Drain Cleaning Service And Care Tips For Your Home | Irving, TX
Making sure the drains in your home don’t get clogged should be a top priority, even if it doesn’t seem like a very big deal. Slow or clogged drains get worse with time, and you can eventually end up with a sewage backup or corrosion that leads to expensive repairs. If you want to save money on drain cleaning service calls and prevent expensive plumbing repairs, here are some tips for keeping the drains in your home clean.
Bathroom
There are a few different things to watch out for when it comes to bathroom drain clogs. In most bathrooms, you have to deal with potential drain clogs in the sink, the shower and the toilet. Because of the way many homeowners treat their bathrooms, however, this can be a tough task.
Toilet clogs are usually a result of flushing things other than toilet paper down the toilet. Even if the wipes you buy are marketed as “flushable,” they’re not designed to break down in water the way toilet paper does. Instead, these products lead to massive clogs that only a drain cleaning service expert can remove.
Sink and shower clogs are usually caused by a combination of hair and soap, which can be a natural result of taking a shower or washing your hands. If you’re shaving in the bathroom, however, you need to do what you can to keep that hair from going down the drain and causing clogs. One of the best things you can do to avoid expensive drain cleaning calls as a result of hair and soap is install a drain catch in your shower.
Kitchen
Kitchens are another hot spot for clogs because so many homeowners don’t understand how to use a garbage disposal properly. While it might be tempting to scrape a plate full of food into the sink and run it through the garbage disposal, that’s not what garbage disposals are designed for. Instead, your disposal is meant to grind up any leftover bits of food that you couldn’t get off a plate or pan before rinsing it in the sink.
Before you rinse your dishes off, use a spatula or spoon to scrape as much food into the garbage as possible. You can install a drain catch in your kitchen sink to catch any leftover food before it goes down the drain. In particular, you should avoid putting the following things in your disposal:
- Animal bones
- Vegetables
- Fats, greases and oils
- Eggshells
- Coffee grounds
Liquid Drain Cleaner
If you want to help keep your drain clean in between drain cleaning service calls, the best thing you can do as a homeowner is use a liquid drain cleaner from time to time. The problem is, using the wrong liquid drain cleaner could cause more problems, leaving you with a massive plumbing bill when you could have simply paid to have somebody clean your drains.
Make sure you avoid chemical-based drain cleaners. While Drano might be a popular name, this chemical-based cleaner can cause damage to pipes as a result of a chemical reaction. Eventually, corrosion can get bad enough that you can have leaks in drain pipes in your home, which is a problem no homeowner wants to deal with.
Using an enzyme-based liquid drain cleaner is the best way to go, since they break down clogs without damaging pipes. You can ask a drain cleaning service company about their preferred drain cleaner if you need help choosing one.
Cleaning Your Own Drains
One way to avoid expensive drain cleaning service calls is to clean your own drains, but you need to know what you’re doing. Cleaning drains can lead to serious pipe damage, which is a lot more expensive than the cost of a simple drain cleaning service. When it comes to cleaning your own drains, make sure you use the right drain cleaner and take extra care not to damage anything.
In addition to using an enzyme-based liquid drain cleaner, you can also use a plunger to unclog slow drains. Simply place the plunger over the drain to create suction like you would in a toilet, then plunge away until the clog starts to loosen. If you’re not able to get a clog out with a plunger and a good liquid drain cleaner, make sure you call a drain cleaning service company instead of trying to dive deeper.
When to Call an Expert
While you can do a pretty good job of cleaning your own drains, you don’t want to cause any massive drain pipe damage that leads to more expensive repairs. When in doubt, it’s always best to call an expert.
The most important reason to call a professional for drain cleaning services is the fact that tools such as snakes and augers are dangerous to run. You can cause serious pipe damage by running a snake in your drain lines, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. A plumber knows the layout of your plumbing system and how to be delicate while removing clogs, so you don’t have to deal with the risk of busting a drain pipe in your Irving, TX, home when you get professional help.
Give Us a Call
Keeping your drains clean is a lot of work, but it’s well worth it when you consider the alternative. Clogged drains can lead to major problems, which is why Tioga Plumbing & Electric works so hard to help you keep your drains clean. If you need drain cleaning services for your Irving, TX, home, we’re always a phone call away. Not only will we get your drains unclogged quickly, but we’ll also do it without damaging pipes or costing you a fortune. Next time you have a clog you can’t remove, call Tioga Plumbing & Electric at 469-789-1292.
Photo By Lisa Culton at Shutterstock