VWB Blog Getting home maintenance every few months is always a good idea because it can prevent larger, unexpected events from happening. In fact, the average home spends upwards of $3,000 per year for maintenance. Without this, you could be looking at a lot more out-of-pocket.
For instance, maintenance may keep your drains clean, so you don’t have to pay for too many repairs over time.
Getting rid of blocked drains can cost hundreds of dollars, a lot of time, and a headache. Knowing what the causes of clogged drains are can help you avoid this problem in the future! Here are 5 common causes.
1. Hair
One of the most common causes of a clogged drain in your shower is from hair. When you shampoo and condition your hair, you will tend to shed hair into the shower.
If you do not pick up that hair, it can get tangled and form clumps. Sometimes, this will not go down the drain and instead will be caught. However, if it does go down the drain, it will clog the drain, making the water back-up over time.
If this happens to you often, you can view this plumbing company to get the service you need to stop this from happening.
2. Mineral Buildup
Did you know that you may not be the culprit for your clogged drain? While it may be your hair in the drain, mineral buildup is another cause for blocked drains.
But how does this happen? Water contains different minerals that can create mineral deposits in your drain over time. This will reduce the flow of water and cause a backup if not addressed.
While you can always call a professional for this, you can also try to install a water softener to get rid of the minerals that may be causing these backups.
3. Food Waste
If you are constantly washing down extra food in the kitchen sink, you may create a backup in the system.
While you want to avoid this from happening, there are some foods that you especially want to avoid putting down the sink. These are:
- Eggshells
- Coffee grinds
- Oil and grease
- Tea leaves
4. Dirt
This one may seem pretty obvious, but dirt is in more places than you think. One of those places is in your drains. It can be a sneaky culprit of clogged drains.
If you do not clean your drains often enough, dirt and grime can build-up inside the drain system. This can block your pipes.
It is important to clean your drains often to reduce the chances that this happening!
5. Soap
Much like dirt, soap (although good for some things) can actually create buildup over time. This is what we call soap scum – and it can get stuck in your drains.
You can reduce soap scum with pressure cleaning down your drain.
Most Common Reasons for Clogged Drains
These five things are the most common reasons for clogged drains in your house. Now that you know this, you can do more to prevent it, such as getting drain cleanings every once in a while!
If you enjoyed reading about this information, be sure to check out some of our other similar posts on the blog!