From time to time, you might experience clogs that prevent water from flushing out of sinks and basins, potentially damaging your pipes and septic system. To keep your plumbing functional and avoid the need for emergency drain cleaning, avoid these bad habits.

4 Ways You May Be Clogging Drains

1. Allowing Hair to Collect

When hair collects around your drains, it will wash down the pipes and form bundles that limit water flow. Use mesh drain traps to catch hair and other debris before it goes into your plumbing system. Deposit their contents into the trash after you shower each day. 

2. Flushing the Wrong Items

As a general rule, you should only flush toilet paper. Paper towels, cotton balls, and feminine hygiene products don’t break down in the same way that flimsy toilet paper does, so they get stuck in sewage pipes, leading to backups and indoor flooding. 

3. Putting Grease in Garbage Disposals

Grease and cooking oils congeal once they cool, creating stubborn clogs after being poured down drains. Additionally, these fats may burn and corrode your pipes if you pour them down the drain while they’re hot.

Save them in glass jars and reuse them, or put them in sealed disposable containers before discarding them. 

4. Not Using a Lint Trap

Paper, lint, hair, and fabric may block your washer hose and clog your drains. Installing a lint catcher will trap these materials before they create clogs, preventing leaks and washer damage. 

Protect your plumbing and septic system with help from the team at Bigfoot Pumping & Thawing in North Pole, AK. They offer sewer line inspections and drain cleaning to identify and address clogs. If the problem extends to your septic system, they also handle septic tank pumping. Call (907) 488-9855 to set up a camera inspection. Visit the website to learn more about their 24-hour emergency drain cleaning services.