When it comes to keeping your laundry and kitchen drains flowing smoothly, regular maintenance is your best friend. While it’s easy to forget about these pipes—out of sight, out of mind— practicing regular drain clog prevention and having a regular maintenance schedule will save you big on plumbing repairs and problems that can arise from drains that aren’t taken care of, such as clogs, blockages, unpleasant odors, leaks and more. So don’t wait until it’s too late; take matters into your own hands by educating yourself on preventive drain maintenance procedures.

Clean Out Your Drains Regularly

It may be a bit of a dirty job, but cleaning out your drains regularly is the best way to prevent clogs and blockages. Creating and maintaining a regular schedule will make caring for your drains much, much easier, as not allowing an excess of debris—such as hair, food and more—to build up in your drains means you won’t have to worry about too much gunk coming out come cleaning day.

A weekly pouring of boiling water down heavily used drains, such as laundry room and kitchen drains, is recommended, and you can even use a drain auger monthly to remove trapped hair from bathroom showers. It’s important to note that you may have to customize your cleaning schedule to match the number of residents in your home, as well as to cater to drains that are used more than others, such as those found in kitchen sinks, showers and laundry rooms.

Cleaning out your pipes regularly will also show daily benefits that homeowners will love. From increased efficiency—no more slow draining shower pipes—to fewer odors emanating from your kitchen sink, your home will simply operate better with regularly cleaned drains

Hire A Professional Plumber When Needed

Of course, there’s also merit to hiring a plumbing professional to aid you in your journey for well-maintained drains. Having a professional plumber come around annually for an inspection and an extra thorough cleaning will keep your pipes clear and, more importantly, inspected. Many professional plumbers can use specialized tools you may not have on hand, such as drain cameras, to take a look inside your plumbing. This will allow you to know if you have any pipes with deep blockages or if any of your drains have damages that could become bigger problems in the future.

Watch What You Put Down Your Drains

One of the best things you can do for your pipes, aside from regularly cleaning and maintaining them, is knowing what you can and cannot put down your drains. While regular maintenance will keep your pipes clear of blockages, you can avoid such problems altogether by utilizing proper disposal practices. Since most kitchen sinks are well-equipped with a garbage disposal unit, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to put just about anything down their sink. This, however, will make your life much more complicated once it comes time to clean your drains, as products such as fat, grease and oil can create some seriously hard-to-clear clogs in your pipes.

As a general rule of thumb, anything oily or greasy will inevitably clog your drain if put
down your sink. When it comes to your laundry room drain, be sure to use a drain catcher to prevent debris from entering your drain. Showers, especially ones used by multiple individuals in a household, will want to be equipped with drain protectors to stop an excess of hair from clogging your pipes.

It Pays To Maintain Your Drains

Sure, having to clean your drains weekly and monthly is a bit of a chore. However, all you’re doing is preventing build-ups that will eventually have to be taken care of anyway. Not only that, but you’ll likely be saving money in the long run by making sure your pipes are well-maintained since you won’t have to deal with any catastrophic failures caused by clogs and neglect.

535 Plumbing – Your Drain Clearing Experts

If you live on Oahu and are in need of a licensed plumber, choose 535 Plumbing for the job! Our team of professional Oahu plumbers are highly skilled and our excellent customer support representatives will work with you to schedule your appointments at a time you most convenient. Learn more and schedule an appointment by calling (808) 300-0535, or Visit Our Contact Us Page. Mahalo!