If someone were to ask you what the number one plumbing problem homeowners face is, what would you say? We would say clogged drains. That is certainly what we get called for the most!
Of course, you might be wondering why we get called for this—can’t you just use some store-bought chemical drain cleaners and call it a day?
Well, you could, but you will regret it. Sure, it may eat through whatever is clogging your drain, but it doesn’t remove the clog nor is it that great for your plumbing pipes, either! In fact, it will build up on the lining of your pipes and over time, eat through them. But while store-bought drain cleaners aren’t the answer, you can avoid clogged drains to begin with! Read on to learn how.
Use Drain Covers/Screens
Things like soap scum, hair, and objects that accidentally get knocked down into the drains (like kid toys or jewelry) are the most frequent causes of clogged drains. But you can stop most of these from going down through drain covers and screens.
These are sold online and at pretty much any type of hardware or home improvement store. Drain screens sometimes do need a bit more handiwork for installation than a drain cover would, so you might want to call a plumber to put it in for you.
Keep FOG Out of the Kitchen Drains
Unsure what FOG stands for? It means “Fats, Oils, and Grease” and is the byproduct of all the cooking you do. Although FOG is liquid when hot, as it cools down FOG solidifies, clinging to the lining of your pipes and building up into a blockage.
We suggest that you pour FOG from cooking into a separate receptacle and put it in the trash rather than down the drains.
Run Hot Water Down the Drains After Each Use
Whether you’re taking a bath or using your garbage disposal in the kitchen sink, it’s best to run hot water after every use. This will help push things down and through the drain like hair, soap scum, FOG, and more… and it can help to prevent clogs from building up to begin with.
Schedule Professional Plumbing Services
As we mentioned above, it’s not a good idea to use store-bought drain cleaners for your clogs. So what should you do? Contact us for professional drain cleaning! There are a couple of different methods we might use:
- A Drain Snake: This is an auger that our plumbers insert down your drain and can be used to pick out pretty much any clog and pull it out of your drain.
- Hydrojetting: Sometimes a clog needs something more than a drain snake. A hydrojetting tool is an auger with an omnidirectional auger on it that sprays a high-pressured stream of water in order to scour your pipes clean.
Another important service we provide is routine plumbing maintenance, with video pipe inspection to catch potential clogs before they even have the chance to fully form.
Contact DC Cheek Heating, Cooling & Plumbing for reliable plumbing in Sandy Springs, GA.
