How can a kitchen funnel and empty water or soft drink bottles prevent clogged drains? Fats, grease, and oil are mortal enemies of drains and sewer systems, but they are common household waste. It can create a real mess trying to dispose of them in the kitchen garbage. The result is too many people throw up their hands in frustration and put the grease down the kitchen drain.
Try this solution. Buy a funnel (if you don’t have one) and pour the oil and grease into an empty plastic bottle. In the case of solidified lard, shortening, or butter, carefully heat it to the melting point and then pour it into the bottle. Remember, do not get it so hot it melts the bottle! Now the capped bottle can be thrown into your household garbage and safely disposed of without contaminating your drains, septic tanks, or municipal sewer lines.
Another one of a drain’s mortal enemies is hair. This is a problem in bathroom sinks and showers. Unless there’s some magic formula General Air Conditioning & Plumbing doesn’t know about, there’s no way to avoid this problem. We all lose hair naturally. The best solution is to routinely try to clear hair from the sinks and drains before it can start clogging things up. It can be kind of a messy job, but it will go a long way toward preventing more serious clogs.
Some people seem to get squeamish about discussing their toilets, but they are also an important part of the equation. General Air Conditioning & Plumbing urges you to use common sense. The best rule of thumb is nothing should be flushed down the toilet except for normal human waste and toilet tissue. Here is just a short list of the forbidden flushes:
- Napkins & paper towels
They are not the same as toilet paper and don’t break down as well - Cat litter
There is no such thing as flushable cat litter and it’s all bad for your pipes - Disposable diapers
These are a common cause of many serious pipe clogs - Tampons & feminine hygiene products
Create many of the same problems as diapers - Anything made of cotton
Swabs, cotton balls, and Q-tips do not belong in the toilet - Dental floss
It’s stringy, doesn’t dissolve, and can catch other objects to form a larger clog
If despite taking all these precautions, you end up with a clogged drain, call General Air Conditioning & Plumbing and we’ll take care of the problem. Just one more reason they call us the best little air conditioning and plumbing company in the desert.
