The most common plumbing problem that can be solved by a home-owner, is unclogging drains. A household can spend hundreds of dollars a year and many hours of labor trying to fix blocked and partially blocked drains. According to the professionals we spoke to at Houston plumbing companies such as Champs, most clogs are avoidable, if the home-owner knows what causes them and how to prevent them.

Clogs typically occur in the U-bend or lateral sections of plumbing. These are sections of plumbing where the water flow is slowed down and sediment and debris will gather. As the debris accumulation grows, more debris is caught and slows the water down further. The slower moving water allows more debris to get stuck until the drain is fully clogged. The best way to stop clogs is to understand what causes them and prevent them from occurring.

In the kitchen, drains are under a constant assault of clog producing debris. Food scraps, fat, grease, bone, soaps and other debris are often washed down through the drain and into the plumbing system. Fibrous waste like banana peals and potato skins are especially bad about forming drain clogs. Grease is one of the worst clogging agents to find its way into the drain. Hot grease makes it further down the drain before it starts to cool and thicken. After a while buildup can create a very long clog that is far more difficult to get rid of. Boston plumbing companies, such as Champs, are skilled at getting out the tougher clogs that grease and similar build-ups can create over time.

Bathroom sinks are under the same type of risks as kitchen sinks. Hair, toothpastes, and shaving creams are the main culprits of bathroom sink clogs. Hair can make very long clogs, similar to the once caused by grease in the kitchen. Long hair captures other debris and can create a clog that may be several inches long. Densely packed hair can act as a filter and capture even more debris and form a hard clog.
Toothpastes, gels, and shaving cream are sticky and can cement a clog together.

The best tool that helps to prevent clogs, in the kitchen, is a garbage disposal. Having a professional plumber install this device under the kitchen sink can help to eliminate clogging by food. The disposal grinds and pulverizes food so that it is less likely to get stuck in the drain. This is expensive, but may pay for itself rather than face constant clogged drains. Dallas plumbing companies recommend investing in a quality disposal that will provide years of service.

Other things to do is to never pour grease down the drain, even with a garbage disposal. Pour hot grease into a separate container and let it cool, then discard the grease with the trash. Large food items like bones, and peels should be disposed of in the trash as well. Never force peels through the sink's strainer.

Strainers in the kitchen and bathroom should be cleaned weekly to remove any hair, food, or other debris from them. Dump the waste into the trash, not back into the sink. When straining pasta, make sure that you have small wholes to prevent food from going into the drain. You can even use a paper towel to allow the water through but keep the pasta within the strainer.

When using gels, pastes or creams, in the bathroom, do not use too much. Limit the amount of these things that go into the drain by only using what you need. Cleaning the sink after every use is easier on the drains than a weekly cleaning. Washing a weeks worth of build-up at one time is more likely to get stuck in the drain than a little at a time. As with the kitchen, clean the strainer at least every week of any hair or larger debris.

At the first sign of a slow drain, use a plunger or drain cleaner to get rid of the clog. For persistent clogs, call a plumbing professional. They may be able to spot plumbing problems that may be increasing your risks of clogs.