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The last thing you want to happen to your property is for it to have a clogged drain. Just imagine the horror of having all your wastewater backing up from your sink and bathroom! Thankfully, a clogged can be relatively easy to troubleshoot but tricky to solve.
If you want to know the common causes and the appropriate solutions, continue reading.
1. Dirt And Trash
While preventing your pipes from draining out dirt is unavoidable, you must still consciously avoid allowing dirt to get in them. Dirt can quickly accumulate in your pipes, just like with hair. And if other potentially clogging materials like grease, soap, and hair are present in the drainage, the clog can quickly worsen.In such cases, professional drain cleaning services may be necessary to effectively remove the obstruction and restore proper flow.
Aside from dirt, it’s common for pipes to get clogged because of trash such as used wipes, napkins, and tissues. And even if your wipes say they’re flushable, you might want to think twice before you do throw them in the bowl. To know more about this, go to metropolitanplumbing.com.au.
Solution: Typically, a dirt buildup immediately requires using a plumber’s snake. Don’t rely on chemical cleaners on this one, as it won’t help much, especially if you know that the pipe you’re going to clean doesn’t have grease buildup. Using a drain auger can significantly help as well.
2. Hair
Hair is one of the most common reasons your drains get clogged. Remember that as you shower or bathe, a bit of hair falls off and gets sucked into the drain without you knowing. After some time, these strands of hair accumulate and clog your drainage.
Solution: Normally, you wouldn’t know that hair is the culprit, especially if you go for this solution, which is to use a plunger to let the clog loose. Doing it this way won’t damage your piping.
However, if you genuinely suspect hair is the issue, you may want to use a drain cleaner. Remember that using chemicals can pose a small risk of damaging your pipes. If the clog is stubborn and chemical cleaners and a plunger won’t do, you might want to use a plumber’s snake instead.
3. Food
Food waste can quickly get onto your pipes through your kitchen sink. And it doesn’t matter if you have a garbage disposal on your sink—some morsels can still get through it and start a clog.
Note that it’s not just morsels of food waste. Common fine food materials such as ground coffee and shredded tea leaves can also start a clog. After all, they don’t just dissolve over time, unlike most food wastes.
Solution: If you have a garbage disposal, you better check if it’s working as intended. A malfunctioning sink garbage disposal can ease food waste into your drainage. Meanwhile, a plumber’s snake is needed for persistent clogs. A chemical cleaner should suffice for minor clogs that only slow down the flowing liquid from fully draining.
4. Shifted Pipes
Sometimes, there aren’t clogs in your pipes. Instead, a line that shifted or offset is the problem. This often happens with old pipes made from clay and concrete are highly susceptible to going. This shift can cause blockage.
Solution: A shifted pipe is already out of your hands. For this one, you need a professional. Also, it’s often that you wouldn’t know about this problem until an actual professional has already diagnosed your drainage or if the shifted pipes have become visible above ground, which doesn’t happen too often.
5. Tree Roots
Tree roots are one of the most common reasons pipes can get shifted. Aside from that, tree roots can also penetrate a line or drainage. And if it does happen, multiple things can happen. One, the tree root can block the pipe. Two, the tree root may shift the line differently, leading to leaks.
Solution: Calling professionals is the best course of action here. You can remove the tree root on your own; however, it’s not as simple. You can’t know if the tree root also hit other pipes and connections in your property. Not to mention that you need to replace the damaged tubes. It’s a lot of work, and it’d be better for you to delegate this task to the pros.
6. Hard Water
Not all tap water is the same. Some states may have soft water; some may have hard water. And if you have hard water, mineral buildup will be one of your problems with your pipes. Hard water is water rich in minerals.
And these minerals often stick to your lines and drain over time. These deposits can effectively reduce the flow of liquid in the pipes and may even result in back-ups.
Solution: There are commercially available chemicals that can help reduce the mineral buildup in your pipes. However, getting a professional plumber to descale your pipes is better. And if this problem becomes too persistent, consider getting a water softener, which can help slow down the rate of mineral buildup in your pipes.
Conclusion
Those are the common causes of clogged drains and their respective solutions. You can expect that you may need to call a pro to get the job done right. After all, plumbing is a messy affair you wouldn’t want to dabble in and make mistakes in.
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