Costly drain clogs

Clogged sinks, showers, and toilets are usually the unpleasant consequence of inappropriate items finding their way into your waste disposal (sewage) system.  When a family member loses the top to a bottle of shampoo down the toilet, our septic system balked.  Within a couple of days, the system will most certainly begin to backflow into the lowest drain in the house.

According to the most reliable Pleasanton plumber,  it will become a stinky mess, not a job at all for the homeowner to deal with.  Here are some helpful rules from the professionals that will really help keep your drainage system intact if you follow them:

• Once a month, boil water an pour a kettleful down each drain in your house:  sinks, tubs, shower.  This is the mot carefree way to keep them flowing.  Of course, be careful when you are carrying/pouring the boiling water.  You don’t want to scald yourself.
• Keep the stopper in the sink when you are brushing your hair/shaving/applying makeup/giving yourself a facial, even if you are not using the water.  Dropped stuff and drain pluggers like hair, bottle tops, and makeup brushes will stay in the sink bowl.  You can politely remove them/wipe out the bowl when you are finished with grooming activities.
• Keep the toilet lid closed when you are not using this fixture.  If men live in you house, you know already that this will never happen.  It is still worth the try to enforce keeping the lid down.  It is surprising how things can end up in the toilet.
• Even though it isn’t the most pleasant task, try to take a moment to remove hair from the drain right after you shower.  Hair and ordinary gunk that goes down the drain will create a nearly impenetrable clog in a pretty short time if you neglect to remove the hair after every shower.

PLUMBING TRADE SECRET:  Do not throw anything more fibrous than a few sheets of toilet or facial tissue in the toilet and try to flush it away.  Contrary to urban legend, household drain pipes will not accommodate full-grown alligators.  I am always amazed at what people think will flow away to the municipal sewage system or the septic field:  disposable diapers, huge wads of paper towels, even rags.  Don’t make this expensive mistake.