Drain clogs are one of the most common plumbing problems encountered by homeowners in Saddle River. Drain clogs are potentially messy issues to fix, sometimes requiring professional help to resolve the problem completely. Even if you’re careful about what materials you flush or wash down your drain, various materials can still make their way down into your plumbing. Things like hair, food debris, and other materials will begin sticking to the sides of the pipes, eventually building up enough to start obstructing water flow.

If you’re dealing with a stubborn clog, give us a call at 365 Sewer Services for fast, effective drain cleaning. A professional plumber can clear your drain quickly and thoroughly, using specialized equipment from manufacturers like DrainBrain, Ridgid, and Duracable, safely clearing out all of the offending material and restoring smooth water flow.

Preventing Your Drains From Clogging

Clogged drains can be a hassle, but fortunately, there are a number of steps that homeowners can take to help keep their plumbing clear of built-up gunk. These helpful tips can minimize the likelihood of a clog forming in your sink, toilet, or shower, reducing the need for frequent drain cleaning:

• Never wash cooking grease down your kitchen sink. Many foods, especially fatty meats like bacon, produce a lot of thick, viscous grease when they’re cooked. Bacon grease and similar substances should never go down your kitchen sink, where they have an incredibly high likelihood of causing a clog. Lipids, like oils and fats, are prone to building up on the walls of your pipes. Not only does this cause your drain to clog up, but it also releases a highly unpleasant odor.
• Never rinse coffee grounds down the drain. Used coffee grounds should always be disposed of in the trash, or composted in a mulch pile.
• Use grates or screens over all of your drain openings. These help to keep soap scum, hair, food materials, and other detritus from falling down the drain in the first place. They also block larger foreign objects, like silverware and toothbrushes, that can fall into a sink drain by mistake.
• Never flush paper towels or facial tissues. Toilet paper is specifically designed to dissolve quickly in water, making it safe to flush. Other products that appear superficially similar, like facial tissues and paper towels, are designed for just the opposite: absorbing as much water as possible without breaking apart. Paper towels and tissues are prone to causing toilet clogs, and aren’t safe to flush.
• Run cold water after using your garbage disposal. This flushes out any remaining scraps of food, which could cause clogging.
• Don’t use your disposal for stiff, stringy, or fibrous materials. Many types of food substances don’t do well in disposals. Things like chicken skins, carrots, animal bones, and large seeds like plum pits can damage your disposal and cause your drain to clog.

In some cases, you can handle a clogged drain yourself, although tools like augurs are more effective than corrosive chemical drain cleaners. If you’re struggling with a particularly stubborn clog, give us a call at 365 Sewer Services, at 201-234-4471.