Plumbing clogs are a fact of life and if you own your own home, then sooner or later you’re going to have to deal with them. We always recommend calling in a plumber rather than using store-bought solutions like snakes or cleansers, which usually only do a partial job at best. But we also believe that an ounce of prevention beats a pound of curse, and if you consider the things you scrape down the drain carefully, you can stop a large number of clogs before they begin.
Clogs in the kitchen are often caused by inappropriate foodstuffs tossed down the drain when you clean the dishes after eating. This can include anything stick, stringy or which absorbs water. By throwing them in the kitchen trash instead of pouring them down the drain, you can prevent a number of clogs from forming and save yourself a lot of consternation in the process. More specifically, keep the following foods out of your drains.
- Coffee Grounds. Coffee grounds can get stuck in the gears of your garbage disposal and create a huge problem. They also absorb water, and when thrown down the drain can create a sticky mess that takes an effort to dislodge.
- Fats, Oils and Grease, otherwise known as FOG in our business. They’re tricky because they liquefy when hot, which makes it very easy to pour them down the sink. The problem is that they will quickly solidify in the cool of your pipes. The best solution is to pour them in a used can when they are hot, then throw the can in the garbage once the FOG has had time to cool.
- Fibrous Vegetables. This can include celery, carrots and potato peelings. When they wrap around the gears of your garbage disposal, they can stop it from functioning. They can also get tangled in your pipe and because they can absorb water, dislodging them can take an effort. If you peel potatoes or other vegetables in the sink, always cover the drain and clean up all the peelings before you unstop it.
- Pits, Seeds and Bones. You’re probably already aware of these devils, which will confound your garbage disposal and stop up the works without breaking down. Always toss bones, peach pits, cherry pits and other hard objects in the garbage.
- Pasta and Rice. This can come as a surprise to many homeowners, and as a staple of number meals, you’ve probably thrown your share of rice and pasta down the drain. But they absorb water, and when sent down your drain in chucks, they can tangle together to create a very stubborn clog.
- Eggshells. Eggshells can be broken down into small pieces, but they don’t wash away as easil as you might think, and when the pieces get small, their grittiness can wreak havoc with your disposal. In large amounts, a clog becomes inevitable.
For help with clogged drains and pipes in your Sandy Springs, GA home, call upon the friendly professionals at Quick Action Plumbers to get the problem solved.