Common Causes Of Clogged Drains & How To Fix Drain Clogs

A variety of things can clog up the plumbing in any building. The complex network of pipes that connect appliances to water and sewer mains provide many locations for clogs to form. Sometimes the cause of a clog is obvious, but other times it could have formed further down a sublime or mainline. Being aware of common causes of clogs might help you troubleshoot or prevent the issue of a backed up sink or shower.

Things You Can Control

The easiest way to prevent clogs is to not flush anything that isn’t meant to be flushed. This is obvious, but bears constant remembrance. Everybody knows you should stop small children from flushing toys down the toilet, but, when it comes to the toilet, this warning extends to everything that isn’t human waste and toilet paper.

When it comes to drains in the kitchen, be mindful of discarding food waste properly. The biggest culprit of kitchen-based clogs is fat and grease. Liquid oils should be disposed of separately. This also extends to gravies, creams, and butters, all of which can solidify and amass in pipes or sewers. Other food particles can also do this. Either using the garbage disposal or manually trashing anything larger than a speck is a good preventative measure.

Applying a drain screen to your kitchen sink could make this task of prevention easier. It is also a smart idea to consider using screens for drains in the bathroom to prevent clogs caused by hair. Human hair often causes clogs closer to the surface of a drain. Using some pliers to pick out and clear clumps of hair stuck in the shower or sink drain once every month or so will keep the water flowing smoothly.

Things You Can’t Control

• Other real menaces to plumbing come from nature and time. 
• Roots can randomly grow out from trees and break into a pipe. Because of the water in that pipe, the root may grow faster and form a root ball, which will cause an almost complete clog. This is a concern for all buildings surrounded by nature, but especially older buildings near large trees. 
• A clog in any part of the plumbing network will affect the pipes that branch out from it. If you suspect roots may be the cause of your clog but are not sure where the breach has occurred, consider using a video pipe inspection to find out. This higher tech analysis is great at discovering all types of clogs that have formed deeper inside a pipe system.
• If the pipe system in a building is old or exposed to drastic changes in temperature throughout a year, flakes of the material of the pipe may disintegrate and accumulate to form a clog, too.

There are many more clog-related problems and solutions you might come across. Plumbing can get very complex. So, if you live in the Tampa area and want to get professional help with your drains, then call Titan Plumbing & Electric at (813) 933-8010 for assistance from people who have over 25 years of experience.