Common Causes of Clogged Drains

There are many items in your home that can cause ongoing clogs in your drains and concerns with slow-moving drains throughout the home. If you’ve ever experienced a clogged drain in the kitchen, the bathroom, or even in the laundry room, it’s likely that you’ve wondered what could be the cause of the clog and how you can remove it. 

As professional plumbers, we have seen our fair share of unique clogs but there are definitely some common items that can lead to drain clogs over time. We do recommend regular yearly drain cleaning but there are definitely some avoidable situations with your drains that are highly preventable. Here are some of the most common causes of clogged drains and how you can avoid them:

Hair

Hair remains one of the most common ways that the drain in your shower can be clogged up over time. It doesn’t take long for hair to continue accumulating throughout the year and then continue to make your pipes drains slowly. Hair comes with a series of other materials such as skin cells, soap, shaving cream, and more to form massive clumps that can eventually make it difficult for your drains to unclog themselves. Using a commercial drain cleaner is a common solution for managing hair but this can often damage your pipes. Working with a professional to diagnose the issue and that unclog your pipes is a much safer solution for your plumbing. Installing a strainer on your drain for your shower and with your bathroom sink can often be an easy way that you can prevent ongoing hair clogs from becoming an issue with your pipes.

Soap Residue

Even though soap is technically designed to keep things clean, it can often clog up your pipes. When soap has the ability to accumulate in the pipes and it’s not rinsed out thoroughly, it can continue to cause drain clogs. Regular drain flushing with the help of pressure cleaning can make sure that soap build-up can be removed. A great way to prevent soap build-up is to regularly run your shower without using any kind of soap and to flush out the pipes with water between your showers. Soap residue can also be prevented by installing a water softener as this will often allow you to use less soap while still achieving the same level of clean.

Dirt Build-Up

When many people want to get clean by washing their hands or getting into a hot shower, they simply take for granted that the dirt and grime is going to make its way through the pipes and clear naturally. This has the chance to combine with other elements, it often leads to ongoing dirt build-up which can lead to clogged or slow-moving pipes. Regular drain cleaning can help to combat issues of dirt build-up which can be very difficult to remove from your pipes without professional assistance. 

Oil And Grease

Oil and grease can be a fairly common issue with the sinks where you commonly wash your dishes. Oil and grease have a tendency to cause extreme damage to your plumbing system and it can be difficult to clear out these types of clogs even with the help of a professional drain snaking. Making sure that you are taking care of any of the oil and grease that you have near your sink can be extremely important. Avoid the chance that you could pour greasy food or old oil down your drains. Consider an alternative option instead. If you have had an ongoing build-up of grease in your pipes, consider speaking to a professional immediately to flush out your pipes and repair the issue.

If you would like to learn more about regular drain cleaning and how you can prevent clogged drains throughout your home, contact us today to learn more. We can keep your drains running consistently!