Drain Maintenance Tips from our Mill Valley Plumbing Contractors

Performing routine maintenance on your drains can prevent a clog from forming. Our Mill Valley CA plumbing contractors will tell you that the main causes of drain clogs are cooking grease, human hair and non-soluble objects entering the drain system. Here's how to deal with each:

Watch out for Grease

Never pour grease down the kitchen drain. As it cools down it, the grease will adhere to the inside walls of your drain pipes. This will slow the rate at which water drains. Instead, pour grease into a container and either throw it in the trash or (if you're a camper) use it as fuel to start your fire. If grease does get down your drain, flush it out with cold water. The cold water will cause it to quickly coagulate into small balls and not stick to the walls of your pipe.

Prevent Clogs with Drain Strainers

In areas that may collect large amount of hair (the bathtub or bathroom sink) place strainers over the drain to catch it. This will prevent hair from tangling up in the drain and causing a clog. Mill Valley, CA plumbing service, suggest placing strainers over all shower and sink drains.

There is really no good way to prevent non-soluble items from getting into your pipes. They are usually placed there by young children, although some adults do try to flush things like baby wipes and sanitary napkins on occasion. The best way to try to prevent this is to teach kids at a young age that only potty goes down the toilet.

If you have a large tree growing in the area of your lateral pipe (the pipe that connects your main wastewater line to the city system), roots can be a problem. Sometimes they will grow into the pipe and cause clogs. You can prevent this by using a commercial root killer. There are several varieties available at most home improvement stores.