The Basics Behind Preventive Drain Cleaning
April 03, 2024
Most homeowners don’t consider drain cleaning until one or more drains in their home begin to show signs of trouble. However, drain cleaning is not only the solution for slow drains but also the perfect way to prevent them. Preventive drain cleaning clears away buildup before it can fully form a clog and affect plumbing function in your home, helping you to avoid slow or completely stopped-up drains and the associated trouble they cause. Your Omaha plumber can help you develop the right preventive drain cleaning plan for your home to lower your risk of ever dealing with a slow drain again.
How Drain Clogs Form
Drain clogs have many different origins and form in several different ways. The most common cause of drain clogs is organic debris, such as hair, soap scum, skincare or hair products, other substances that are flushed down your drains, particularly in bathroom sinks, tubs, and showers. Kitchen sinks often experience clogs due to food scraps and grease or fat that is flushed down the drain and becomes lodged in the pipes below the sink. Drain clogs may also form more slowly over time, as dissolved minerals in your water are deposited onto the interior surfaces of your pipes, slowly building up and restricting the area through which water can flow. Sewer drain clogs may even be caused by tree or plant roots that have broken into the pipe and filled the available volume in search of water.
How Preventive Drain Cleaning Helps
Preventive drain cleaning is a regular practice that aims to eliminate the buildup inside your pipes that eventually leads to clogs. There are several techniques and products you can use to preventively clean your drains; because this type of drain cleaning is meant to prevent clogs, it should be performed even if your drains are acting normally. If you have a drain that is beginning to show the first signs of a clog, preventive cleaning may also be an effective way to prevent a larger clog from taking hold. One of the simplest ways to preventively clean your drains is to pour a pot of boiling water down each drain in your home once every one to two months. The hot water will liquefy any products or greases and dislodge buildup, flushing it through the drain system. Alternatively, pouring a bit of enzymatic drain cleaner down each drain in your home will also break up any organic debris to prevent clogs from forming. Only enzymatic or other eco-friendly drain cleaners should be used for clog prevention—you should never use a caustic drain-clearing chemical as a preventive measure, as overuse of these products is associated with plumbing damage that can lead to leaks and other issues. To preventively clean your kitchen sink and disposal drain, plug the drain and fill your sink with two to four inches of cold water. Remove the plug, run the water, and turn on your disposal; the influx of water will help to clear out the disposal and its drainpipe to flush away any debris that may be lodged inside.
Preventive drain cleaning is a great way to protect your Omaha plumbing from stubborn and irritating clogs. If you do experience a drainage problem or have questions about how to prevent clogs, contact your plumber via our website for personalized advice and information. We also encourage you to scroll through our blog for even more helpful home plumbing tips.