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Preventing Plumbing Issues Before They Become Expensive Problems

Drain Cleaning: How you cause your slow drain problems.


No one likes to waste money, but so often, when it comes to household plumbing issues, people do. They pay good money to have professionals unclog pipes and clean up other issues, only to continue to do the things that caused the problems in the first place.

Recurring issues aren’t just annoying; they’re also expensive. After the professionals leave, it’s up to you to maintain the work you hired them to do. Otherwise, you might be seeing them around more often than you’d like.

Here are some of the most common household plumbing issues and how to prevent them.

Baby On Toilet.jpg

Slow-Draining Toilets

If your toilet isn’t draining as quickly as it should, it’s probably because of a partially blocked drain. The best and easiest way to prevent this blockage is to be conscious of what you’re putting into your toilet.

The only materials that should be flushed are human waste and toilet paper. It’s a common misconception that smaller items like floss, hair and medication can be flushed without consequence, but these little things add up.

Here are some other materials you should definitely avoid flushing:  

Paper Towel s

Backed-Up Shower Drains

It doesn’t take much for a shower drain to get backed up, and it’s always a hassle to take care of. Fortunately, preventing this type of issue is actually pretty easy.

Investing a few dollars to buy a small hair catcher that fits into the opening of your drain is only a small price to pay to keep your drain clean. Yes, it’s a little gross to empty, but that little effort can save you big bucks in the long run.

If your drain is already a little backed up, you can loosen the gunk by flushing your pipes with a gallon of boiling water. After you pour the water into the drain, run regular water for about five minutes afterward. Doing so continues to help push out the buildup.


Clogged Kitchen Sinks

Similar to your toilet, you have to be conscious of what you’re putting down your kitchen sink. Take note of the items mentioned above. If they shouldn’t go down your toilet, they definitely shouldn’t go down your sink. 

Scraps of food and other solid materials tend to accumulate in the elbow pipe. While some food might make its way past the elbow, it’s best not to put anything solid down there.

Using sink traps or sink screens is the best way to keep excess food from going down your drain. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Cleaning an elbow pipe is no quick task.   Here are some things you should keep from going down the drain:

Coffee grounds

Unforeseen Circumstances

Of course, not every situation is preventable. Keep this in mind. If a storm ruins your pool or if tree roots keep plugging up your sewer line, it’s neither the professional’s fault nor your fault that an issue has arisen. No one is liable—only Mother Nature. 

Serious plumbing problems don’t typically appear over night. They happen gradually, which means you have every opportunity to prevent them from happening in the first place.

Being conscious of what you’re putting into your drain and investing in a few cheap, drain-protecting devices is all you need to prevent common plumbing issues from burning a hole in your wallet.