Drain Clearing Tips for Your Home
If you’ve ever had a clogged drain, then you know just how frustrating the experience can be. The plumbing is one of the most used fixtures of any home, with fixtures like faucets and drains being used every day. As such, a clogged drain can significantly impact a household’s day to day operations, especially in a home with multiple occupants. Like most plumbing issues that seem minor at first, a clogged sink should be addressed right away to avoid paying for costly and extensive repairs down the road. Below, we share some drain clearing tips for your home.
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Drain Clearing Services
While it is always advisable to invest in professional drain clearing services in Minnetonka, MN, there are a few tricks homeowners could use to alleviate a minor drain clog. Clogged drains are usually caused by a buildup of things like hair, soap, food waste, oil, grease, and fat. With the right tools and proper procedure, you can clean your drain without requiring the services of a Minnetonka plumber.
Avoid Dumping Grease and Oil Down the Drain
This is more of a preventive measure than a reactionary measure. Dumping oils, fat, and grease down the drain is basically begging for plumbing issues. When flushed down the drain, they cool, harden and stick to the pipes’ inner walls. As more oil and grease are dumped into the drain, it builds in the pipes, restricting water flow and causing blockages.
Fat, oil, and grease can also come from meat and other solid food scraps, sauces, gravies, and salad dressings, dairy products, cosmetics, and toiletries, so avoid dumping any of them in your drain. Next time you have to dispose of fats, grease, and oils, collect them into a container and let them harden before placing them in the trash. Otherwise, you will constantly be in need of drain cleaning services near you.
Install Strainers
Although most plumbers in Minnetonka, MN, advise you to avoid putting solid waste into your drains, you can’t always look out for everything. Shower drains are bound to collect hair just as the kitchen sink will likely interact with food particles. To prevent them from building up and causing blockages, our friends at Headwaters Construction, a general contractor in NorCal, says to consider investing in a sink strainer. This will prevent you from dealing with clogs and having to break out the old plunger every other day.
The strainer will prevent larger food particles, hair, and anything else that might cause a blockage from entering the drain. All you have to do is take the strainers out and clean them periodically.
Avoid Chemical Drain Cleaners
Let’s be honest, using chemical drain cleaners to clear your drain is a lot easier and less time consuming than plunging. But, although most of these products claim to be able to clear your drain and have it working in just a few minutes, they do more harm than good. Yes, they will eat away at the clogs, but they are equally corrosive to the pipes. The average drain cleaner is a very strong acid, usually designed to eat away at the clog and dislodge it.
In reality, however, all it does is create a hole in the clog big enough to get water flowing again. It’s only a temporary fix that will have to be redone, again and again, all while it corrodes your pipe. In fact, chemical drain cleaners are so strong. Getting even a small amount on your skin can be extremely painful. McQuillan Bros advises you to stay clear of chemical drain cleaners. They barely get the job done, and they can cause extensive damage to your plumbing.
Invest in Basic Plumbing Equipment
You don’t need to buy all the heat your plumber is packing. That’s what plumbing companies in Minnetonka, MN are for. However, investing in some basic plumbing equipment can help you identify and correct certain plumbing issues like clogged drains. For starters, every homeowner should have a plunger to deal with clogged drains. Additionally, a drain snake can be equally useful in dislodging a clog, but be careful not to damage your pipes in the process. A bent wire hanger will also do the trick.
A pipe wrench can help you turn and disassemble a visible pipe to clean it. Slip-joint pliers can help you fish out bigger objects that can fall in the drain, like wedding rings. However, if you are unsure of what to do, reach out to McQuillan Bros for a professional opinion.
As a homeowner, you are bound to run into a clogged drain or two sooner or later. It’s a matter of when not if. Ensuring you are armed with the knowledge and tools you need will prevent a minor issue from snowballing into something more severe. Avoid dumping fat, oil, and grease down the drain. Don’t even consider using chemical drain cleaners, and invest in strainers, a plunger, and a drain snake.
Are you having trouble clearing a clogged drain? Or, are you in need of some other plumbing service in Minnetonka, MN? Contact McQuillan Bros today for a plumbing estimate. We also offer Minnesota residents plumbing coupons and special offers. Right now, save $50 on drain clearing services with McQuillan Bros.
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