Top Causes Of Clogged Drains
Plumbing that’s in good working order is much like a body’s digestive system – seldom seen or heard, it gets on with the important job of removing excess and waste. But when the drains or pipes get blocked, the results are often messy and unpleasant. There is never a convenient time to have to deal with the frustration of gummed up plumbing.
Top Causes Of Blocked Drains
Since 1983, the technicians at Art Rooter, Sewer & Drain Cleaning have been in the business of rescuing homes and families from blocked drains. Over this time we’ve seen the same types of things at the root of all the trouble. Here are some of the top causes of blocked drains.
Kitchen Sink
When it comes to the kitchen, the most obvious causes of blockage are the oil, fat and bits of food that get washed down the drain. But do you know that the soap you use to wash dirty dishes is also a problem? It seems logical that soap would continue its cleaning function as it washes down the pipes, but this is not the case. Some of the ingredients in the soap bind with the minerals in the water to form soap scum which gets stuck and hardens. When you add oil, grease and food particles to those deposits, it’s only a matter of time until a serious blockage occurs. Make sure to choose environmentally friendly liquid dish detergent to alleviate the build of soap scum in your kitchen.
Bathroom
Soap is a culprit in the bathroom too. Showers and baths are hot spots for clumps of hair that are shed while washing. The soap scum gets caught up in the hair, causing a build up over time that can result in bad odors and more serious complications if not removed.
Toilets are often used as a convenient trash can for toiletry items like cotton swabs and feminine sanitary products. These don’t always flush away successfully and can lurk in the tight curves, gathering more objects over time. Even wads of toilet paper can lump together and cause blockages.
The height of a toilet makes it the perfect place for toddlers to dump their toys and other foreign objects. The size and shape of these objects will often cause them to lodge securely in awkward positions and then act as catchment nets for all the other things that would normally flush away easily.
Outside
Drains outside the house often gather twigs, leaves and stones. Rotting leaves on a compost heap are one thing, but the same natural process inside one’s pipes is not good. Apart from the pools of water and the bad odor, untreated plumbing issues can be a health risk.
Tree roots can cause major trouble. Tree root issues are often caused by fine cracks in the underground pipes. Moisture spills from the crack attracting the thirsty tree roots. The living, growing nature of roots can wreak havoc with an underground plumbing system. The roots grow quickly once inside the pipes and not only block the flow, but can also split the pipes. Qualified plumbers are equipped with rooter tools that can resolve this issue and get things flowing again as they should before further costly damage is incurred.
Whether you are dealing with a sink that won’t drain, a backed-up toilet or a tangled snarl of tree roots beneath your home, plumbing issues have the ability to grind normal life to a halt. The qualified plumbers from Art Rooter, Sewer & Drain Cleaning are trained to deal with all plumbing issues, big and small, efficiently so that you can get on with your life. They will get dirty so that you don’t have to.
