Drain Cleaning 101

By Binford Supply House

4/1/2020

If there is one absolute in this life, it is that everybody’s drains will get clogged. You can be the most hygienic person in the world who always keeps up with plumbing maintenance and care, yet the inevitable will still happen regardless of what you do. This sad truth can be both a burden and a headache. Luckily, more times than not this can also be an easy fix that any homeowner can do on his or her own. Like anything, the more you know about your drains and what causes your drains to clog, the easier it will be to remedy the situation and have your pipes flowing like new again. Here are the top four reasons the drains in your home become clogged and what you can do about it.

Hair

Hair, the mother of all clogged drains. Regardless of what a person does, having hair go down the drain is inevitable. If you happen to have long hair or live with a person that does, you will know how often this annoying problem can happen. Hair can easily stick to the sides of drains and make itself at home for the long haul, with oils and other foreign debris catching onto in and making the drains worse. Additionally, the thin consistency of hair allows for it to tangle itself into smaller, denser shapes, which again, only makes the clogging issue worse. Like a lot of drainage problems, a hair build up is not as bad as it seems. Simple drain cleaners, such as (add links to our cleaners), easily break down the hair, completely erasing its structural integrity and letting it flow naturally away with water. Other, non-chemical based remedies include snakes, augers, and other flexible tools that are specifically designed to make their way through the curves of a drain and pull out clogged hair.

Food Waste

It should be obvious that food should never go down the drain, yet it is a common problem in any household. Many modern kitchen drains come equipped with garbage disposals and it is surprisingly affordable and relatively easy to install a disposal to a unit without one (insert link to “drains and disposals” category). Yet, even some experts believe garbage disposals are still not enough to eliminate clogged pipes because certain foods, such as coffee grounds or tea leaves, do not break down. Luckily, there are a plethora of drain cleaners specifically designed to break down food and get your drains running smooth again.

Soap

Yes, you did read that correctly. Even soap can be a culprit of a clogged drain. Many traditional bars of soap are made with grease or fat while other liquid soaps are sometimes oil based. Grease, fats, and oils all love to clog up pipes. Grease and oils are heavier than water and will stay around much longer in the drains, resulting in blockage. They also naturally cling to the inner linings of a drain that will only cause slower moving water. Fats react with the natural minerals in the water and leave a hard residue that not only clogs pipes, but also stains faucet fittings and appliances. A simple solution to all of this is to switch out your old soaps with newer, more natural-based brands. To fix the damage that has already been done to your pipes, there are several liquid and granular drain cleaning products available that actively seek out grease, fats, and oils.

Mineral Buildup 

Natural water percolates through deposits of limestone and other sedimentary rock, which results in calcium and magnesium dissolving in the water. Though harmless for consumption, these minerals can have devastating effects on your pipes and appliances. Visible effects include hard, white crust around your shower or faucet head and a greenish build up around a faucet’s base that highly resembles rust. There are also more negative effects caused by mineral build up that may not be as noticeable, such as low water pressure, spots and streaks on dishes, soap scum, and high water energy use. It is recommended to install a water softener to remedy this situation. However, that isn’t exactly an option for everybody. Removing a shower head or faucet and soaking it in regular household vinegar is a great way to remove some outer mineral build up.