Shower, Floor, and Laundry Drain Clogs
It’s always frustrating when the drains in your home become clogged. Whether it be your shower drain, your laundry machine drain, or the floor drain in your basement, dealing with a clog can be inconvenient and, at times, disgusting. While your local plumber is always available to provide drain cleaning services for your Franklin area home, it’s still wise to understand what causes these clogged drains and how you can prevent them.
Clogged Shower Drains
Shower drains tend to get clogged more frequently than most other types of household drains, and it’s always a pain when it happens. Few things are more annoying than taking a shower and realizing that water and soap residue is pooling up around your feet.
What Causes Them?
The most common cause of a clogged shower drain is the accumulation of hair. Every time you or anyone in your household takes a shower, there’s a good chance some hair goes down the drain—especially if the person showering has long hair. It’s also possible for soap scum or the residue from hard water to clog up your shower drain.
How Can You Prevent Them?
The best way to prevent your shower drain from getting clogged is to put a mesh cover over the drain. This cover will catch the stray hairs and random debris before they can get into the drain, allowing you to dispose of them separately elsewhere. Another effective option is to flush out your shower drain with boiling water periodically. Doing so will knock loose most or all of the gunk and residue that has accumulated down in the drain. Additionally, if you have long hair, brushing it right before you shower can minimize the amount of loose hair that finds its way into the drain.
Clogged Floor Drains
If your Greenwood area home features a basement, then you almost certainly have a floor drain to help keep flooding under control in the event of a water leak. When your basement floor drain becomes clogged, it can be a major hassle, leading to serious flooding, mold growth, and water damage. Regular floor drain cleaning will keep this problem under control.
What Causes Them?
In most cases, a backup with your basement floor drain isn’t actually caused by a clog in the drain itself. This drain is connected to your home’s main sewer line, and it’s almost always a clog in that sewer line that causes the floor drain to become backed up. These clogs can happen for a number of reasons, including deteriorated or corroded piping, a break in the sewer line, and flushing improper objects down the toilet.
How Can You Prevent Them?
The most fool-proof way to prevent your basement floor drain from becoming clogged is to regularly have your home’s main sewer line inspected. Your professional plumber can handle these inspections, and they’ll make sure the line is in good condition and unobstructed. It will also go a long way toward preventing clogs if you make sure to avoid flushing anything down the toilet other than toilet paper and waste.
While clogged basement floor drains are typically related to the main sewer line, it is possible for the drain itself to become clogged. If you make a point to regularly clean your basement, though, you can minimize the chances of that happening. Ideally, you should keep the area free of random debris and avoid spilling any chemicals or liquids that may cause issues with the drain.
Clogged Laundry Drains
Your laundry drain is the drain where the liquid exits while you’re washing clothes in the laundry machine. While it’s not as common as a clogged shower drain, these drains can become clogged as well.
What Causes Them?
There are a few reasons that your laundry machine’s drain may become clogged. In many cases, it will happen due to the buildup of soap residue. It’s also possible for clogs to be caused by leftover lint or the presence of grease, oils, and other materials on your clothing that aren’t supposed to go down the drain.
How Can You Prevent Them?
One effective measure to prevent your laundry drain from becoming clogged is to be careful about the clothes you wash. If your clothing has any grease, oil, or other substances on it, take the time to scrub them out before running them through the machine. Another prudent measure is to put a lint catcher on the end of your laundry machine’s drain pipe. That way, lint, and other debris won’t have the chance to cause a clog.
