Clogged sinks are an extremely common household problem that almost all homeowners will deal with at some point. That doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to protect your home from them. Today, we’ll talk about what causes clogs and offer a few tips on how to keep your sinks’ pipes clear.
What Causes Clogged Sinks?
The three main causes of clogged sinks are:
- Food scraps. Allowing food scraps like eggshells, coffee grounds, and pasta noodle to escape down the drain may clog your sink.
- Soap and grease. Both soap and grease can build up on the inside of the pipes attached to your sink. It usually takes a long time for residue to fully clog that pipe, but when it does, it becomes extremely difficult to remove.
- Loose hair. Hair doesn’t clog sinks as often as shower drains, but it can happen – especially if you often wash your hair in the sink. Longer hair is more likely to cause problems. Large quantities of long facial hair clippings can also block your sink if they tangle together or get stuck on residue on the sides of the pipe.
However, note that anything large enough to block water from flowing freely through your sink’s pipes may clog them. Some other common culprits include children’s toys, toothpaste and lotion caps, and even tree roots that have broken through your home’s plumbing.
Preventing Sink Clogs
Once your sink is clogged, you’ll need to remove the blockage using drain cleaner or a drain snake. You may also need a plumber’s help to get the job done.
If you’re proactive, you may be able to prevent blockages from forming in the first place. Try these four tips to lower your risk of sink clogs.
- Scrape your dishes into your trash, compost bin, or green bin before placing them in the sink. Only begin washing them when all solid food has been removed.
- Flush your drain regularly. Pouring some hot water down your sink drain every few weeks will help loosen up any debris stuck in the pipe. Add some baking soda and vinegar for an even more powerful clog-busting solution.
- Dispose of oil and grease properly. Take it to the city dump instead of pouring it down your drain.
- Use sink protectors. These simple devices will catch most clogging hazards before they can fall down the drain. They don’t work on liquids like oil and soap residue, though, so watch out for those.
When Clogs Strike, Call Fowler Plumbing
Clogged sinks may be easy to prevent, but sometimes your best efforts won’t be enough to keep them at bay. When that happens, Fowler Plumbing is here to help. Contact us today to request a service call for your clogged sink or to have us perform a preemptive inspection of your sink’s pipes.