9 Things That Will Lead To Clogged Pipes

Plumbing doesn’t sound all too messy when it’s just the sink that you get to notice when you’re in your kitchen. However, have you ever imagined how things are like inside your drains and pipes? It’s definitely the stuff of nightmares that you wouldn’t want to deal with. It totally gives plumbing Myrtle Beach a whole new meaning. It’s not just food residue that goes down the drain and through the pipes. There’s a host of other things that could clog your plumbing. Here are some of the things that could clog your drains:

Rinds, fruit peels and the likes

Starting off the list are fruit rinds. You’ve probably, at some point, tried just how much abuse your garbage disposal can handle. Although some fruit peels won’t be an issue, there are some fruits that have harder peels that you wouldn’t want to put down the drain. Some fruit rinds don’t break down quite as easily as others would. So, be careful what you put down the drain. It could cost you more in plumbing costs later on. A good tip is not to chuck down anything that you wouldn’t eat.

Starches and some fibrous food

It may seem harmless, but starches and fiber from different types of foods can actually harm your garbage disposal pretty easily. The blades of your garbage disposal could get damaged as well as the motor. Starches cling onto the walls of pipes, and your garbage disposals’ blades are no exception.

Fats, grease, and oils

Once you start pouring grease and fats into your garbage disposal, you’re literally creating a lining on your pipes that would eventually become sludge. This is the nasty stuff that you don’t want to ever encounter. They are slimy, stinky, and just downright gross. If you’re already in a tough situation, call an emergency plumber right away. Instead of pouring the stuff down the drain, put it in a container that you don’t mind throwing away, let it set and congeal and throw it in the trash.

Wet wipes and towelettes

Ever since we have known, we are all used to using toilet paper and flushing it down the toilet. That’s just how it goes and it’s perfectly fine. However, the same cannot be said for wet wipes and towelettes. Unlike toilet paper, which is completely degradable upon contact with water, wet wipes are made out of synthetic materials and don’t degrade at all. That’s why your drainage system could easily be clogged. What’s even more problematic is the huge pile of solid waste that it creates as it clumps up with other non-degradable items.

Kitty litter

Never ever flush kitty litter down the toilet. It’s made out of silica, clay, and other ingredients that aren’t supposed to suck in moisture. This means once you flush them down, the kitty litter sucks in water, expands, and becomes potential blockage for your pipes.

Eggshells

This is a no brainer. However, some people are still found to drop them down the disposal unit. Although there’s a myth that they “sharpen the blades” but they actually don’t. They can dull the blades faster instead. Also, the membrane that comes with the eggshells could wrap around the shredder ring that could cause problems in the long run.

Toys

If you’ve got kids, please do not let them bring any toys that are small enough to fit through your toilet. Some reports of toys being flushed down the toilet have had severe consequences that didn’t end up too well. Your plumber wouldn’t like that either.

Hair, dental floss, and some other stringy things

If you’re one of the many people who flush their floss down the toilet, stop it right away. This habit has got to stop. Floss is just like wet wipes, they don’t decompose. To avoid getting tangled up in a nasty situation, throw your floss right down the trash for clog-free pipes.