Drain maintenance is an important part of keeping your home’s plumbing healthy. So we have broken it down into three simple tips for maintaining your home’s drains.
1. Keep these things AWAY from your drain
There are a few things that you should never put down your drain but first and foremost: NEVER put pour liquid fats, oils, or grease down the drain. As these liquids cool they solidify and stick to the inside of your pipes, building up a clog inducing paste! Other things you should not chuck down your drain include:
- Eggshells, because their edges catch on other items and grow into larger clogs.
- Coffee grounds, because they stick to pipe walls and build into a paste when crammed into small areas.
- Unused medications, because they could leach into water reservoirs.
- Your daughter’s goldfish, because Flappy deserves better 🙁
2. Know how to clean your drain
Rule numero uno, do not use Liquid Drain Cleaners! Yes, I said it, do not use drain cleaners. Why? Because liquid drain cleaners can not tell the difference between that clog and your pipes. So yes it might clear out that clog but as soon as it is done it will start eating away at your pipes. So how should you clean your drain?
- Pour a large pot of very hot (but not boiling) water down your drain. Follow that up with some cool water to flush out the clogs you just melted away.
- For bonus points, you can use baking soda and vinegar. We recommend giving your drains this treatment once a month. All you have to do is pour half a cup of baking soda down your drain and followed by a half-cup of vinegar. Plug the sink and let it sit overnight. Flush the drain with hot water in the morning and they’ll work (and smell) like they’re brand new.
3. Keep these three things on hand…
An auger, a snake, and a cup plunger(Amazon links below). These three tools can help remove clogs despite your best efforts. A cup plunger can help for the small clogs but for the bigger one’s snakes work great!
Auger:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M9V5WS7/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_MkGWDbK6B58XT
Snake:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MJPVT9D/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_fmGWDb5SGJR3R
Cup plunger: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711CDTX1/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_wnGWDb58E5HP5
If you have any more questions about drain maintenance or need to talk to someone about a clog, give us a call at 410-938-7642 or schedule an appoint with Smith Drain Solutions!
