Most plumbing related issues are the result of using your plumbing for purposes other than originally intended. Even the best-intentioned of homeowners sometimes don’t realize they are abusing their plumbing and wind up paying the price for an absentminded mistake.
While we know that we shouldn’t pour grease down the kitchen sink, we often use the sink in our garage to clean paintbrushes and tools caked with construction materials and putty. Then we wonder why our sinks take forever to drain.
While we will gladly come to your aid in any case of plumbing neglect, we thought we would put together a list of things to avoid doing to keep your plumbing in working order.
Follow these tips to avoid clogging drains:
1. Don’t dump water used to mop or clean down the drain without thinking to strain out and throw away debris.
2. Avoid styling and cutting hair over the sink. It is much better for your plumbing to sweep or vacuum up the hair than accidentally, or on purpose, wash it down the drain.
3. NEVER pour grease down the drain. Take grandma’s advice and strain it into a can to reuse or throw it out later.
4. Always run plenty of cold water when using the garbage disposal. Running water will flush the particles that could stick to the sides of the pipe.
5. Do not empty coffee grounds into the sink.
6. NEVER dump chemicals down the drain or clean paintbrushes and construction tools in the sink. Use a bucket and dispose of old paint and materials properly.
7. Use strainers in all of your bathroom drains to catch hair before it becomes a problem.
8. Clean your sink stoppers monthly.
9. Save money and your drains by not flushing excessive toilet paper. Dispose of other paper and sanitary products properly.
10. Avoid using chemical drain cleaning products. They are harsh on your plumbing and bad for the environment.
11. Avoid storing objects on the lid of the toilet tank. These objects cause problems when they fall in and are flushed accidentally.
Even when you take proper precautions clogs can still occur. Contact Michael’s Plumbing we’d be happy to help with your plumbing needs.