Plumber Tips: Common Causes Of Drain Clogs In Your Home | Hinckley, IL
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While plumbing pipes bring water into your home, drainage systems drain water that has been used. Drain clogs are common plumbing issues that most homeowners, if not all, usually experience.
Blockages can occur in your kitchen sinks, toilets, or bathroom. A clog in the kitchen sink may be of less concern. But with time, it can cause severe problems that result in costly repairs.
So, if you experience clogging, you should reach out to an experienced plumber without delay. If you ignore a blocked drain, it will affect the flow of wastewater in the drain pipes.
In worst scenarios, it can cause backflow issues, pipe bursts, or water damage. A single blockage can be a headache, but it’s easy to diagnose only with the help of a certified plumber in Hinckley, IL.
To avoid the inconveniences caused by clogged drains, you should understand how they happen. Although you can identify clogging by different signs, including slow draining sinks or gurgling sounds, you should know the following causative factors to know when to call a professional.
Hair
Hair is a common cause of clogging in bathtubs and bathroom sinks. Hair that falls from your body when showering or combing goes down the drain pipes and gets stuck, causing clogging. Some homeowners also habit shaving hair over the sink, which also causes drainage issues when they combine with other substances, such as soap and grease.
Removing visible hair on the drains may not clear the problem, and what you can do is to call a plumber to inspect the drainage system. Since you cannot control the hair that comes off your body, it’s best you clean hair brushes over a trash bin to reduce the chances of clogging. You can also request a plumbing service to install sink guards to keep hair off the drains.
Tree Roots Intrusion
As drain pipes age, they become susceptible to cracking or bursting. When they break, water leaks make the areas beneath your yard moist. If you have trees around your home, their roots begin to grow toward a wet environment.
These roots grow with time to the point of bending or shrinking the pipes, thereby interrupting the smooth flow of water. Tree roots not only cause clogging but also result in pipe damage or bursting.
Plus, falling leaves and plant debris can result in blockage issues when they come into contact with the drain pipes.
Getting rid of intruding roots can be a complex task that requires a professional. As a homeowner, it’s advisable to plant trees away from the drain pipes, and if you have them around, you should keep them well-watered.
Food Substances
Food waste usually causes clogging in the kitchen sinks. Although most homeowners have garbage disposals beneath their sinks, they can still experience clogging because some fail to watch what they flush down the sink.
Food substances, including coffee grounds, eggshells, potato peels, and tea leaves, do not break easily. Flushing these substances frequently cause a build-up to the point of causing blockages in the drainage systems.
You should have a separate waste bin to dispose of foods that cannot go down the drain pipes. When you experience clogging in your sink, you should not try to resolve the issue on your own instead, contact a plumbing professional right away.
Toiletries
These are known to be the leading causes of blocked drains in Hinckley, IL, homes. Most homeowners dump toiletries down the drains, which results in clogging in pipes and sewer lines.
Some items that cause clogging include nappies, baby wipes, sanitary pads, diapers, and facial wipes. Apart from toilet paper, you should not flush other materials down the drains.
However, tissue paper can also cause blockage when used in excess. If you use a lot of it, a plumber recommends you flush the toilet in two cycles to prevent clogging. Some items such as sanitary pads don’t degrade quickly, and they absorb water and enlarge to cause drainage issues.
Professionals urge homeowners to dispose of such products in the right place. If you ever experience blockages in the drainage system, seek help from a professional immediately.
Accumulation of Oils, Fats, and Grease
These substances result in drainage issues in most homes. It’s a problem that’s difficult to resolve once the oils find their way into the drain pipes. These products accumulate over time to the point of blocking water flow.
When cleaning utensils, fatty substances, and grease get to the drains, solidify, and accumulate on the walls of the pipes, and may prevent water from passing through.
Some homeowners may pour hot water, hoping to unclear the drains, but the problem may persist. It would be wise to contact a plumber to unclog the drainage system.
Such a professional can also install grease interceptors to prevent oils and grease from getting to the drains. You can save yourself time and money by disposing of such substances in a trash can.
Broken Pipes
Drain pipes can crack due to old age, temperature changes, or tree roots intrusion. When this happens, solid particles, small stones, and plant debris may enter through pipe openings.
These materials accumulate over time and may even end up blocking water flowing down the drainage system. Clogging due to broken pipes may be difficult to notice, so it’s essential to have a regular inspection to examine the condition of the pipes. A professional plumber can identify cracked pipes and repair or replace them if necessary.
Use of Unrecommended Cleaning Detergents
Every homeowner uses a specific detergent when cleaning their toilet or bathroom. Some of these chemicals may cause damage to the drainage system since they may not dissolve when you flush them down the drain.
As a result, these products build up over time to cause clogging. To avoid such situations, you should seek advice from a plumber when shopping for detergents. Also, you should hire a professional to examine your pipes and clear the build-up debris regularly.
Just In Time: A Trusted Plumber in Hinckley, IL
Are you looking for a plumber? Call Just In Time for professional plumbing services. Whether you need re-piping, toilet installing, sewer repair, or service for clogged drainage systems, we can help you.
Our service trucks are ready, and by making a call, we can arrive at your home right away to address your plumbing issues. We offer plumbing service repair, replacement, and new installations.