Many people treat their drains and toilet like trash cans, and the results can lead to a number of issues. Clogged pipes are more than just an inconvenience—they lead to leaks, pipe breaks, mold growth, and more. While drain cleaning can resolve the issue, it’s best to avoid a clog altogether. Here’s a guide with tips to prevent clogs. 

Your Guide to Clogged Pipes

What Causes Clogs?

Countless items that go down the drain can cause clogs. Many clogs begin in the kitchen. Grease, oils, and fats are a major cause. As they move through your system, they’ll coat the walls of your pipes and snag other items flowing by.

Soap buildup flushed down sink and shower drains can have a similar effect and eventually lead to blockages.

Food should never go down the drain. Many items that seem harmless, like thin pasta, rice, and flour, are leading causes of clogs. They expand when they contact water.

Hair, floss, and string will tangle around other items and trap them, causing blockages. In general, soluble liquids are the only things that should even go down the drain.

Preventing Clogs

Start in the kitchen. Grease and oils should always be poured into a metal container and tossed in the trash.

Add removable food catchers to your drains and make sure family members know to scrape leftovers into the trash.

In the bathroom, you’ll also want to add hair and debris catchers to sink and shower drains. If you’re already dealing with slow drains, schedule a drain cleaning before larger blockages form.

 

Plumbing emergencies can do a number on your home, so keep this guide in mind. A+ Family Plumbing of Onalaska, WI, is proud to provide 24/7 plumbing services to customers, including drain cleaning and tankless water heater maintenance. Their plumbers can also handle installations for remodeling and new home construction. Explore their full scope of services on their website and call (608) 783-5558 to schedule a drain cleaning.