Top Causes for Clogged Drains During the Holidays
Discovering a clogged drain is never a fun time. But it can be an especially frustrating problem during the holidays. When you have company, especially overnight guests, you don’t want to have a mess to clean up. Understanding what causes clogged drains during the holidays can help you prevent frustrations and be better prepared when they happen. Here are some top causes for the increased likelihood of drain clogs during the holidays.
More Grease and Oil Down the Drain
If you're cooking more frequent or larger meals for family dinners, you’ll have more grease and oil to dispose of. Many people think nothing of pouring it down the drain, not realizing it can coat the walls of their pipes and allow other debris to get stuck. The result is clogged drain pipes that require professional help to clear.
Extra Food Scraps
Garbage disposals are meant for only a small amount of food waste scraps. Many foods, such as coffee grounds, fruits, and vegetables can clog up a disposal. Since you cook more around the holidays, this issue can become an even bigger problem than normal. Avoid putting most food down the disposal to prevent drain clogs.
Hair
If you have overnight guests, they will probably take a shower while they are visiting. Hair is one of the most common causes of clogged drains. More people in the house mean more hair than usual going down your shower or bathroom sink drain. You may want to bathe your pet before company arrives, which can worsen your clogged drain. You can prevent this problem by installing drain covers that trap hair.
Trash in the Toilet
Even if you and your family know to limit what goes into the toilet to just toilet paper, guests may need to be made aware. They may drop paper towels, dental floss, and feminine hygiene products in the toilet. Sewer systems aren’t designed to dispose of all those products. The best way to avoid this issue of having a pipe clogged when you have company is to make sure you have a trash can close to the sink and toilet in every bathroom.
Disposal Wipes
Another seemingly harmless item to flush down the toilet are baby wipes or makeup wipes. They don’t seem much different than toilet paper, but they often don’t dissolve. Even if they are labeled flushable wipes, don’t risk your pipes, or you could end up with the drainage blocked.
Soap and Cleansers
With more people in the house, you can expect more showers and personal care products to be used. Soap and some skincare products can cling to the pipe walls just like grease and oil. Over time, this can lead to your clogged drain issues.
Toys and Other Objects
If your guests have young children, you may find a stray toy or other household object stuck in the toilet or drain. It can be difficult to watch kids, especially if everyone is busy. These small objects can get clogged in the elbow of the pipes just out of reach. You can install drain covers for sink and shower drains. You’ll still have to be aware of potential issues with the toilet to avoid having the drain clogged.
Signs of a Clogged Drain
When you’re busy entertaining guests in your home, the last thing you want to think about is a clogged drain. However, it’s important to know the signs of a drain clog before it gets to the point of backing up in the house. Here are some indications that you may have a clogged drain somewhere in your home:
- - Water drains out slowly
- - Standing water in the sink or shower
- - Drains make a gurgling noise as water moves out
- - Foul odor in the drain
- - Bubbles in the toilet when running water in the sink or shower
- - Water accumulates in one drain when you’re running water elsewhere
If you notice one or more of these signs, get the issue taken care of right away. If you leave it alone, the pipe clogged will get worse and may back up onto the floor or in the shower or sink while you have guests.
How to Prevent Clogged Drains
You can take several steps to prevent your drains from getting clogged. Avoid putting anything down the sink, shower, or toilet that could cause a clog. Use a trash can for personal care products and compost food scraps instead of tossing them in the garbage disposal.
The best way to prevent drain clogs is by having the pipes cleaned out regularly by a professional. A drain cleaning company will use special tools that get deep into the pipes and efficiently remove stuck and built up matter. They can even use cameras to see the condition inside the pipes, and let you know of any problems that exist before they cause an overflow.
While you can find many drain cleaning products on the market, many of them only provide temporary relief. They often clean out a small hole, enough to allow the liquid through. The rest of the clog is still in place, ready to fill up again soon.
Drain cleaning companies remove the entire clog, leaving your pipes free and clean. You’ll once again have adequate pressure when you flush the toilet or drain the shower or sink.
#1 Professional Drain Cleaning Service in San Diego
If you want to get your drains cleaned in time for the holidays, contact Bill Howe Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning. With more than 40 years in the business, the team at Bill Howe can clean out clogged drains and have your pipes back in working condition fast.
If you are dealing with a major drain issue that has backed up into your house, you can contact Bill Howe 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergency plumbing services to unclog the drain. We’ll also take care of water damage restoration and cleanup to restore your home to its previous condition.
Our certified technicians can solve your drain problem. Give us a call to schedule your service and let us help you have a happy holiday season with no drain clogs. Trust Bill Howe because we know Howe!
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