Maintaining Drain Flow
There is nothing is more frustrating then a clogged drain! Here are a few tips and remedies to keep your kitchen and bathroom drains flowing. Drains can usually be cleared easily and inexpensively, but taking some simple precautions will help you avoid stop-ups.
- Kitchen sink drains clog most often because of a buildup of grease that traps food particles. Proper disposal of kitchen waste will help keep sink drain clogs to a minimum.
- DO NOT pour grease down the kitchen sink.
- DO NOT wash coffee grounds down the sink. Throw them out.
- Be sparing with chemical cleaners, particularly if you have brass, steel, or cast-iron traps and drainpipes; some caustic chemicals can corrode metal pipes.
- If used no more than once every few months, cleaners containing sodium hydroxide or sodium nitrate can be safe and effective.
- Clean floor drain strainers.
- You can easily remove these strainers and reach down into the drain with a bent wire to clear out accumulated debris. And be sure to scrub the strainer.
- •Clean pop-up stoppers in the bathroom sink and the tub regularly. Lift out sink pop-ups once a week and rinse them off.
- Every few months, remove the overflow plate on a tub and pull up the pop-up assembly to reach the spring or rocker arm. Remove accumulated hair and rinse thoroughly.
- Keep the sewer pipes from the house free of tree roots that may invade them. If roots are a particular problem in your yard, you may need to call in professionals once a year or so to clear the pipes. They’ll use an electric auger to cut out the roots.
If these remedies don’t help, visit the scheduling section of our website to schedule a service call, or you may call us at (405)-364-1001 and we will be glad to help with all your plumbing needs! Be sure to Like us on Facebook for future plumbing tips!
Blog information credited to allabouthome.com.
