5 Plumbing Repair Tips to Prevent Clogged Drains

League City Plumbing Repair Tips to Reduce Clogged Drains

Even under normal circumstances, a toilet might back up and need some help to clear; that is what a “plumber helper” or plunger is for. However, if the same toilet continues to clog or all the toilets in a home are subject to backup, there is something else at play causing the problem. Here are a few things to investigate if faced with this situation.

League City Plumbing Repair Tip 1: Flushing Inappropriate Items

• Items such as toys, clothes, or a chance cell phone may get flushed down the toilet, perhaps by a toddler or a teenager in a hurry. Such items can be very difficult to retrieve—if you discover they have been flushed.
• “Flushable wipes” is a misnomer. The material is woven and does not dissolve in the water. They often get captured by something attached to the sewer pipe wall and accumulate. The resulting clog can be very difficult to dislodge.
• For the same reason, feminine hygiene products should not be flushed.
• Too much toilet paper can create the same results. This is often a youthful mistake (or an intended prank), but the clog can be difficult to completely dislodge.

League City Plumbing Repair Tip 2: Relocating Clogs

Each toilet has a P-trap, designed to prevent sewer smells and dangerous gases from entering the house. The first place a clog usually develops is in the P-trap. Attempts to clear the clog may push the clog further into the drain without clearing the clog. If this happens, professional help may be required to completely clear the clog.

League City Plumbing Repair Tip 3: Pipe Problems

• Very sticky substances, such as fats and grease, solidify in the base of sewer pipes. Whenever the diameter of the pipe diminishes, clogs more easily develop. Flushing the wrong item into a narrowed sewer line compounds the problem.
• If roots have invaded a sewer line or if a break has occurred in the line, clogs will certainly develop. These problems happen very distant from the toilet since they generally happen after the sewer line leaves the home and crosses the yard on the way to the municipal sewer main. The problem will be in place and the clogging problems develop gradually. However, once these problems develop, they require the help of professional plumbers with the appropriate equipment.

League City Plumbing Repair Tip 4: Tank Problems

• If the local water is hard, a layer of mineral salts settles out of the water and creates a coating on everything in the vicinity. If mineral sediment attaches to the seal of the flapper valve, it can allow water to seep into the tank.
• When flapper valves age, they harden and lose flexibility. This results in a poor seal at the opening where water enters the toilet tank. (Replacing the flapper valve is an easy do-it-yourself project, so no worries.)
• When water slowly leaks from the tank, the buoyant float will call for the tank to refill, resulting in brief, sudden surges.

When water leaks from the tank into the bowl, it leaves insufficient water to flush the contents completely. This might eventually result in a toilet clog. Wipe the mineral deposit away and change the flapper valve to resolve this problem.

League City Plumbing Repair Tip 5: Clogged Air Vents

Whenever air or gas develops in the sewer pipe, it can create an air clog. The water will push against the air, but there is no way around it. For this reason, a plumber installed a vent behind the tank to relieve this pressure. Occasionally, a bird finds a way into the vent pipe or debris blows into the vent, preventing the air from releasing. A professional plumber can help clear the vent and solve the problem.

Clogged Sinks? Call the League City plumbing repair Experts!

Let Doctor Cool assist with all of your League City plumbing repair needs. Call Doctor Cool & Professor Heat today at 281-338-8751 or email Doctor Cool and let our professional Residential League City plumbing repair Contractors assist with all of your plumbing repair needs.