If water is creeping closer to the rim of your toilet, chances are you’re just about on your last nerve. Clogged toilet and drain problems can do that to a person, even the calmest and most even tempered among us.
And yet it stands to reasons that if you know what causes a drain or toilet to clog in the first place, you most likely can prevent some or most of these nuisances in the first place – right?
Well, below you’ll find five of the leading causes of clogged drains, and how to prevent them. Make a real or mental note of them, and you’ll be on your way to reducing your plumbing and drain repair costs.
- Grease – Not only do grease and cooking oils stick to the inside of your drain pipes, they act like a magnet – perhaps more like a spider web – as they attract and retain other drain clogging substances. Sooner or later, the water has nowhere to go, and you have a real problem on your hands. As a counter strategy, pour all grease and used cooking oils into a disposable container, and then toss it out with the rest of your trash.
- Paper – You wouldn’t throw an old term paper down the toilet, would you? Even though, depending on the grade you received, you might be tempted to! But that aside, you’re essentially doing the same thing – over and over again – if you flush any paper other than toilet paper down your toilet. Cigarette butts, paper towels, wipes, and all the rest belong in the trash.
- Soap Residue – Yes, even an item you expect to flow smoothly down a drain can build up over time, forming a solid barrier that could eventually require professional drain cleaning. Keep in mind we’re talking about solid bars of soap. Liquid soaps pose no such risk.
- Hair – Wet, loose strands of hair can cling to just about anything, and your sink traps and drain lines are no exception. If you can, cover your sink and tub drains with screens or use specially designed filters that enable you to collect and dispose of loose hair.
- Hard water – That’s right, the very water you’re relying on to wash your clothes, body, hair, dishes, and more can be the very thing causing your clogged drain problems, but ONLY if you have hard water. How can you tell? The usual symptoms include: stains on your dishes, spotting on your glasses, soap scale inside your tub or shower, white clothes that turn grayish in the wash, and others. Sound familiar? Then it’s time to have your water tested by Arnold Plumbing.
We can also take care of any sewer or drain problem you might be having. Drain cleaning, sewer and drain repair, drain replacement and installation – we do it all. And all with your satisfaction guaranteed.
