Clogged drains are a real pain. They occur at the worst possible time, and they can damage your plumbing system if not taken care of immediately.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to prevent your drains from becoming blocked in the first place. If you follow these simple tips, you should avoid the need for professional plumbers to come to your home and fix your drains.
1. Don’t flush nappies
Nappy waste is one of the biggest causes of blocked drains, but that doesn’t mean you can just flush it down your toilet. It is designed to be absorbent and so will swell when in contact with water, meaning it can easily become stuck inside your sewer pipe. For help with blocked drains in Melbourne, consider reaching out to a professional plumber for assistance.
This is especially true of modern nappies, which are made from plastic and wood pulp – a material that won’t break down in water like nappy fabrics will. It also doesn’t have the same wetness indicator as other disposables, which can cause it to clog your drain.
2. Don’t flush hair
If you want to avoid clogged drains, then it’s important not to flush hair. While it might seem like a harmless thing, long strands of hair can get stuck in tiny cracks and rough areas of your plumbing system, causing the blockage to grow larger over time.
It’s also important not to flush items such as dental floss, cotton balls and toilet paper down the toilet. These stringy objects can get tangled in the pipes and cause a blockage that no amount of chemical drain openers can resolve.
Another item that can clog your drains is cat litter. It contains clay and sand, which can create large clumps that can be hard to remove.
3. Don’t flush bulk toilet paper
If you live in a home with a toilet, you know how important it is to keep your drains working. Clogged pipes can be expensive and scary.
But you can easily prevent this by following a few simple rules. First, don’t flush anything other than human waste and toilet paper down your toilet.
While tissue paper, napkins, and sanitary wipes may seem like they’re safe to flush down the toilet, they can actually clog your drains.
Unlike toilet paper, these items are not designed to break apart in the sewer or wastewater. This makes them more likely to obstruct the pipe and cause a clog, which can lead to an expensive repair bill.
4. Don’t flush feminine products
Many public bathrooms have a sign that says “Don’t flush feminine products.” While it may seem simple, the advice to not flush these items is often misinterpreted.
The reason that this is important is because these products aren’t designed to break down like toilet paper, and they can clog your sewer drain pipe and cause issues.
They’ll also swell up as they absorb fluid, increasing in size and making it more difficult to move through the pipes.
This can lead to a blocked sewer, and it can damage the plumbing and septic system of your home. Plus, it’s not a good idea for the environment because it won’t be properly processed by wastewater-treatment facilities.
5. Don’t flush grease
Grease should never be poured down the drain because it can cause plumbing problems. As the grease cools it solidifies in your pipes and creates a gummy clog that can block up your sink or bathtub over time.
In addition, putting grease down the drain causes a burden on the sewer system and is expensive for our community to remove from wastewater treatment plants.
Fats, oils and grease (FOG) are the biggest culprits behind sewer clogs. They can tangle in pumps and drain pipes, causing a sewer overflow or backup into streets and waterways.
