Drain clogs are one of the most common annoyances for residential plumbing, and we’re certain you’ve run into a few over the years. Sometimes a plunger can clear them, other times you need to call for professional plumbers to work their craft. We offer fantastic drain cleaning in Frederick, MD for when the plunger won’t solve the problem. (And please don’t try to use chemical drain cleaners as an alternative. These chemical concoctions can damage your pipes and aren’t that effective.)
We’re going to list five common sources of drain clogs to help you get a better idea of why calling professional plumbers is the best step when you’ve got clogged or slow drains.
I. Hair
This is the most common cause of clogs for shower drains, and it happens often in bathroom sink drains as well. Although hair may not seem like it should create tough clogs, the problem is that hair quickly accumulates down inside the p-trap of a drainpipe (the curved pipe section beneath a drain) and starts to catch even more hair. This will eventually become a snarl, and only drain cleaning can remove it. We recommend you have strainers placed in your shower and bathroom sink drains to help keep as much hair as possible from going down them.
II. Fats, oils, and grease (FOG)
Moving to the kitchen, we find the great enemy of kitchen sink drains. Because fats, oils, and grease are liquid when hot, they create the illusion they can be harmless poured into drains and disposals. But when they cool, they turn into waxy solids that are difficult to remove and will make it much easier for the drain to clog (or the disposal to jam). Powerful hydro-jetting from professionals can remove layers of FOG from drainpipes.
III. Soap scum
This is the residue from soap that hasn’t fully dissolved in hot water, and it’s a problem for drains all around the house. It’s worse if the house has hard water, which makes it harder for soap to dissolve. Soap scum not only leads to clogs, it can create chemical reactions with the drainpipes leading to corrosion. Regular drain cleaning helps to get rid of soap scum buildup.
IV. Hard water deposits
Hard water makes it easier for soap scum to develop, but it creates direct trouble as well. The calcium of magnesium of hard water will build up on pipes around the house, and drain clogs are often one of the first serious problems this causes. Drain cleaning can solve the problem for the drains, but hard water needs to be combated at the source with a whole-house water softener.
V. Deeper drain and sewer issues
Is more than one drain in your house slow or blocked? Then you may have a major problem with the drainage system or the sewer line—and you shouldn’t hesitate to call for plumbing assistance. Leaving this problem unresolved can lead to sewage flooding into your house and other extremely unpleasant and unhygienic conditions.
Schedule drain cleaning with Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing. We promise to exceed expectations at every turn.