Let’s face it, most drains in NYC buildings are old, and the connection to the sewers is often even older. While the state of your drains is your responsibility, there’s not a lot you can do about preventing the need for drain cleaning services. The fact that the vast majority New York drains are prone to clogs and other types of misbehavior, makes some drain knowledge valuable.
In most cases, the best you can do is treat your drains gently, hope for the best. You should also know the best drain cleaning services to call if the situation gets out of hand. To help you keep your drains in as close to good working order as possible, we have put together a few tips that will lower the chances of clogs and corrosion for every drain in your house.
Use the Garbage Disposal Sparingly
The first issue to address is your garbage disposal, if you have one, and putting food down the drain in general. The garbage disposal is a complex mechanism made of sharp spinning blades to essentially dice up any food you try to send down the drain. However, this does not stop the food from being sticky or creating a trap for other more solid particles to get caught in. In addition, ground up food creates a lining of grease when introduced into your drain pipes. Garbage disposals are best used for things like fruit and vegetable peels. Clear your dinner plates over the trash can first, then rise anything stuck into the garbage disposal. This should significantly reduce the amount of sticky, greasy food that goes down your drain.
Don’t Pour Cooking Oil or Bacon Grease
Speaking of food trash that causes clogs, before pouring another pan of bacon grease down the drain, just think about what would happen if you left the pan on the counter for a few hours. That grease is going to harden into a water-resistant semi-solid. A perfect ingredient for forming a greasy plug down the line in your drains; and cooking oil is not much better. If you want to keep your kitchen drain clear, pour hot grease into the trash or if you are worried about melting your trash liner, use a jar that can be scooped out and washed when the grease cools.
Put Down Drain Screens
The biggest risk to most drains are things that flow down into them without our awareness. This is an especially big problem with shower and bathroom sink drains that deal with a surprisingly massive amount of hair from brushing and shaving. That hair tangles up with soap residue and other things and can cause some nasty drain clogs.
The fact of the matter is that you will have to pull hair and debris out of your drains one way or another, and the most straightforward approach is drain screens. These are small metal rings with mesh in the center to catch anything solid before it can go down your drain. Clearing your drain screens once or twice a day is a lot less hassle than a persistent clog. Using drain screens will greatly reduce the need for professional drain cleaning services
Try Boiling Water on Slow Drains
Many of the things that go down a drain, like bacon grease and shampoo, are liquid when warm and closer to a solid when cold, and your drains can get pretty cold. If your drains are slow or clogging, one of the most effective solutions available to you is boiling water. A deluge of incredibly hot water will break up anything that has stuck. Boiling waster can also melt anything that has solidified, and push things down your drains and into the sewer system.
Don’t just run the taps hot, actually boil a pot or kettle of water on the stove and then pour it carefully down the troublesome drains. Doing this once a week can also help keep your drains clear before problems happen. This is a good tip for clearing local clogs, not clogs further down in your drain system, as the water cools rapidly.
Keep a Set of Drain Plungers Handy
In case of a truly stopped up drain clog, it may be helpful to know that sinks can be plunged using the same mechanics as your toilet. Always use a separate plunger for sinks and toilets. Besides for sanitary reasons, they are actually designed differently. Buy a small plunger just for your sinks and keep it under the bathroom or kitchen sink away from your toilet plunger. When a sink or bath drain clogs, fill the basin with a few inches of water and plunge like you would a toilet. This creates pressure and force in the drain which can push a clog through.
Know the Number of Balkan Drain Cleaning Services
No matter how much you would like to keep your drains in good condition, if you live in an older building with ancient sewer connections, there’s a good chance your drains will clog. That is even if you do everything right, and don’t abuse the drain system. When this happens, and nothing DIY-friendly can break it up, it is time to call your drain services. Have a number prepared and keep it somewhere handy like your fridge just in case. For fast and reliable drain and sewer services in the NYC area, or for more helpful information about your drains from the experts, contact Balkan Drain Cleaning services or call (718) 641-1222 today.
