What You Need to Know About Unclogging Your Drain

Have you ever noticed the water going down your drain slowly taking longer and longer to clear out? If that’s ever happened to you, you almost certainly have a clog either forming or already formed in your piping. This isn’t something you should ignore. Here are some things you need to know about unclogging your drain.

How Your Drain Gets Clogged

Water is very rarely the only thing that goes down your drain. Many items can accumulate in your drain, leading to clogging that needs to be cleared out. Sometimes this becomes quickly apparent. It’s pretty obvious when something big goes down the drain. You probably notice it and take steps to remove the object before continuing with whatever you’re doing. More often, the particles going down the drain along with the water are smaller and easier to ignore. Over time, they can get stuck to the pipes and begin to build up. This results in that slower draining indicative of a clog.

How to Clear Your Drain

Once you’ve discovered that you have a clog, you need to take action. This isn’t a problem that’s going to fix itself, and ignoring it will only make it worse. There are a couple of ways you can go about clearing a drain. If the clog is close to the surface (depending on the drain), you may be able to pull it out manually. If it’s too far away, taking the pipes you can get to apart and cleaning them out really well may do the trick. Snaking your drain or plunging it can also be effective. While tempting, avoid using chemicals to clear your drain. If all else fails, call your plumber.

How to Prevent Future Clogs

Clogged drains are annoying, and clearing them can be a pain. They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. With how simple it can be to prevent future clogs, it’s hard to disagree. Be careful about what you allow to go down the drain. Drain covers can be a great way to prevent debris from making its way down the drain. Avoid allowing fats, oils, and grease to go down the drain. They can cause serious problems and backups as they cool and solidify in pipes.

Whether you’re washing dishes or taking showers, clogged drains are something of an inevitability over time. That is, unless you take measures to prevent them from happening. Make sure you understand where the problem is coming from and how to address it to prevent them from becoming a bigger issue down the road.

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