The proper functioning of your drain is essential to the smooth running of the affairs of your home. You want your drainage system to get rid of wastewater quickly every time you turn on a faucet, flush the toilet, or run your washing machine. As fall sets in, you want to be o top of things when it comes to your drainage. After all, you don’t want your drains to fall into disrepair. Here are some handy drain cleaning tips for this season.
1. Keep Oil and Grease Away from Your Drains
Fall is a season for cooking hearty meals for your friends and family. While it’s perfectly okay to make your favorite meals, it is important to avoid pouring grease and oils down your drain. Eventually, oil and grease will build up in your drain path and solidify. This will make it impossible for water and other things to pass through the drain. This leads to a clog. The best way to deal with waste oil and grease is to drain it into a container and dispose of it in your garbage bin.
2. Install Strainers
Shower and kitchen drains constantly deal with food particles, hair, and soap among other things that are forced to go down the drain. These items can lead to a build-up and clogging in your drains. While you could always plunge through your drains every time you need your drain to work or after every wash, it can be draining and time-consuming. The best way to avoid dirt build-up is by investing in strainers. They help to keep anything that can cause clogging out of your drains.
3. Avoid Using Chemical Drain Cleaners
Even though chemical drain cleaners look and smell nice, they eventually damage your drainage pipes. This is because they erode the drain pipe material leaving you with huge plumbing repair and replacement bills. This can and should be avoided. Also, chemical drain cleaners pose a hazard to your household. Try using organic drain cleaning solutions instead.
4. Have A Plunger in The House
Any household needs to have a plunger for minor or emergency drain unclogging. Before you use a plunger on your sinks or toilets, you need to fill the bowl with water to create enough suction for the plunger. Cup your plunger over your drain and plunge a repeatedly until the water starts to drain.
5. Make Use of Drain Snakes
Drain snakes come in handy for plumbing issues that are hard to correct using a plunger. Drain snakes have the ability to reach further into your drainage system. The tool looks like a snake as the name suggests. This allows it to go through small spaces and scoop hard top reach materials that cause clogging.
6. Use Bent Wire Hangers
This is one of the oldest and most useful drain cleaning tips. All you need is a spare wire hanger. It is an effective drain cleaning tool as it helps to get rid of materials that can cause clogging. Use the hanger with caution to avoid poking holes in your drainage pipes.
7. Call A Qualified Plumber
It’s good practice to schedule a plumbing maintenance service with your express rooter plumber at least once a year. A licensed plumber is best placed to examine your entire plumbing system and let you know of any repairs or replacements are needed.
