A Brief Guide to Maintaining Household Drain Lines

The Coastal Bend area may not lack for moisture, but that doesn’t mean we can afford to neglect the water supply in our homes. Correctly maintaining household drain lines reduces the risk of leaks and clogs, saving you from plumbing disasters in the future.

Treat Your Drains With Care

Many self-described “flushable” items can clog drains. This includes paper towels, baby wipes, feminine products and cotton balls. Liquids such as paint and cooking oil can also stop up drains. To protect your pipes, never flush anything that isn’t toilet paper.

If the drain lines on your property are old or within 10 feet of a tree, contact a plumber to schedule a video inspection of the insides of the lines. This can turn up problems such as deterioration or root penetration so you have time to decide what to do and budget for it.

For lines that need to be replaced, trenchless sewer repair makes this possible without digging. It costs more than traditional pipe replacement, but it can make financial sense when landscaping or structures make digging impractical.

Stay Alert for Clogs

If you notice water draining slowly from a sink, remove the P-trap in the pipe under the sink and clean out any debris. If that doesn’t work, try using a plunger or pouring in a pan of boiling water. When you see water draining from one fixture, such as the sink, then coming up in another, such as the tub, it’s likely there’s a clog somewhere in the main drain line.

A clog like this is typically caused by roots growing into the sewer line. A plumber can bring in tools to bore through the roots and clear the drain. Keep in mind, though, drains with root damage often require replacement. Even so, getting rid of the clog early can prevent your toilet, tub or other fixture from backing up and making a mess.

For more information on maintaining household drain lines, contact CCAC, Inc.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about drain lines and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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