Stop Putting These Things Down the Drain

Clogged drains are one of the most common plumbing problems. Even if you have a garbage disposal, this doesn’t mean you won’t experience this. Once the disposal grinds the garbage, the material still has to move through the pipes. On the positive side, drain clogs are preventable. Here are things you should never put down your drain.

Oils and Fats

Fatty grease, cooking oils, lard, chicken drippings and other oils lay down a perfect foundation for a clog in the pipes. The sticky structure of fats and oils means they coat the inside of pipe surfaces or collect at pipe elbows and act like sticky traps to capture particles that wash by. In time, an entire section of pipe can by completely blocked. Never put these products down any household drains, including your toilet.

Flushable Hygiene Products

Most so-called flushable hygiene products don’t disintegrate quickly enough to avoid problems. Instead, they act similarly to oils and fats and trap other material that has been flushed. Soon, you will have to deal with a clogged drain or sewer issues. Discard these in enclosed trash receptacles and avoid the temptation to flush them.

Starchy Vegetables and Pasta

A garbage disposal grinds things up so they can be more easily flushed away through the pipes. However, many foods can nevertheless muck up the pipes. Starchy foods like potatoes and pasta can form gooey masses.

Raw Vegetables and Peels

Even when diced, sliced or ground, these are usually too fibrous and can easily form clogs in drainpipes.

Non-Biodegradable Items

Examples of these include latex bandages, rubber gloves, and adhesive stickers. There is a prevalent idea that if something is small enough to fit down the drain then it is fine to flush. The truth is that most drain clogs are accumulative. You might not notice a problem right now or even in a few weeks. However, if you keep flushing these items, eventually a problem will occur.

For more information about clogged drains or if you’d like to schedule service, please contact us at Beyer Boys.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater San Antonio, Texas area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “nattul/Shutterstock”

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