Causes of Clogged Drains
Plumbing companies get a lot of clogged drain calls. Clogs happen for a variety of reasons, depending on the location of the drain. This week, we're going to discuss some of those reasons.
The shower or tub
You see a lady shaving her leg. Your plumber sees the cover for the razor, which is 100% likely to fall in the drain unless it's secured.
The bathtub and shower drain take some powerful abuse at the hands of various soaps, lotions, and hair. Any of these on their own is a good base for a clog, but they get combined in the process of regular routines, and it’s almost inevitable that a problem will eventually occur. Our hard water here in the Phoenix area doesn’t help, either, because it makes it hard for some things to dissolve.
What you can do: keep a mesh screen over the drain and be diligent about keeping it hair-free. Watch for tiny slivers of soap which are clog instigators. Other culprits? The covers for razor blades and kids’ toys. I can almost always guarantee to find one or two of those in a clogged tub drain.
The bathroom sink
The bathroom sink is the primary site for shaving. Shaving cream, hair, and soap is the trifecta of sink clogs. I always tell my customers to periodically pour a couple of kettles of boiling water down the bathroom sink every four to six months if they’ve had a problem in the past. Also, people with cats will frequently lose things like toothpaste caps, hairpins, and cotton swabs in their sinks. Cats don’t think they're naughty. They believe that you’ve left a cat bowling game for their amusement.
Cats don't believe it's naughty to knock things into the sink. They think it's like a carnival game.
The toilet
Waste paper, ladies personal products, and baby wipes are the players here. Sometimes, a toothbrush or kid’s toy will be the problem. If everyone gets in the habit of keeping the lid closed, and doesn’t put any product in it that isn't toilet paper, it will lead a clog-free existence.
The kitchen sink
Ever wonder what a bottle cap will do to your garbage disposal or drain? We know!
In our last blog post, we talked about some of the problems with garbage disposals. But, even without the garbage disposal, kitchen sinks host things like grease and food debris which eventually can create a clog. Once again, we are advocates of screens and regular cleaning. Also, please don’t put grease down your kitchen sink. Rice, potatoes, coffee grounds, and fibrous peelings also cause clogs, even in garbage disposals.
Other things which cause clogs: pop tabs milk caps and beer bottle caps. Potting soil from houseplants. Popsicle sticks. Toothpicks.
Sometimes, a homeowner will have repeated clogs or slow drains. Eventually, it becomes apparent that the problem is not the family’s habits, but the drain itself. There is a possibility that the drain vent pipe is clogged, but once in awhile, a drain system will have a clog further down the line, tree roots, or a crushed pipe, or the trench for the line was improperly graded.
Hopefully, these have given you some ideas about drain kindness, and perhaps some of these suggestions might save you some money and aggravation down the road.
If you need a licensed, bonded, insured plumber for your Phoenix area drain problem or for your next plumbing project, call MNS Plumbing today at 602-362-4524
