How to Stop Clogged Drains Before They Start

Most clogs do not appear overnight. They build slowly from grease, hair, soap scum and food particles until water finally refuses to leave the sink. A few habits can prevent nearly all of them.

In the kitchen, never pour cooking grease or oil down the drain. It cools and hardens inside the pipe, trapping everything that follows. Wipe pans with a paper towel and throw the grease in the trash. Run your garbage disposal with plenty of cold water, and avoid feeding it coffee grounds, eggshells, pasta, rice or fibrous vegetables like celery and potato peels, which swell or tangle.

In the bathroom, hair is the main culprit. Install a simple mesh strainer over shower and tub drains and empty it weekly. Skip so-called flushable wipes, cotton swabs and dental floss in the toilet; they do not break down like toilet paper and are a leading cause of sewer backups.

Once a month, flush drains with very hot water, and try a baking soda and vinegar rinse followed by hot water to loosen light buildup. Avoid liquid chemical drain openers. They can damage older pipes, harm your septic or sewer system, and are dangerous if they splash. They also often fail to clear the real blockage, only boring a small channel through it.

Know the warning signs of a bigger problem: multiple fixtures draining slowly, gurgling sounds, water backing up in a tub when you run the washing machine, or sewage odors. These point to a main line issue, often tree roots entering through joints, a sagging section of pipe or a collapsed line. Coastal Orange County has many mature trees and older clay or cast-iron sewer lines, so this is common.

A professional hydro-jetting service scours the pipe walls clean, and a camera inspection shows exactly what is happening inside. If drains in your home keep slowing down, call ABC Plumbing. We will clear the blockage and tell you honestly whether it needs more than a cleaning.