What's that gurgling noise?
Do you smell that?
Hey mom! The toilet won't flush!
If you can identify with any of these phrases, you may have drain problems. Clogged drains can cause headaches and health hazards.
So how can you prevent and fix clogged drains in your home? Keep reading to find out.
How Do Drain Clogs Happen?
A number of things can cause your drains to clog. However, some of the most common culprits may surprise you.
The Big Three
Fat, grease, and oil. Often referred to as F.O.G., this trio of substances is the culprit for many plumbing issues. Fat, oil, and grease eventually solidify and expand. This leaves a soft, mushy substance that stops up normal drain activity.
Pet Hair
Fido and Fifi need baths, too, right? Whether they're in the tub, shower, or laundry sink, their fur can cause plumbing problems. Animal fur can easily bind to other substances and leave your drain clogged
Human Hair
It's not just our furry friends doing the drain damage. Human hair can also build up over time. Hair binds easily to fat, oil, grease, and soap scum inside the drain.
Once the elements are all stuck together, they block the flow of water through your pipes. The result? A clogged drain.
Food Waste
Even if you have a garbage disposal, you can expect those little food scraps to stick around in your pipes. Scraps like eggshells, rice, pasta, and tea leaves can clog drains.
Rice and pasta can saturate with water and expand. Tea leaves and eggshells don't break down enough before going down the drain. This causes some big problems when they block drain flow.
Soap Scum
Traditional soaps often contain lye, oil, or fat as an ingredient. When this is washed down your shower drain day after day, it can cause the same issues created by F.O.G.
Paper Products
Kleenexes, baby wipes, and feminine hygiene products are often flushed down the toilet without much thought. Unfortunately, even "flushable" wipes can cause major drain issues.
Paper products that aren't toilet paper don't break down like TP does. Some even expand the longer they sit and saturate with water. They build up and clog your drains.
Tree Roots
You may be surprised at how many times tree roots are causing drain issues. Since pipes are underground, they have to coexist with natural elements that share their space.
Even a tiny crack in an underground pipe can invite the growth and/or expansion of a tree root. As the tree root grows and expands, it blocks more and more of the underground drain. You may not notice it until you start to experience drain problems.
Hard Water Deposits
Over time, the minerals from hard water can stick to your pipes and drains. These mineral deposits can often build up and, eventually, cause clogged drains.
Signs Of a Clogged Drain
How can you tell if your drain is clogged? Here are a few signs you might find:
- Toilet or toilets aren't flushing
- Water is slow to drain from your sink or tub
- Water pools up around your feed when you're in the shower
- New puddles of water in your yard
- Stinky smells coming from any drain in your home
- Gurgling noises coming from your sink, tub, or shower
It's important to recognize these signs before they start causing problems. While a bad smell might just be an inconvenience, other issues can be hazardous to your health.
Harmful bacteria can contaminate standing water, leaving you and your family at risk for potentially serious health problems.
How to Prevent Clogged Drains
Sometimes, there's not much you can do about a clogged drain. However, there are things you can do to reduce the chances of clogged drains in your home.
Use Drain Screens
These handy little devices go directly over your trains. They keep excess hair and soap scum from entering your drains and pipes.
At the end of your or your pet's shower or bath, wipe the screen with a cloth or paper towel and throw the contents in the trash.
Only Flush Toilet Paper
It may be difficult to change a habit of flushing tissues or other things down the toilet. However, it may be worth your while. Even feminine hygiene products marked "flushable" should be kept out of your plumbing system.
Avoiding quilted toilet paper is also a good practice. Many TPs indicate they're septic system friendly. These are great finds because they're designed to break down and not clog drains.
Install a Water Softener
Water softeners take harsh minerals out of your home's water supply. This helps minimize mineral buildup.
Water softeners don't require much maintenance, but most need to be periodically refilled with salt.
Be the Grease Police
Don't allow any grease or oil to go down your drain. Grab an old coffee can or another container to pour liquid grease and oil once they've cooled. Once it solidifies, throw it in the trash.
Wipe grease and oil from pots and pans before you rinse them in the sink. This minimizes the amount that gets put into your drain over time.
How To Fix Clogged Drains
If you're dealing with clogged drains, you may be tempted to try a DIY product. Most big box or home improvement stores sell products that claim to clear clogged drains and fix plumbing problems.
It's best to leave these issues to the professionals. Misusing or overusing these products can cause further damage to you and your plumbing. These products often don't solve anything and compound problems making things more expensive for you in the end.
The professionals at Mr. Rooters can help. Our Austin area plumbers are available 24/7 to address and fix your plumbing issues. Give us a call and see how we can solve your plumbing problems today. Head to our website and fill out this form to get your free estimate.
