Blocked drains are one of the most frequent issues that every house owner has to deal with sooner or later. Clogged or very slow-flowing drains are common in any area of the home starting from the kitchen sink to the bathtub and shower drain. Clogs are formed when such items as food particles, grease, hair, and soap residue are allowed to build up within the pipes, thereby blocking the water flow. This results in blocked sinks, bad odors, and water stagnation.

For existing clogs, let’s some tips that you can do at home such as using a plunger, a drain snake, or a chemical cleaner. We’ll also talk about when it is advisable to seek the services of a professional plumber especially when dealing with stubborn drain blockages. The following drain care tips will help you maintain your Albuquerque plumbing and keep it in a good condition for many years.

Prevent Clogs by Composting Food Scraps

One of the biggest contributors to kitchen drain clogs is food waste. Fruit and vegetable peels, eggshells, coffee grounds, and other food scraps quickly accumulate in drain pipes. Garbage disposals seem like an easy way to get rid of food debris, but over time they can actually cause clogs. The ground up particles collect in pipes along with fats and grease.

Composting is an effective way to divert food waste so that it never enters your drains in the first place. Composting involves collecting food scraps and yard waste in a designated bin where it breaks down into nutrient-rich soil over time. This prevents food particles from being flushed down the drain and forming clogs.

Setting up a compost bin outdoors is easy – you can purchase compact tumbling compost bins or build your own enclosure. For city dwellers with no yard space, indoor countertop compost bins collect scraps until you’re ready to empty it into a community compost pickup. Some cities even offer curbside food scrap collection to make composting super convenient.

Be Mindful of What Goes Down Each Drain

Trash Belongs in the Trash Can, Not the Toilet

Toilet drains are prone to clogs because they are not designed to handle anything other than human waste and toilet paper. Flushing other items down the toilet easily causes backups. Q-tips, tissues, paper towels, wet wipes, dental floss, and feminine hygiene products quickly get lodged in toilet drainage pipes.

These items belong in the bathroom trash can, not the toilet. Make sure everyone in your household knows this basic rule. Put a small trash can near the toilet to make it convenient. Educate guests as well, since you never know what others may try to flush. Following this simple practice prevents many avoidable toilet clogs.

Bar Soap Residue Contributes to Sink Clogs

When washing hands, bar soap leaves behind a residue in sink drains over time. The bits of soap that erode off the bar mix with particles of hair, toothpaste, and other gunk. This builds up layers of sticky slime on the inside of drain pipes. Chunks of bar soap can also break off and get lodged in drains.

Switching to liquid hand soap prevents this issue. Liquid soap rinses cleanly down the drain without leaving residue behind. Be sure to run plenty of hot water while lathering up, and when washing is complete to flush away any traces of soap. This keeps sink drains free of soap scum buildup for smooth water flow.

Give Pets Baths Outside to Avoid Hair Clogs

Wet pet hair is one of the worst offenders when it comes to shower and tub drain clogs. As water runs through your pet’s fur during bath time, strands of hair easily wash down the drain. This hair then sticks to pipes and entangles all the other gunk floating around.

The result is a tangled mat of hair blocking water flow. Pet hair is difficult to remove once wound around a clog. Give your dog or cat a bath outside when possible using a hose, sprayer, or bucket. This keeps all that hair out of your indoor drains in the first place.

Perform Preventative Drain Maintenance

Monthly Hot Water Flushes

A great way to keep all drains clear is to flush them monthly with hot water. Boiling hot water melts and flushes away built-up grease and grime. Pour a full kettle of hot water down each drain once a month. Start with bathroom sink and tub drains as they are often the most problematic. Repeat the process for kitchen sinks.

For extra cleaning power, mix 1⁄2 cup baking soda and 1⁄2 cup vinegar directly into the drain before rinsing with hot water. The fizzing reaction helps break down residue. Doing this treatment every 3-4 months prevents buildup and keeps pipes clear.

Install a Water Softener to Prevent Mineral Clogs

Hard water contains an abundance of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals that get left behind in pipes and drains. Over time these minerals form scale deposits along the inside of plumbing. Scale buildup narrows pipes, impeding water flow.

Investing in a water softener is the solution to prevent hard water clogs. Water softeners use salt or potassium chloride to remove the problematic hard water minerals. They transform the composition of the water running through your home’s pipes.

Call a Professional For Serious Clogs

If DIY methods cannot clear the clog, it’s time to call a professional plumber. Severe clogs require specialized tools and techniques. Plumbers like Day & Night Plumbing have high-pressure water jet systems that blast away even the toughest clogs in kitchen and bathroom pipes.

A plumber can also snake a drain much farther than is possible at home, reaching clogs further down the pipe. They have powerful electric drain snakes that easily chew through tree roots that sometimes infiltrate and crack pipes. Professional plumbers also inspect drain pipes with cameras to identify hidden issues and pinpoint the exact location of the clog.

Conclusion

Blocked drains are not something which you cannot avoid. In other words, Albuquerque homeowners can prevent most clogs in the first place by composting food waste, keeping track of what goes down each drain, and doing routine maintenance. However, if one gets through, then use a simple plunger, a snake or a chemical cleaner to remove simple blockade. For severe drain problems, do not attempt to tackle it yourself, instead hire a professional plumber. Drain maintenance is important to ensure that the plumbing system in a home is well functioning.