bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of NE Dallas, TX. We have expert plumbers who can unclog all your drains and provide solutions to all your plumbing problems.
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