Clogs are the most common plumbing issue in any home or business. Our Daly City plumbing team is called hundreds of times a year to clear out badly clogged drains. While some clogs can't be avoided, most clogs are simply a matter of poor maintenance or things being sent down the drain that shouldn't be.
Proper Maintenance Most home and business owners could avoid backed up drains with a bit of education and a simple maintenance plan. The number one cause of clogs in a kitchen is grease. If grease and oil are poured into metal containers and thrown out once they've cooled, kitchen sink drains would almost never clog. Running could water while cleaning off dishes that have oily residue will cause it to coagulate and travel down the drain pipes easier. This will help prevent oils from clinging to the interior of the pipe and solidifying there.
In the bathroom, hair and soap scum causes the majority of clogs. Placing drain filters or mess screens over the drains can prevent hair from going down the drain and getting caught on imperfections on the interior of the pipe. When hair gets caught it tends to grab a hold of any other residue that goes down the drain and can result in a huge, slimy hairball. Simply informing everyone who uses these drains about these two facts can reduce clogs almost completely.
Drains should also be checked at least once every six months. Severely slowed drains can be opened by using a drain snake. We advise against the use of liquid drain cleaners because they aren't very effective, they can cause skin irritation and they are very environmentally unhealthy.
You'd be surprised at some of the things our plumbers in Daly City have fished out of drain lines. We've pulled diapers, underwear, dolls, balls, silverware, hair clips, toothpaste tubes and pretty much anything that a 3 year old can get his hands on out of toilets. Little kids have a fascination with watching things go down the drain, and unfortunately that usually results in a call to us. But toilets aren't the only pace that things disappear down and get stuck. Kitchen and bathroom sinks end up with their share of oddities as well. As a general rule, anything that won't break down shouldn't be put down the drain.
Some people think that just because they have a garbage disposal they can put whatever they want down the drain. Unfortunately, many of the items, especially starchy items like potatoes, will cause the drain line from the disposal to clog.
Main line drains are often the recipients of unwanted invaders. Tree roots drill their way through the pipe and create a dam in the center of the line which collects any non liquid items as they pass by. These clogs will cause every drain in the home to slow. Our Daly City drain clearing team uses a power auger to eat through these clogs, even 250 feet down the line. If all of your drains are slow, call us in and getting your main line cleared today.