Stubbornly clogged drains comprise a large percentage of calls that plumbers get from homeowners everywhere.

Since this is such a common problem, here are some tips from plumbing contractors about the causes of drain clogs and what can be done about them.

With this practical knowledge, homeowners can reduce their need to arrange plumbing services to handle clogs that they cannot resolve on their own. 

What Causes Most Drain Clogs?

The most common causes of interior drain clogs that residential plumbers deal with are:

• Hair clogs in shower drains.
• Food, oil, and grease congealing in kitchen pipes.
• Flushing of paper products like too much toilet paper, “flushable” wipes, and feminine hygiene products.

Naturally, other items that should not be put into the drains can also cause clogs, but plumbing services find most clogs to be caused by these five things. 

How Do I Know I Have A Clogged Drain?

The main signs that drain cleaning to resolve a partial or total clog are needed are usually fairly obvious.

Slow drainage or drains that do not empty at all do top the list, but there are other symptoms to look out for as well.

Plumbing contractors suggest drain cleaning if there are foul odors coming from the drains, when backflow into another fixture happens, if the drains make gurgling noises due to air displacement, or when water levels in the toilet seem unusually high.

All of these signs suggest that water is not draining as it should and that a plumber should be called to clear or descale the drain to get the water flowing well again. 

How Can Clogged Drains Be Fixed?

When clogs happen, what can be done about it?

Before calling for plumbing services, homeowners can try various methods themselves including using a plunger or pouring in chemical drain cleaners designed to break up hair or grease clogs as needed.

When those don’t help, the best option is to have a plumbing contractor handle it.

Using a snake, a hydro-jet tool, or an air jet, most average clogs can be forced cleared.

The plumber may recommend following up with drain descaling if the problem is grease and other grime stuck to the inside of the pipes.

In a worst-case situation, the remedy might involve locating the clog in the line and replacing that part. 

Prevent Clogs With Good Drain Maintenance!

Clogged drains are common, so the best advice from professional plumbing services is to practice good care by avoiding the things that are most likely to cause them.

When that fails and clogs happen anyway, reach out to a trusted local plumbing contractor so they can handle that clog and get things flowing freely once again!