Don’t Let a Clogged Drain Ruin Your Holidays

The holiday seasons are upon us. Your home’s drains are going to be doing a lot of extra work. Are they up to the challenge? And what happens when they’re not? Clogged drains are one of the most common plumbing problems homeowners experience during this time of year. Here are a few tips to prevent a clogged drain from ruining your holiday festivities and what to do if your drains do get clogged.

Clogged Kitchen Sink Drain

Clogged drains are one of the most common holiday home plumbing problems. Kitchen sinks can become clogged when we:

• Try to wash too much material down the drain; and/or
• Place the wrong types of materials into the drain, such as cooking oils, grease, fat, bones, egg shells, nut shells, fruit rinds, paper products, plastic wrap, and soft sticky foods like rice and pasta.

You can avoid kitchen sink clogs by limiting the amount of food waste material you place down the drain. The best way to avoid clogs is to place your food waste in the trash can rather than wash it down the drain.

The good news is, most kitchen clogs are easy to clear. First, remove as much material from the drain as possible. Then you can use a kitchen sink plunger, a drain snake, or a chemical drain cleaner.

If this fails to do the trick, it could mean your drains have a deep clog or have become damaged. You’ll probably need to call a professional plumber to look at the problem.

Clogged Toilet

Toilets become clogged for the same reasons a kitchen sink becomes clogged: you either tried to flush too much down the toilet or tried flushing the wrong kind of materials, such as paper towels, sanitary wipes, diapers, or dental floss. Only materials manufactured to pass through a toilet drain, such as toilet paper, should be flushed down a toilet.

A toilet plunger, drain snake, or drain cleaner can be used to clear the clog. Be careful what type of drain cleaner you choose – some contain chemicals that can damage your toilet bowl. If the toilet is overflowing due to the clog, you might need to shut the valve on the toilet’s water feed line.

A toilet clog may not be caused by a clogged drain, but rather by a damaged sewer line. If you smell raw sewage or have dirty water backing up into your toilet, you’ll want to have a plumber check your sewer line.

Clogged Shower/Bathtub

Hair and soap scum are two of the leading causes of shower and bathtub leaks. Drain snakes and drain cleaners usually do the trick. If you smell raw sewage, or sewer water backing up into your shower or bathtub, there might be a problem with your sewer line. A professional plumber, with video inspection and other specialized equipment, will be able to locate the source of the problem and make the necessary repairs.

Don’t Let a Clogged Drain Dampen Your Holiday Plans

If a clogged kitchen sink, bath/shower, or toilet is making it hard for you to get into the holiday spirit, give 1st Choice Plumbing, Flood & Restoration a call. We’ve provided outstanding plumbing services to home and business owners throughout the Oceanside, CA area since 2012. Our team of licensed Oceanside, CA plumbing contractors have the training and equipment to deal with just about any plumbing problem you may experience.

1st Choice Plumbing, Flood & Restoration is available 24/7 to deliver whatever emergency plumbing service you may require. You can contact 1st Choice Plumbing, Flood & Restoration through our website or call us at 866-437-0205 to schedule a visit. In most cases, an Oceanside, CA plumber can be onsite within an hour of your call.