4 Ways to Prevent Drains from Clogging

A clogged drain is one of the most annoying problems a homeowner has to deal with, and also one of the most frequent plumbing issues. Here’s how you can prevent your drains from ever clogging in the first place.

Avoid FOG

Fats, oils, and grease (known in our industry as FOG) can clog up your drains more easily than you might suspect. That’s because FOG solidifies when it cools down, and it can stick to the sides of your pipes, building up quickly. Pour large amounts of these substances into a separate trash receptacle instead.

Use Cold Water When You Run the Disposal

Of course, some amount of FOG is bound to get into the drains anyway, but running the cold water as you rinse off the dishes and use the disposal can help. This solidifies the substances sooner so that the disposal can break them up and make it easier on your drains.

Know That Some Items Do Poorly in the Disposal

There are many items that just don’t belong in the drains even when you use your garbage disposal. This includes the following:

Hard foods: This includes popcorn kernels, meat bones and anything else you cannot break down with your own teeth.
Stringy foods: Celery, onion skins and other fibrous items can wrap around the disposal unit and stop the motor.
Pasta and rice: These my go into the disposal easily, but they can expand in your pipes and block the drains regardless of size.
Large chunks of food: Break them up to make it easier on the disposal.

Schedule Professional Drain Cleaning

Professional drain cleaning service can help to eliminate residue from the drains. Professional Bio-Clean pipe treatment clears out your drains so that debris cannot collect as easily, leading to less frequent clogs. Call Air Mechanical, Inc. for drain cleaning services in Ham Lake.