Dealing with a clogged drain can be annoying, but a drain situation could quickly turn into a nightmare if have guests or happens over a major holiday. The good news is, there are plenty of things that you can do on a day-to-day and periodic basis to keep your home from having constant drain clogs. Preemptive measures can help you avoid larger issues and the need for expensive fixes. Here are five things you can do to avoid common drain clogs in your home.
1. Understanding Your Home’s Plumbing Limitations
One of the biggest favors you can do for your home is to understand what you can and can’t expect from your overall plumbing set-up. If you have a relatively new home, you might be able to flush or rinse almost anything down the toilet or drain with minimal repercussions. If your home is older, being sensitive to your overall plumbing situation can save you major headaches over time. Have additional waste bins in the bathroom for paper towels and feminine products and install drain catchers throughout your home. This will keep your family from inadvertently overusing your plumbing on a daily basis, and can protect your home from constant drain clogs.
2. Keeping Pets in Mind
Pets can be surprise culprits when it comes to plumbing and drain issues in your home. If you regularly bathe your dog in the tub, be sure to set up a way to keep fur from going down the drain. Flushing litter products can be okay in some instances, but read labels and know your home’s plumbing limitations before doing so. Pet wipes are becoming more popular to help with quick clean-ups and grooming, but opting to throw these in the trash over the toilet is a good strategy to save your home’s plumbing.
3. Watching Your Garbage Disposal
While garbage disposals might seem like a modern miracle, these can lead to major clogs that will need professional plumbers to resolve. If you can be careful with what goes down the drain on a regular basis, you can keep your kitchen sink in proper running order. Educate kids what can and cannot go down the sink, and discourage guests or others cleaning up in the kitchen from using your disposal if you can. Avoid putting large scraps, eggshells, and coffee grounds down the disposal as a common rule.
4. Empowering Guests to Help
If you have overnight or out-of-town guests, letting them know about your plumbing limitations can help them from making common mistakes that can lead to clogging. This includes using drain stoppers in showers and watching what is flushed down the toilet. If your home’s plumbing has any individual quirks, warn your friends and family so they can steer clear of making any inadvertent mistakes that might trip up your plumbing.
5. Keeping up With General Maintenance
A great way to keep your overall plumbing needs in order is by having your pipes and plumbing inspected and reviewed for any maintenance needs on a regular basis. If you have small leaks, low water pressure, or have an area of your home that has constant drain clogs, bring in a professional to review your whole system. This is the best way to keep small drain problems from becoming major plumbing issues over time.
Drain clogs can be a headache, but can also lead to bigger issues over time if you can’t resolve problems or utilize proactive tricks to stop clogs in the first place. Don’t wait for a big problem to arise to bring in help. The more that you can do on your own to prevent clogs, the better shape your overall plumbing system will be in the long run. If you are having drain problems or need general plumbing maintenance, contact us to help.
