How to Prevent Drain Clogs

Pour cooled grease into a lidded can for the trash. Wipe pans before washing. Grease is the top cause of kitchen clogs.

A simple strainer catches food scraps, rice and peels before they reach the pipe. Empty it into the trash or green bin.

Cold water keeps fats solid so they are chopped instead of coating the pipe. Run it before, during and after grinding.

Fit a hair catcher on every tub and shower drain and clean it weekly. Hair is the top cause of bathroom clogs.

Wipes, paper towels, cotton and hygiene products do not break down. Keep a lidded bin in each bathroom.

Pull bathroom sink stoppers every month or two and clean off the hair and soap.

A lint catcher on the washer hose keeps lint out of the laundry drain and lateral.

Storm water belongs on the surface, not in the sewer lateral.

Plant large trees away from the lateral, and have roots cut before the growing season if they are already in the line.

Find it now and keep it uncovered. It saves time in any emergency.

They rarely clear the real clog and can damage pipes. Mechanical cleaning is safer.

A slow drain is a warning. Clearing it early is cheaper than cleaning up a backup. See clogged drain repair.

Once a month, clean hair catchers and stoppers, flush each drain with plenty of hot water, and check the outdoor cleanout cap. Ten minutes a month prevents most surprises.

Post a short list near the kitchen sink and in each bathroom. Habits stick when everyone knows the rules and the right choice is easy.

Extra guests mean extra flushing and cooking. Keep bins in bathrooms, a grease can by the stove and strainers in every sink.

Rough old pipe catches debris more easily than smooth new pipe. In an older home, good habits matter even more.

If a drain slows despite good habits, call. Early clearing is quick and cheap compared with a backup.

Keep the cleanout cap intact and visible, keep downspouts off the sewer and plant large trees away from the lateral. These outdoor steps protect the main line.

Children like to flush toys and wipes. A bin in each bathroom and a quick lesson save a lot of trouble.

Homes that sit empty need water run through every drain periodically to keep traps full and prevent odors.

Prevention is cheap. A few habits, a little attention and an early call when something slows down keep most homes free of drain trouble.

If a drain slows despite good habits, a provider can clear it before it backs up. Calls to (657) 354-1820 are answered 24 hours a day by independent local providers, who explain the likely cause and how the price is set before any work starts. You decide whether to go ahead, and there is no obligation to book.

Clean hair catchers and stoppers, empty sink strainers, run hot water through every drain, and glance at the cleanout cap. It takes ten minutes and prevents most clogs.

Most clogs start with one small habit. Change the habit and the clogs mostly stop.

Hair catchers in every tub and shower, a bin by every toilet, and a monthly cleaning of pop-up stoppers handle most bathroom clogs. Teach children not to flush toys or wipes.

Wipe greasy pans, use strainers, run cold water with the disposal and keep rice, pasta, peels and coffee grounds in the green bin. These habits handle most kitchen clogs.

Use a lint catcher on the washer drain hose, clean it after every few loads and avoid overloading the machine, which sends extra lint and water at once.

Pick one day a month, perhaps when you pay a regular bill, and do the ten-minute drain routine then. Tying it to something you already do makes it far easier to remember and keeps small problems from turning into backups.

These habits cost almost nothing and prevent most drain calls. When something does go wrong, call early.

Questions about how to prevent drain clogs? Call (657) 354-1820 to reach a local Brea provider.