Clogged drains can be a frustrating experience. Luckily, there are a few simple tips you can follow to keep your drains working properly.
First, avoid putting any materials that are easy to set in your pipes. This includes cement, sand, and anything else that can easily settle to the bottom of your pipes.
Keep Your Drains Clean
Keeping your drains clean is a great way to prevent blocked drains. It doesn’t take a lot of work and can be done on a regular basis.
Dirt, hair, greasy foods, paper and gum are just a few of the things that can clog your drains. While these items might not seem like much, they can quickly accumulate to form a blockage that can be difficult to unclog.
Having a clogged drain can have many negative effects on your home. These include a bad smell, which can irritate your respiratory system and affect those with asthma. Structural damage, such as flooding that can warp floorboards or rot wall supports, can also occur.
Don’t Pour Grease Down the Drain
While it is tempting to pour a little cooking grease down the drain, doing so should never be done. Grease, such as bacon grease or duck fat, solidifies when it cools down and becomes a sticky trap for food scraps that can clog your plumbing pipes.
This can lead to a blockage and clogs that could eventually become a major plumbing issue. It is also very harmful to your septic tank or local sewer system.
The sludge that forms on your pipes can create a clog that causes water to take longer to flow through. This can cause a backup in your home’s sewer system, which can be very expensive to resolve.
Fortunately, there are some preventative steps you can take to avoid the problem from occurring in the first place. For example, you can run hot water and squirt dish soap down your drain as soon as you are done with cooking to re-liquefy any solid grease that may be in your pipes.
Don’t Flush Debris Down the Toilet
Your toilet is designed to accept only pee and poo, so don’t throw anything else down the drain. It is especially important to avoid flushing baby wipes, cotton balls, disposable diapers or other disposable products because these items can block sewer pipes and create costly repairs by a licensed plumber.
A clogged toilet is no fun and can be dangerous to your health. Fortunately, most clogs are preventable.
If you do flush something down the toilet that shouldn’t go down the drain, you may need to use a plunger or auger to remove it and clear out your sewer line.
Otherwise, these clogs can recur and cause serious damage to your plumbing system and drainpipes.
You should also avoid putting any medical waste, like pills and creams down your drains. Those items often contain hazardous chemicals that can be released into the wastewater treatment plant and harm wildlife and other residents of your community. Similarly, don’t flush pet waste, as it can introduce pathogens into the wastewater treatment facility and affect animal life.
Keep Your Garden Clean
A garden that is kept clean and tidy will not only look good, but it will also help prevent blocked drains. This is particularly important during the autumn season where leaves and other debris start to fall from trees and shrubs.
When these fall onto the ground, it creates a pool of stagnant water that is not only unsightly, but can be home to a variety of pests like mosquitoes.
To keep your garden looking great, make sure that all twigs, branches, and leaves are clipped or removed from the ground. This will prevent the build-up of twigs, which can block the drain.
It is also a good idea to regularly clean pots and planters with a damp cloth to remove any dust, dirt or grime. This will help prevent weeds and other unwanted plants from taking hold of your garden.
If you do find yourself in a predicament where your drains get clogged, you can seek professional help. A plumber can help with blocked drains in Melbourne to provide you with the professional assistance you need.
