Blocked pipes can be frustrating at best and extremely expensive to fix at worst. Blockages are a major cause of plumbing failure, but the good news is that they can be avoided if you’re careful.
If you have just had your kitchen plumbing fixed or have had your bathroom renovated by Bathroom Renovations Perth, taking a few simple actions during your everyday cleaning and maintenance routines can help avoid major problems in the future. In the rest of this article you will find a list of our top tips for preventing blocked pipes and keeping your plumbing in good condition throughout the year.
- Don’t Put Food Down the Drain
You might think that there’s nothing wrong with putting food down the drain. In the end it’s just going to wash away with your wastewater, right? Wrong!
Washing food scraps, coffee grinds and anything else that’s not liquid down the sink is a recipe for disaster. Foreign material is one of the leading causes of drain blockages in Australia, so it’s extremely important to make sure all food waste ends up in the trash.
- Use a Sink Strainer
With this in mind, it’s always a good idea to use a sink strainer to prevent anything accidentally washing down the drain. Try and find a removable strainer which is easy to clean, but which continues to allow unrestricted water flow when it’s empty.
At the same time, make sure that you empty your sink strainers regularly. Failing to do so can result in a number of problems, including nasty smells, slow drainage and, eventually, foreign material washing down the drain.
- Don’t Let Hair Wash Down The Shower Drain
Hair is one of the leading causes of drain blockages in the bathroom. You can ensure your drains remain in good condition by preventing any hair, soap scum or other foreign objects washing down the shower. Once again, a good way to do this is to install some sort of strainer or filtering system. Clean it regularly to ensure proper water flow.
- Never Pour Grease or Oil Down the Drain
You probably don’t realise it, but grease and oil can rapidly build up in your drains, causing blockages which are hard to remove at best. Rather than pouring old cooking oil, meat fat and other greasy substances down the sink, place them in a sealed container in the trash.
- Clean Your Drains Regularly
Finally, you can ensure small build-ups don’t cause major blockages by cleaning your drains regularly. A simple mixture of baking soda and vinegar poured down the sink every few weeks will help keep your plumbing in good condition. Alternatively, you could use a stronger drain cleaner.
Ultimately, the key to preventing drain blockages in your home is ensuring no foreign material goes down the sink or shower drain. Make sure that things like food scraps and hair are disposed of in the rubbish, and never, ever pour oil down the kitchen sink.
If you do suffer from blocked pipes, you can try pouring some form of drain cleaner down them. Failing that, the best thing to do is to contact your local plumber for advice.