A little longer is needed to empty the sink. The water starts to bubble around the knees in the tub while bathing. And the sounds and the odd, nasty smells; they are all signs that a drain is about to be blocked. One has to immediately deal with the blockage, or it may lead to something worse, a burst pipe!
The best way to combat a blocked drain is to employ professional services that can efficiently fix the problem and reduce the frequency of such occurrences.
A little bit of care for one’s plumbing is necessary for prolonged quality. Below are a few causes of blocked drains. By ensuring that one does not follow the same practices, one can guarantee their plumbing’s longevity.
1. Hair
Hair is one of the biggest culprits of blocked drains. Hair often gets stuck in the drains. It is even more challenging to clean it out once it binds with grease and other gunk that is already present in the pipes and thus causing clogs. Having drain guards ensure that hair does not get into the pipes, but it can not completely guarantee that.
2. Soap
One may wonder how soap can cause clogs as harsh soaps such as dish soaps are best for clearing small clogs. Most soaps are for bathing or washing hands and consist of fats and grease. This substance, combined with the minerals present in the water, leaves a harsh plaque-like residue called soap scum. This soap scum accumulates on the walls of the pipes and causes blockages. Sometimes, it blocks hair and other dirt particles from freely flowing into the drain, and out into the main drain pipe, causing further serious clogs.
3. Mineral Build-Up
Just like soap build-up, minerals also build up and cause clogs. These minerals that are already present in the water accumulate over time and form thick layers of sediment and insoluble masses on the pipes’ walls. One can easily prevent this by using water softeners if it is occurring due to hard water. If using softeners is not an option, then the sediments and the small insoluble masses should be removed from the drains, time to time without fail.
4. Food Waste
Apart from the drains in the bathroom, kitchen drains are also prone to clogs, and in most cases, the perpetrator is food waste. No matter if one has a garbage disposer built into their sinks, one should always remove any waste materials from the cookware before dumping them into the sink, or before doing dishes. These small food particles often get stuck in the sink, combining with soap and other greasy substances like cooking oil or fat and getting accumulated on the drains’ walls causing the drain to clog.
5. Dirt
Dirt can cause blockages in both kitchen sinks and bathrooms. In the kitchen sink, while washing fruits or vegetables, if the dirt is not soluble, it combines with other materials or objects and prevents water flow. The same applies to bathroom drains. One should be very careful while washing the dirt away. If the dirt also has tiny gravel or stones present, one might want to first wipe as much dirt as possible with a warm towel before jumping in to take a shower.
6. Build Up of Toilet Paper
Disposing toilet paper by flushing it is a big no-no! In case the toilet paper ends up in the drain and prevents water from flushing and using a plunger is not working, then it is time to call a professional.
Tree roots also cause clogs, and so do small objects that are stuck in the drains. No matter the cause, if the water is not draining, most of the time, it is better to call a professional who can deal with the clogs swiftly and efficiently.
