What’s Clogging My Drains?

Drain clogs are an annoyance, and unfortunately, they are one of the most common types of plumbing problems that can affect a house. You can deal with clogs in the toilets, the shower, the bathroom sink, the kitchen sink, and the floor drains. Whether you’ve got a slow drain or a full clog, it can make life unpleasant. It may even bringing daily activities to a halt.

The solution is to first try some simple methods to unclog the drain: a sink or toilet plunger, a drain auger, baking soda and vinegar. If those methods are ineffectual, the next step isn’t chemical drain cleaners, which are horrible for drains. If the clog won’t go away, it takes professional drain cleaning in Rialto, CA to effectively and safely eliminate it—and keep it from coming back.

What we want to talk about in this post is what is causing those drain clogs. Although almost anything could potentially stop up a drain if it can fit down it, there are several “usual suspects” to watch for.

Soap scum

If a drain has soap going down it, it can have soap scum, which is the result of the incomplete dissolving of soap. It can often indicate hard water, which is its own separate problem that you may need to address with a water softener. But soap scum can be trouble even without excessively hard water. It’s difficult to remove except with professional tools. Soap scum can cause damage to pipe material because of chemical reactions, so even if it isn’t blocking your drains, it’s a good idea to have it cleared out.

Hair

Plenty of hair goes down the shower or tub drains, and it can quickly tangle and block up drains, especially in the P-trap (the bent pipe section below the drain). Hair is also hard to remove, although drain snakes can sometimes pull out the majority of a clog, but still leave enough behind that the clog will start up again. You can help keep hair out of the drain using a drain strainer. You can purchase these strainers in home improvement stores—and they can make a big difference.

FOG

This stands for fats, oils, and grease, and they are the biggest problem that kitchen drains face. Because FOG is liquid when it’s hot, people make the mistake of pouring it down the drain as if it’s harmless. However, when it cools, FOG becomes solid and tough. Not only does it lead to clogs, it also can cause drain flies and foul odors. You can help keep FOG out of the drain by remembering to pour it into a separate container.

Other food particles

The other trouble with kitchen drains is all the other food that can wash down the drains and disposals. If the garbage disposal isn’t doing its job, then these clogs are much more likely.

Our plumbers are experts with drain cleaning and use the best tools, such as motorized drain snakes, to solve any drain clogs or slow drains. We’ve been family-owned and operated since 1947 and we offer competitive pricing on all our services.

Like our shoe covers, our customers are the coolest! Call A-Avis Home Services Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. for your HVAC needs.

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