Failing to clean the drains can be a common plumbing maintenance mistake that people may be prone to making. While it is easy to assume that this will be a relatively minor issue, there are several ways that poor maintenance can contribute to significant problems with the plumbing. Despite drain cleaning being a relatively basic part of maintaining a home, there are many homeowners that may have a difficult time with it.

Vinegar Can Help To Loosen Light Grease Accumulations

Grease accumulations can be among the more problematic issues that a drain can experience. These accumulations can slow the flow of water through the line, contribute to foul odors, and cause clogs to occur more frequently. The use of vinegar can be one solution for assisting with dissolving stubborn grease accumulations in the plumbing line. The use of vinegar can loosen grease that may have recently been deposited onto the interior of the plumbing lines. Ideally, the vinegar should be diluted in water, and you should avoid using the drain for at least several minutes. This will give the vinegar solution time to effectively weaken and dissolve the grease accumulations.

Frequent Garbage Disposal Use Can Contribute To Major Accumulations Forming In The Drains

Your home's garbage disposal can be an important tool for enabling you to deal with pieces of food that may enter the kitchen drain. However, individuals should avoid heavy or frequent use of the garbage disposal. While it can break up food particles so that a clog will be less likely to form, these smaller bits of food can still become trapped against the interior of the pipes. If this occurs, they can rapidly lead to large accumulations that could be difficult to remove. To minimize this tendency, the drain should be thoroughly rinsed with hot water after each use of the garbage disposal so that as much of this debris will be removed.

Professional Drain Cleaning Services Can Be More Effective For Significant Clogs

Ineffective preventative drain cleaning can lead to sizable and stubborn clogs forming in the pipes. Unfortunately, it may be very difficult to remove these clogs once this has happened due to the fact that the grease and other materials could have hardened. To effectively clean plumbing lines that are encountering this problem, a person should consider hiring a professional plumbing service that offers drain cleaning. These professionals can effectively break up these clogs so that water will be able to flow through the line.