How to Evaluate Your Drains for Signs of Blockage and Prevent Future Problems

The majority of people don’t think about their drains until they start having problems. That’s when they realized that those slow drains weren’t just an annoyance but were a sign of a bigger problem. If you have slow drains, it’s essential to take action before the situation worsens. You can do a few simple things to evaluate your drains and see if they are starting to get blocked.

Check the Trap Under Your Sink

The trap under your sink is where most drain blockages occur. If you see water starting to build up in the trap, it’s time to take action. You can try using a plunger or snake to clear the blockage.

The trap is the U-shaped section of pipe under your sink, and it’s designed to catch debris before it has a chance to clog up your drain. Over time, however, the trap can fill up with hair, soap scum, and other gunk, eventually leading to a blockage. To prevent this from happening, cleaning out your trap regularly is essential. You can do this by disassembling the trap and removing the buildup with a wire brush or plumber’s snake.

If you’re uncomfortable doing this yourself, you can always call a professional plumber to take care of it. But either way, keeping your trap clean is essential to preventing drain blockages.

Check the Main Drain Line

Another area to check is the main drain line leading from your house. This can be checked by running water in your sink and timing how long it takes for the water to drain away. If it takes longer than usual, there may be a blockage in the main drain line. Again, you can try using a plunger or snake to clear the blockage. If that doesn’t work, you may need to call a plumber. By taking these simple steps, you can help prevent major drain issues in your home.

Tips to Prevent Future Clogs

If you’ve noticed that you’ve been dealing with more clogs than usual, you can take a few preventative measures to ensure that you won’t have plumbing issues in the future.

• Use your disposal properly: You can’t throw anything down your garbage disposal, and if you try to process something that it wasn’t designed to do, you could end up with clogged drains.
• Invest in a screen trap: There are screens available for a low price that are designed to cover drains in showers and sinks. These screens help to capture hair and other debris before they are flushed down the drain.
• Please do not flush any non-fluid items down the toilet. Because toilets were intended to flush only water, waste, and toilet paper, you should not flush anything else down the drain besides water, waste, and toilet paper. Instead, you should throw anything else away.
• Utilize an enzymatic cleaner: Enzymatic cleaners, despite the fact that they are not very effective at removing clogs, are often helpful when it comes to the maintenance of pipes. These formulations break down organic material that is adhering to the walls of your pipes, which prevents future clogs. Many of these formulations are even safe to use on septic systems.
• Call a plumber if you continue to have clogs in your drains but can’t figure out what’s causing them. It’s time to bring in the experts in this situation. They will be able to examine the plumbing in your house and determine what factors are contributing to the ongoing problems.

It’s no secret that drain cleaning in Elk Grove, CA, can be a significant pain. It not only makes a mess, but it can also be dangerous if not done correctly. That’s why it’s always best to let the experts handle it. Plumbers have the necessary training and experience to safely and effectively clean your drain, ensuring that your home is free of harmful bacteria and debris. In addition, they can also provide you with tips on how to prevent clogs in the future. So next time your drain needs a good cleaning, be sure to call in the professionals. Your drains will thank you!