We have a lot of people ask..."What can I do to prevent clogged drains?"
Let's first start with the obvious. Don't put anything down the drain that could promote buildup and clog your drain. For example, grease, coffee grounds, hair, paper towels... to name a few.
Today we'll talk about the kitchen waste that could clog your drains.
Two of the main culprits are grease and coffee grounds.
Some think that by running the hot water for several minutes, it will wash the grease or coffee grounds down the drain and there shouldn't be any problems. We can assure you that this is not the case. The hot water starts to cool down surprisingly quickly and the grease starts to solidify and accumulate on the inside of your drain pipes. Seldom, if ever, is it flushed through beyond your home plumbing system. Over time, it causes significant buildup and your drains start to drain slower and slower and eventually your drain pipes are clogged.
To dispose of kitchen grease, you can let the grease cool and pour into an old mason jar or coffee can and toss in the trash. If you don't want to waste an old container, place it in a bowl or other container, freeze or let harden in the fridge, and then scoop out the grease into a plastic bag (double bagging is a good idea) and toss in the trash.
To dispose coffee grounds, you can put them into your recycling green bin if your city has a recycling program.
They can also be put into your compost or straight into your gardens to enrich the soil.
Below are links to the Niagara Region Green Recycling Program and to a website that discusses coffee grounds composting.
Unfortunately, no matter how careful we are, clogs sometimes do happen.
If you have a slow or clogged drain, we recommend having your drain "snaked". This would remove any buildup from the drain pipes.
If your home regularly has issues with slow moving or clogged drains, we recommend a drain maintenance product. We have had very good success with a product called Bio-Clean. It is an enviromentally friendly product containing live bacteria and microbes that break down and remove any buildup within your drain pipes.
Below is a link to the Bio-Clean website.
We strongly advise to not use any caustic, acid-based drain cleaners as they will cause damage to your pipes.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call us @ 905-935-0100 or email us at info@canadasproplumbing.ca