Clogged drains are a pain to deal with and can go from a minor inconvenience to a major problem faster than you might assume. Here at Air Tech of Houston AC & Plumbing, we want our clients to be equipped to deal with any plumbing issues they might face and have access to actionable information so they can take care of their plumbing systems like the pros.
When it comes to clogs, the best way to fix them is by preventing them from happening in the first place. This can be difficult to do when you don’t know what causes them. As plumbing professionals, we know a thing or two about clogs and are eager to extend that knowledge to every one of our clients. To help out, here are the top five clogged culprits we see causing plumbing problems.
Hair
Hair is one of the greatest antagonists in the long ongoing battle to keep our pipes flowing fast and clog-free. Even when we don’t realize it and despite what some of us may want to believe, hair falls off of us every day, particularly in spaces like the bathroom. When left unchecked, it only makes sense that hair will eventually find its way to your drains. Most clogs we find ourselves fishing out of pipes look like amorphous hairy masses.
The best way to prevent this is by utilizing a strainer specifically designed for catching hair. This small piece of mesh will ensure that water is allowed to flow freely while preventing small hairs from ending up in your pipes and causing clogs.
Grease & Food Waste
Even when equipped with a garbage disposal, there are items that homeowners should never wash down their drains because they can easily cause clogs. To keep it brief, the most problematic common items washed down drains are:
- Grease, oil or fat
- Coffee grounds
- Eggshells
- Starchy items like rice and pasta
Some foods tend to get caught on the interior walls of your pipes and cause clogs. The best way to prevent this from happening is by being careful about the things you wash down the sink and being sure to throw greasy, starchy or hard food waste away in the garbage.
Soap Scum
Unfortunately, the products we use to keep ourselves clean can harm our pipes. Over time, scum and residue from certain soaps can accumulate and cause drains to slow down.
This problem can be mitigated by pouring extra hot water down your drain occasionally and avoiding soaps that have high-fat contents.
Mineral Buildup
All water sources have some natural amounts of dissolved minerals in them. Depending on several factors, the water being supplied to your home might be harder (containing a high concentration of minerals), or softer (containing a low concentration). If you have hard water, over time, these minerals can build up on the interior of your pipes just like soap scum and cause clogs and blockages.
Foreign Objects
Anything that isn’t specifically designed to be washed down a drain might cause an issue with the plumbing of your home. Jewelry, sanitary products, small toys and makeup — there is any number of possible things that could accidentally find their way flowing through your pipes and wreak havoc on your plumbing.
Most of the time, these things end up here by mistake so there isn’t actionable advice to prevent it past, “keep that stuff away from the drain”. However, Homeowners can help their pipes out by doing careful research on everything they intend to wash down the drain. Even if a product says it’s okay to flush, like most wet wipes on the market, that might not be the case.
Call Air Tech For The Best Houston Drain Company Around
When you are looking for top-notch drain cleaning services in Houstion, you can’t go wrong calling the team here at Air Tech of Houstion AC & Plumbing Regardless of what washed down your sink, tub or toilet, we are confident that we can provide the best clogged-drain services around.
