How To Keep Your Drains In Good Condition

Your drains are an important part of the home. They flush out all of the waste in your property so that the household can tick along without problems. However, just like anything on your property, drains can often become damaged or compromised from weather conditions or misuse of the drains themselves.

There are a number of things that you can do throughout the year to keep drains in good condition. Here are some tips to keep your drains in condition this year.

Be careful about what goes down your drains.

What goes down your drains will influence how many problems you’ll likely encounter – or how few problems you have during your time on the property.

Being careful about what goes down your drains will help avoid headaches in the future. Typically, when it comes to the kitchen sink, you should only have soapy water going down the drain. Anything like oil or grease is going to build up in the drains and cause blockages. 

The same goes for bits of food; even if that food tends to break down over time, it can still block the drains if caught. With that being said, don’t put anything down the kitchen sink that isn’t water.

The same goes for other drains, such as the toilet. If you have little ones running around the home, typically, the toilet can become a dumping ground for toy cars and other toys of a small description. Try to fish these out before you go using the toilet, as you might not always realize that there are toys in the bottom of the toilet before flushing.

Clean drains regularly

Drains are something that you’ll want to stay on top of when it comes to keeping them in good condition. If you’re not cleaning drains regularly, then you’re going to damage them over time. Even those that keep the drains in good condition will likely find that over time, rust and other naturally occurring damage will happen within the pipes and drainage system.

There are some DIY cleaning products you can make through typical household items like baking soda and lemon. Others you can simply purchase from your local grocery store and will do a good job. There are some super-strength options and industrial types that you might want to consider 

Use a drain guard

A drain guard is a useful way of preventing problems before they evolve into a situation where you need your drainage system cleaned or replaced in some parts.

Drain guards are relatively inexpensive, depending on the size of the drain and how removable you want it to be. There are some that you can keep permanently in place and others that you can simply remove when you don’t want to use them.

These little accessories to your drains help to prevent a lot of rubbish from going down the drains. Not just the bulkier objects but hair that can often be a real issue for clogged drains. Consider which drains are currently lacking a drain guard and put these in place to avoid any problems with your drains.

Be observant of new sounds.

New sounds are generally an indicator of something. Up until now, your drains might make the same noise when you flush a chain or run water down the drain in your kitchen sink. If there’s any new sound that’s not normal, then this might be a sign that the drainage system, or a particular pipe, is somehow compromised.

Be observant of new sounds, and anything that sounds out of the ordinary should be something you act upon quickly. Whether that’s doing a bit of DIY work yourself or speaking to a professional.

Does something smell bad?

Another sense to consider is your sense of smell. When there’s a smell of sewage, this is often an indicator that something is not quite right with the plumbing.

Of course, it might just be that your drains need a bit of cleaning with a fragrant cleaning product. But on other occasions, the reason for the smell might be a blockage or a problem with what’s built up on the surface of the pipes that’s causing the smells – not necessarily a blockage.

Call in a professional

If you’re not quite sure what’s happening with your drains, it’s a good idea to call in a professional. By calling the plumbers, rather than attempting anything yourself, you’re more likely to find a fix than to create more expensive work.

Keeping your drains in good condition is important for the health of your home. Use these tips to ensure they remain clean this year.