Preventative Plumbing Maintenance - Drains

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could prevent a plumbing disaster before it happened? A little preventative maintenance will do the trick, saving you tons of money and unneeded stress along the way. We’ve outlined a few easy steps to help keep your drains in tip-top shape.

3 Tips to Keep Drains Clog-Free

Know what you CAN and CAN’T put down your drain. Avoid placing any stringy, starchy, or fibrous waste down the garbage disposal. Stringy celery and starchy potato peels can easily wrap around the blades in your disposal causing clogged drains. Other examples include poultry skins, carrots, and banana peels. Another no-no is pouring any kind of cooking oil or grease down the drain. These fats solidify in your pipes causing major blockage and headaches. Lastly, avoid placing pasta or rice down the drain because these foods expand as they absorb water and can easily clog the drain.

Avoid using harsh chemicals to clean your drains. It’s possible that these chemical cleaners can damage your pipes, especially if you have older metal pipes in your home. Besides potential pipe damage, these drain cleaners are extremely toxic if swallowed, can burn through clothing, can release poisonous gases, and can even cause explosions if not used correctly. Try using baking soda and vinegar to clean your drains. The chemical reaction between the baking soda and vinegar will knock food particles loose and remove any “sludge” that is blocking water in your pipes.

Purchase drain-covers/strainers to prevent debris and hair from clogging your pipes. For an inexpensive stop to the local home improvement store, these items can be a lifesaver for your home. Drain covers in the shower prevent hair from getting stuck in your drain and causing a nasty clog. The same goes for your kitchen sink, drain strainers/covers catch unwanted food particles and prevent them from getting lodged in your pipes.

By taking the time to make small adjustments in your home, you can prevent a lot of common plumbing problems. It’s easy to forget these simple maintenance tips when everything in the house seems to be flowing smoothly; however, it’s less expensive to prevent plumbing issues than it is to deal with plumbing disasters!

If you find yourself with a plumbing disaster in the Louisville area and need a professional, be sure to give ASI Plumbing a call at 502-271-1331 or schedule your appointment online.