Accumulation of hair and debris in your plumbing system can result in clogs that prevent water from flowing through. Backups in your toilet, bathtub, and sink can cause slow draining. Summer months are especially prone to clogs as people lose hair and other foreign objects in their plumbing systems. Understanding your plumbing system and learning how to prevent and eliminate clogs is essential to extend the life of your plumbing components.

1. Brush Your Hair Before You Take a Shower

Hair in the drain can clog pipes, which leads to slow-running toilets and bathtubs. Take the time to brush your hair before you shower. The minute slivers of hair lodged in your pipes will cause a clog, so removing them before you shower will help to keep your drains clear. You can also use a fine mesh strainer to catch hair before it enters the drain. Maintaining a hair-free drain and preventing clogs during the summer months is essential.

2.Flush Drains Regularly

Flushing hot water down the drain will help remove debris and prevent buildup. Keeping up with regular cleaning and flushing is essential to keeping clogs out of the system. Using your toilet regularly will help keep it from getting clogged and will allow you to see if there are any issues present. Kitchen faucets should also be flushed after you use them. Grease and oily food can build up in faucets; therefore, they must be flushed regularly.

3.Only Flush Waste and Toilet Paper Down the Toilet

Dumping anything other than waste and toilet paper down the toilet can cause clogs. Even if toilet paper seems to break down quickly, it doesn’t fully break down during its sewer trip. Instead, it accumulates with hair and other debris, creating a solid mass that traps water inside the pipe. Misusing the garbage disposal can also cause clogs. Food particles can get trapped inside the blades, causing a jam that can take several hours to clear, even if you clean it regularly.

4. Schedule a Drain Cleaning

Clogs can occur instantly, making them difficult to detect. To prevent clogs, schedule annual drain cleaning in your home or business. Professional plumbers are trained to identify and remove clogs with specialized equipment. Professional drain cleaning helps keep clogs from occurring in the first place and will extend the life of every component of your plumbing system.

5.Avoid Using Chemical Cleaners

Cheaper versions of drain cleaners are readily available in supermarkets and drug stores. They may be tempting, but corroding metal pipes can do more harm than good. Pipes so corroded cannot carry water efficiently, causing clogs and leading to even more costly repairs. The best way to avoid the clogs caused by hair and debris is to have your pipes cleaned by a professional instead of using the chemical cleaners you buy in stores.

Hair and debris can cause clogs in your plumbing system and cost homeowners hundreds of dollars in repairs. Disciplined prevention is essential to extend the life of significant plumbing components and prevent clogs. Professional companies that do annual drain cleaning are equipped to detect clogs and help to eliminate them in the plumbing system. Grand Forks, ND, residents looking for drain cleaning services should contact Total Care Plumbing for fast, reliable service.