Blocked drains can be a source of frustration especially for home owners and businesses in the restaurant industry. However, in the vast majority of cases the right preventive measures can help prevent a drain from getting blocked. That said home owners will need to take a proactive approach towards ensuring that all five tips discussed in this article are applied. In the rare case that their drains do get blocked despite these preventive measures the problem will be big and often relate to the plumbing itself, but it’s something that many professional plumbers will be able to fix.
Keep trash away from your drain openings
This is the number one rule of preventing your drains from getting blocked. The vast majority of people who report blocked drains are also often ones that either intentionally or unintentionally dispose of trash in their drains. The accumulation of trash and dirt within a drain pipe can cause it to gradually start getting blocked. However, home or business owners only realize that their drains are blocked when water completely refuses to drain out from their establishments. Even though a regular plunger and other off the shelve drain opening solutions may work for mild blockages if they do not work you will need to hire a professional who may charge you based on how much time it takes for them to open the drain. Also, if blockages are left unchecked they can permanently damage your drainage system.
keep all drains covered
Leaves, grass, feathers, hair and just about anything that can be carried by the wind can end up in an open drain. When you have an open drain in your home you are inviting trouble, this is regardless of the size and type of drain. If it’s a drain in your bathroom for instance, make sure it is covered by something that has tiny holes, only allowing for water to pass through. The drains in your backyard should be adequately covered as well. Larger gutters should have a permanent cover which you never open since the larger the opening of the gutter the easier it is for trash to get in and the more difficult it is to clear out.
Do not pour acid down your drain regularly
There are many websites and so called gurus on the internet who recommend that people pour concentrated acid down their drains every week to prevent the buildup of dirt. However, acid can do more harm to your drain than good. It can corrode metal drains and if there is anything metal stuck inside it can even lead to an explosion. Apart from all this handling concentrated acid is dangerous and not recommended without the right gloves and goggles. Plus all this effort is pointless because it does nothing for your drain. A better idea would be to pour boiling hot water down your drain every week. This is far cheaper and less of a hassle as you’ll just need to open the hot water tap in your bathroom or kitchen.
Keep an eye on the flow of water
You should know when water is passing through your drain normally and when it has noticeably slowed down. When it starts to slow down, this is a good indicator that a block is forming. The easiest way to prevent blocked drains is to work on resuming normal flow right away. Use a plunger or a plumber’s snake to loosen the block and then use hot water to clear it. Identifying and fixing the potential problem will save you a great deal of time and money.
Check your pipes for corrosion and rust
Check your pipes each year for corrosion and rust both of which can end up becoming the root cause of a blocked drain. If you want to avoid an unannounced blocked drain then get all corroded, breaking and rusty drain pipes changed right away. Ideally, you will want to get it done just before the rainy season in your part of the world. That way everything will continue to work without a hitch.
Citations:
- Plumbing Maintenance Tips
Featured images:
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plumbing_inside_concrete.JPG
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumbing#mediaviewer/File:Cu_pipe_leonard.jpg
Mark is one of the leading experts on blocked drains and plumbing in Sydney. He is the author of various publications which include eBooks and blog posts about plumbing problems and fixing common problems without having to spend on hiring a professional. However, he does recommend hiring a professional when everything else fails.
