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Your plumbing in Reno works hard every day, but it isn’t designed to handle everything that gets tossed into a sink, toilet, or shower drain. Many of the most common plumbing emergencies start with everyday habits that seem harmless at the time. Unfortunately, these habits can lead to clogged drains, sewer backups, damaged pipes, and expensive repairs.
The good news is that most of these problems are completely preventable. Here are five things every homeowner should keep away from their toilets and drains to help their plumbing system stay in great condition.
1. Flushable Wipes
Despite what the label says, flushable wipes remain one of the leading causes of plumbing blockages. Unlike toilet paper, which dissolves quickly in water, wipes are made with durable fibers that stay intact long after they’re flushed.
As they move through your plumbing system, they can become caught on rough pipe surfaces or existing debris. Before long, additional wipes, grease, and other materials begin collecting around them, creating a blockage that may require professional drain cleaning.
The safest rule is simple: only flush toilet paper and human waste.
2. Grease, Oils, and Cooking Fat
After cooking dinner, it may seem convenient to pour leftover grease down the kitchen sink. However, once grease cools, it hardens inside your drain pipes.
Instead, allow grease to cool, pour it into a disposable container, and throw it away with your household trash. Even if you use hot water or dish soap, grease can still solidify farther down the plumbing system.
3. Coffee Grounds and Food Scraps
Many homeowners assume garbage disposals can handle anything, but that’s far from the truth. Coffee grounds don’t dissolve in water. Instead, they collect inside pipes, especially when combined with grease or soap residue.
Using a sink strainer and disposing of food scraps like coffee grounds in the trash or compost can help prevent unnecessary drain clogs.
4. Hair and Soap Scum
Bathroom drains often clog because of a combination of hair and soap residue. Hair easily catches inside drain pipes, while soap scum coats the pipe walls and creates a sticky surface that traps even more debris.
Installing inexpensive drain screens in showers and bathroom sinks can catch hair before it enters the plumbing system. Cleaning the screens regularly is much easier than dealing with a backed-up drain.
5. Cotton Products and Personal Hygiene Items
Cotton balls, cotton swabs, paper towels, dental floss, feminine hygiene products, and facial tissues should never be flushed down the toilet.
Unlike toilet paper, these materials are not designed to break down in water. Instead, they absorb moisture, expand, or become tangled together inside pipes, creating stubborn blockages that often require professional equipment to remove.
Even if these items seem small individually, they can quickly accumulate into a major plumbing problem.
Protect Your Plumbing with Good Habits
A few simple lifestyle changes can dramatically reduce the risk of clogged drains and costly plumbing repairs. Keeping wipes, grease, food scraps, hair, and personal hygiene products out of your plumbing system helps your pipes flow more efficiently and extends the life of your home’s plumbing.
Join the Love Club or schedule a plumbing appointment with DeHart Plumbing, Heating, and Air Inc. today!
