A clogged drain can be difficult to clear and you may have to call a plumber to help with tougher blockages. By knowing which items are more likely to cause blockages in your pipes, you can be more effective in preventing clogs. Below is a list of the most common plumbing hazards.

What Items Clog Drains?

1. Grease

While you should be cautious about the food scraps you send through the garbage disposal, cooking oil and grease poses a greater hazard.

While hot oil and grease stay in a liquid form, they cool as they go through the pipes in your plumbing system. Before they get very far, oil and grease will thicken and become lodged in the pipes. It’s better to pour oil and grease in single-use containers and throw them into a trash receptacle.

2. Tea Leaves & Coffee Grounds 

Tea leaves and coffee grounds are made up of small fragments, but they tend to stick together when wet to form large clumps. This makes it more likely that they will get caught in a curve in your plumbing pipes, where they will sit and block other food particles from passing through.

Eventually, you’ll be stuck with a tough blockage that won’t let any water through. Tea leaves and coffee grounds can be added to a composting pile or deposited in the trash.

3. Hair

If you comb your hair at the sink or shower, short strands can get caught in the drain. Once there, the hair will act as a net and collect other items that may get washed down the drain, causing a tough blockage.

Ideally, you should catch hair before it can get washed down into the pipes. However, you can also perform a quick drain cleaning by using a gloved finger, old toothbrush, or wire coat hanger to pull the hair out of the pipe.

4. Paper Products

Toilet paper is the only product you should be flushing down the toilet. Paper towels, facial tissue, and cigarette butts should all be deposited in the trash. These products are too thick to make it through the pipes in your plumbing system, so it’s highly likely that they will cause clogs in your pipes. Toilet paper is thin and degrades quickly in water, while other paper products absorb water and become bloated. 

 

If you have a clogged drain that you can’t clear yourself, a professional plumber will snake the clog. Located in Watertown CT, American Rooter provides plumbing and drain cleaning services to customers throughout Connecticut and Rhode Island. Backed by 30 years of experience and offering 24-hour emergency service, they can meet all your plumbing needs. Visit them online to browse their drain cleaning services or call (888) 863-4638 to schedule an appointment.