We tend not to think too much about what goes down our drains – when everything’s working, you don’t have any reason to. It’s a classic case of “out of sight, out of mind,” and your plumbing has probably seen its fair share of food scraps, oil, fat, and other miscellaneous matter over the years. But few of us have the good fortune to get through life without ever having to deal with a blockage, and often this means calling in the plumber for a professional drain unblocking.
At CST group, residential drain unblocking is a big part of our business, but it can be a real pain for you. When it comes to drains, there are some easy, common-sense rules you can follow to reduce the likelihood of having to deal with this kind of problem, and we’ve put together a short list here to help you out.
Don’t Pour Cooking Grease Down the Drain
It might be in liquid form when it comes out of a hot frying pan but cooking grease – especially butter and animal fats – will cling to the sides of your pipes and harden. Over time, it can build up to create a seriously stubborn blockage. Fortunately, this is an easy problem to avoid. Dispose of excess cooking grease by pouring it into a used can or container, then put into the garbage.
Use a Sink Filter
It’s amazing how much hassle this simple little piece of technology can save you in the long term. If you don’t have one, you should have no problem finding one at your local plumbing or hardware store. A sink filter will perform the function its name suggests and filter all the little bits and pieces of food and other debris that would normally be wind up clogging your drain. This is especially a problem with things like pasta that will expand and harden, but it goes for all types of food.
Keep Hair and Coffee Ground out of the Drains
Most people don’t think twice about emptying a coffee filter into the sink, but this can be one of the main culprits for blocked kitchen drains. Even worse than coffee grounds is hair, as this lumps together and forms a nice little bird’s net that catches everything that comes its way. Especially if you have long hair, try to keep it out of the drains!
Clean Your Sink After Washing Up
When you’re done with a load of dishes or just whenever you think of it, pour boiling water down the sink. This will help remove small blockages and reduce clogging before it gets a grip on your pipes. You can also pour a cup of vinegar down and chase that 30 minutes later with boiling water. Vinegar contains a mild acid that is great for breaking down the organic matter that can accumulate there.
Contact CST Group for a Drain Unblock
If you are having issues with blockages in your drains, contact CST Group by phone or email and we can arrange a drain unblock and get your pipes up and running in no time – we can even CCTV the pipeline to get to the cause of the blockages. To get more information or make your booking, email us at [email protected] or call us on 0800 11 44 90.
