Blocked drains and clogged pipes can cause your sinks, toilets, and showers to drain slower, but the real consequences are much more severe. These blockages can cause your pipes to break, which leads to expensive water damage. Also, the resulting smell is absolutely terrible. For more severe blockages you will need to call a plumber, but you can keep your home sanitary long term by avoiding these 10 mistakes.
Ignoring Your Trees
As trees grow, their roots spread out, extending out as far as their branches. These roots can easily puncture your pipes, resulting in devastating blockage. Concerned about a tree that’s a little too close to your house? High-pressure water jets can be used to cut tree roots, so be sure to reach out to a professional for help before your pipes are damaged.
Flushing Toiletries
Flushing makeup wipes, paper towel, and sanitary pads down the toilet can block your drains. You can try to use a plunger to unclog them, but just throwing these items in the bin will save you a lot of stress long term.
Not Establishing Flushing Rules
Foreign objects tossed down the toilet by kids is a common cause of drain blockages. Having a talk with your children about what does and doesn’t go down the drain will keep you from having to snake out a handful of toys in the future.
Pouring Cooking Oil Down the Drain
Cooking oil should never go down the drain. It solidifies as it cools, making it difficult for water to pass through your pipes. Some blockages will require a licenced plumber to clear, so be sure to store the oil in a container before throwing it into the bin.
Not Clearing Off Food Scraps
Food scraps are one of the most likely culprits of a clogged drain, and garbage disposals don’t help as much as you might think. Opt instead for a composting pile. It’s eco-friendly and keeps your drains and pipes nice and clean!
Allowing a Mineral Buildup
Insoluble masses from mineral buildup in your water can block your drains, resulting in a clog that typically takes a professional to fix.
A water softener will filter out these hard water minerals for you.
Using Fatty Soaps
Most soaps contain grease or fat, which causes soap scum and has the potential of clogging your pipes. Opting for alternative soaps or hiring someone to pressure clean your pipes will help prevent soap buildup.
Not Using a Drain Catcher
Having a drain catcher in your bathtub or shower will help keep hair from going down the drain, saving you the rather unpleasant task of having to pull the hair out from the drain yourself.
Neglecting Your Gutters
The natural debris buildup in your gutters can overload your pipes. Severe overloads will necessitate new pipes, but you can avoid this issue by clearing your gutters regularly.
Getting Cat Litter in Your Drain
The clay and sand in cat litter make it one of the most damaging things to go down your drains. Always throw your litter in the bin, or you’ll more likely than not have some severe clogs in your pipes.
You Might Need a Professional
Already poured cooking oil down the drain or flushed wipes down the toilet? Unfortunately, there’s only so much you can do to fix these problems yourself. Your severely damaged pipes may need replacing, so be sure to reach out to an insured and licenced plumber before the blockage escalates.
