5 tips to prevent blocked drains in the home
Prevent blocked drains
If you would like to prevent blocked drains in your home, we are going to offer you five tips that will help you to do so. The place to begin is knowing why it is that your drains become blocked. Once you know this you can begin figure out ways of keeping them clear.
There is a fundamental difference in what blocks kitchen drains as opposed to what clogs up bathroom drains – something we go into in more depth below. So, let’s get started. Here are our tips.
The DIY approach to bathroom drains
To help prevent blocked drains in your home you can use two basic household substances – gold old table salt and vinegar.
Bathroom drains usually get gummed up because sticky substances are poured down them. These substances include things like soap, shaving cream and toothpaste.
The other culprit is hair. These are all everyday, ordinary substances which are part of our daily routines. You cannot simply stop using or shedding them.
What you can do to prevent blocked drains is to pour a minimum of one tablespoon of salt down the drain, then empty a quarter cup of plain white vinegar on top. Allow the mixture to sit there for at least one hour. Once the time is up, pour in plenty of hot water. To get the best results you should do the whole operation twice.
Keeping sinks clean
As well as using the salt and vinegar routine described above to prevent blocked drains, you should back this up every now and again by pouring a little household bleach down the drain. For maximum effect pour it in before you go to bed. Then allow it to remain there overnight. The minimum amount of time for it to work is one hour. Overnight is better.
Degrease your kitchen sink
Unless you take appropriate measures, over time a build up of grease will occur in your kitchen sink. You can prevent blocked drains like this in the kitchen sink quite easily. Pour liquid dish detergent down the plughole followed by a large volume of boiling water.
You need to use red-hot water. Just fill a large pan and bring it to boil on your cooker. Just before the water boils, pour a minimum of one tablespoon down the sink. Follow that immediately with the boiling water – adding a little at a time.
The detergent acts to dispel the grease in the same way as it does when you use it to wash your plates. The hot water will remove any grease deposits that have built up. It is wise to do this two or three times in succession.
Don’t use hot tap water
Don’t be tempted to use hot water from the tap; not unless you have a boiler tap. Ordinary hot tap water just isn’t hot enough to remove the grease – even with detergent.
Although you wouldn’t expect a large build up of grease in your bathroom sink or bath, it is still recommended you use boiling water. You can also use dish detergent if you wish.
Cold water and garbage disposal units
If you have a garbage disposal unit connected under your sink, don’t wash the garbage through with hot water from the tap. This is because the hot water melts and softens any grease and fat. It encourages the grease to wash through and it can then coat the pipes.
It’s best to use large volumes of cold tap water. This keeps the oil more solid allowing the disposal unit to break it up. When cleaning and degreasing a sink with a built-in garbage disposal unit, boiling water it again best.
Outside drains
As far as outside drains are concerned, these too can get blocked from time to time. The culprit is usually a build-up of fallen leaves. The easiest way to prevent this is to cover the drain with something like chicken wire.
Do you live in South London? Did you not think to prevent blocked drains inside or outside your property? Do you have a blockage that you cannot clear with a rubber plunger? You may need professional help.
Preventing blocked drains is just one of the many general plumbing services we provide here at CW Services Plumbing and Heating. Call us on 020 7733 6812 or 07949 095 184. We also offer an emergency call out service for 7 days 24 hours.
