If your drain is clogged, it's likely that you'll notice. A clogged drain can put your life on hold – you just don't have time for that!

If you see any of the following signs, you should request plumbing services for your Buckingham home as soon as possible:

  • Water is backed up or takes a long time to go down.
  • This is common in tubs or sinks. If you draw a bath or fill up your sink with water, it's meant to go down the drain relatively quickly. If it's not going down at a steady rate, there is probably something blocking your drain.
  • Your drains make strange sounds.
  • If your drains are making gurgling or bubbling noises after you turn on appliances such as the washer, it's likely that a drain is clogged.
  • A strange smell is coming from the kitchen sink.
  • If you have to hold your nose when you walk past the kitchen sink, that could be a sign that the drain is most likely backed up.

Now that you know the signs of a clogged drain, you might be left with an important question: But how does a drain get clogged? It's simple. Your everyday routine can, unfortunately, cause drains to become backed up or clogged. While water easily goes down drains, solid materials don't go down as easily. Here are some common things that can get caught in your drain and clog it up:

Food
The drains in kitchen sinks can easily get clogged with food. Even if you have a garbage disposal, there are some foods that stick to the sides of the drain or get caught and refuse to go down. Avoid putting foods such as these in the drain:

  • Anything greasy
  • Grease clings to the sides of the drain and traps other food particles that go down.
  • Anything that is difficult to grind
  • Eggshells
  • Bones
  • Coffee grounds
  • Certain vegetables (celery, for example)
  • Anything starchy that can easily expand
  • Bread
  • Pasta

Hair
Bathroom sinks and showers can easily get clogged up with hair. If someone in your home has long hair that tends to shed, or if someone in your household shaves over the sink, hair can get caught in the drain. To avoid this, try cleaning small hairs out of the sink while shaving or immediately taking hair out of the tub drain after showering.

Soap
Soap and shampoo can easily build up in shower drains and cause blockage. Also, if there is hair in your bathroom sink or shower drain, soap can cause it to accumulate and clog the drain even further. Additionally, if you use bars of soap, small pieces of it can get caught in the shower drain and stick to it for a long period of time.

As you complete your everyday routine, there are inevitably lots of ways for your drains to get clogged. You can prevent this by paying mind to what goes down your drain. However, it can sometimes be unavoidable. If your drains get clogged, it's important to get drain cleaning service in your Lansdale home from a plumbing company.

At Ben Franklin Doylestown, our plumber contractors complete drain cleaning services to remove any substances from your drain and allow water to flow freely again and get your fixtures back in tip-top shape.