Now that we have been living through a pandemic for a while, we are all a little more conscious of health dangers lurking around. Keeping our drains and pipes in good condition will help keep germs away, and ensure that our system works properly, as well. Here is why it is important to clean them and everything else you need to know about the subject, in short form.

Where Do Problems Usually Start?

The drains in the home connect to a larger system of pipes, which starts inside the house and then leads to the city’s sewage system. In order for all of it to work well, the whole system must remain clean and free of particles that could clog it. The problems that occur, usually start from the draining system. However, copper pipes, which are normally used inside the larger system, can have their own set of issues. One of them being that they can suffer from corrosion. In order to avoid this, you should read this article on how to prevent or stop corrosion in copper pipes. It shows how the Merus ring technology can prevent corrosion by decomposing existing limescale incrustations and keeping the oxygen solved to reduce corrosion in stagnant water.

Problems are also caused as the drains slowly accumulate particles that blocks them. If someone cleans the drain and the pipe regularly, there should never be any major issues with them. But if they are not tended to, then small problems can become big rapidly. If a pipe doesn’t drain properly, the point of tension can become so intense that it may crack the pipe, leaving the owner with an expensive repair job on his hands.

What Causes Drains to Clog and How Can You Know That They Are?

There is usually one main problem that causes drains to clog: wrong disposal practices. When you look to the bathroom, including the sink and the toilet, too many products which should not find their way down the drains, do. That’s the case with hair, which can cause a plug as they accumulate, but also soap grease, sanitary products and toiletries.

In the kitchen, the sink may be a place where food rests, before plates are being washed. But they should not find their way inside the drain, otherwise, it can block it and even cause horrible smells to come out from it. We should also be careful with oil and other fats finding their way in.

Symptoms of a clogged drain are normally quite easy to recognize. The most common one is when the water doesn’t drain out immediately and accumulates in the sink, before finding its way down. The other one is the apparition of various smells, most frequently a sulphurous odour. Toilets and showers may find themselves gurgling and overflowing as well.

The Importance of Cleaning the Drains and Pipes

The water system reaches every house. All of them have drains and pipe systems, which leads the water to the city network, where it enters into more pipes in the sewage line. Keeping the pipes and drains flowing freely in all homes is a prerequisite for the city’s pipe system to remain healthy and safe for all citizens. The best way to do so, is to clean them regularly with products that are meant for that. It will keep the pipe system in the house in good condition and will prevent clogging.

It is not just good for the maintenance of the pipe system, but also for the health of the people living inside the house. A clog drain will fill rooms with bad odours that can also be dangerous to your health. Even worse, it can end-up leaking sewage water into your home, which can be a cause for diseases. If the water leaks from the pipes, inside the walls, it will also weaken the structure of the house, causing it permanent damage. All this can be avoided by simply taking care of the drains and pipes through a regular cleaning, every few months.

How to Solve Clogged Drains and Pipes?

Of course, calling a plumber is the last resort to solving a clogged drain or pipe. Before that, there are various ways to go about it. The first solution to try is to boil water and pour it down the drain. It will burn the fats and oils, as it goes down. The second solution is to prepare a liquid mix of baking soda and vinegar. This can dissolve hardened clogs. The most commonly-used tools are the various drain cleaning chemicals found in markets and hardware stores which should be chosen with care.

Besides these liquid forms, there are also devices that can be used. Most people have a plunger at home. They are made to suck out the elements that are blocking the drain. If the clog is really heavy or deeper inside the drain, a drain rod/snake may be called upon. Once it gets to the point where the pipe is blocked, the twisting movement takes the clog apart and opens up the pipe, once again.

If these suggestions don’t work, it is time to call the plumber. It is better to do so, before making the problem worse!

Have you dealt with clogged drains and pipes?

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