Of all the issues one might encounter in their home, a clogged-up drain is among the most annoying. It’s a slow-developing problem that can eventually make showering, using your sink, or washing your dishes an unpleasant experience.
So what’s the deal? Why isn’t your drain… draining? Let’s take a look at the main culprits and what you can do to remedy the situation.
No drain in your home takes more abuse than the kitchen sink drain. Many might assume you can throw anything and everything down the garbage disposal. But even though they are capable of grinding up a variety of food items, you can’t put everything down your kitchen drain.
One of the leading causes of clogged kitchen drains is the result of pouring unsuitable things down the drain. Avoid sending any of the following items down your drain:
Food items not included in the list above shouldn’t damage your garbage disposal or drain. But keep in mind that you should only grind no more than one cup of food waste at a time.
Aside from issues with your garbage disposal, a slow draining kitchen sink might also be due to an obstruction in the P-trap. This is the elbow-shaped pipe under your sink. Over time, food particles, dirt, and bacteria will build up in this pipe and could potentially cause a blockage.
There are a handful of ways to fix a kitchen sink that isn’t draining properly. Here are some of the best solutions:
Every once in a while you may notice a slow draining bathroom sink. As hair, skin flakes, toothpaste, and dirt combine with soap scum, they form a gooey substance that will build on the pipe walls over time. This sticky material may also get caught on the stopper or pivot rod of a bathroom drain.
This gunk will start to grow bacteria as time goes on. If you pull your stopper up and notice a black, slimy material, don’t be alarmed. This is the bacteria feeding off the organic gunk stuck in your drain. Simply soak it in antibacterial soap to mitigate the issue.
Similar to a kitchen sink, the issue may also be the result of a clogged p-trap.
Get your bathroom drain in working order again with these methods:
Bathtub and shower drains take on almost as much abuse as a kitchen sink. Every time you bathe, hair, skin flakes, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and exfoliating materials will travel down the drain. If you or any of your household members spend a lot of time outside, heaps of sand and dirt may also get sent down the drain.
Eventually, all of these materials will collect on the sides of the piping. This sudsy, bacteria-ridden gunk can build up and cause a clog as time goes on. High mineral water can also aggravate the situation.
There are a few ways that you may remedy a slow draining bath or shower drain:
Can’t seem to get your drain to work? It might be time to call in some backup. If you’re in the Thorton, Colorado area, To the T Plumbing and Heating is here for any and all of your plumbing woes. Give us a ring if you can’t seem to get your drain to drain!