Importance of Drain Screens & Strainers
What Is the Best Way to
Prevent Your Sink from Clogging?
A clogged drain is one of the most common plumbing-related problems within any household. Drains can clog or back up from food, grease, hair, and other materials rinsed or washed down your pipes. However, there are ways to prevent your drains or pipes from clogging. A drain screen or strainer is the most simple and effective way to help prevent a clog. It's cost-effective, saves time, and is a simple solution to preventing unwanted items from reaching your pipes.
Are Drain Screens or Strainers
Necessary for Your Sink?
The kitchen sink is one of the most susceptible places in your house for a clog. Here are a few tips on how a drain screen or strainer can help:
1. Catch Food Before It Enters the Drain
A sink strainer can catch any food items washed off dishes like plates, bowls, or pans. Even small and seemingly harmless scraps can accumulate grease or food along the pipe's walls, leading to clogs. A good practice to prevent this is to dispose of large food items in the trash before any dishes reach the sink. If you have a garbage disposal and any smaller food items find their way down your sink, use the garbage disposable to grind up anything that wasn't disposed of in the trash beforehand. However, sinks without a garbage disposal should use tools like sink strainers.
2. Is Grease and Oil Bad for Sinks?
It's important to avoid pouring grease or oil down your sink. These substances can solidify on the walls of pipes, eventually leading to clogs by trapping other items, like food. There are several ways to dispose of grease and oil properly. One of the easiest ways is to pour the leftover grease or oil into a cup or container you have set aside. Once the grease or oil is cooled down, you can dispose of it in the trash can.
3. Preserve the Lifespan of Your Garbage Disposal
A garbage disposal is a helpful appliance that can grind up leftover food items that go down your drain. However, a sink strainer will catch any loose food before it reaches the garbage disposal. Any time you can minimize the amount of work your garbage disposal handles, it will preserve its lifespan.
Be cautious when using drain cleaning chemicals, as they may seem beneficial at first glance. However, these chemicals can heat the pipe walls and potentially melt the inner surfaces. The melted plastic may drain into the trap, cooling and solidifying in the water creating a plastic barrier that obstructs and disrupts the flow of water.
How do I Prevent Hair from
Falling Down the Drain?
Household drains, like sinks, can have various issues, and one common problem involves the shower drain, which often gets clogged with loose hair instead of food. Let's look at a few ways to prevent hair from clogging your drains:
1. How Do I Stop Hair from Draining Down My Shower?
If hair accumulates in your shower drain, it can lead to a clog, much like food in a sink. A significant issue with shower drains is that hair can get caught in the pipes. Hair caught on the side walls of a pipe will start to build up and cause a blockage, entangling anything else that flows down the drain. The build-up of hair can lead to slow-draining water, unpleasant odors emanating from the pipes, or stagnant water.
2. What Causes My Shower to Back-up?
Loose hair is one of the main contributors to your shower draining slowly or backing up. While hair can clog your shower drain, residue from shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and other personal care products can also create problems. The residue of personal care products can combine with hair and dirt within the pipes to start a blockage or an unpleasant odor. Using a shower strainer will restrict the materials being washed down the drain, allowing for smooth water flow and a better-smelling shower.
What Problems Can Arise from Not
Using a Drain Screen or Strainer?
Clogs and Blockages: Sinks and Showers are prone to being clogged when items like food, hair, grease, and other debris are rinsed down the drain. All of these items can fall down the drain and start to build up until the pipe is clogged.
Slow Water Flow: If your drain is clogged, water in your sink or shower may not drain properly, causing your sink to retain water without a plug or device to hold it.
Professional Cleaning: Once a drain is clogged, it typically requires removal or cleaning by a plumber.
Solutions and Tips for
Drain Screens and Strainers
Install a drain screen or strainer to prevent food and hair from entering your sink or shower pipes. Drain screens or strainers will catch these items before they reach the pipes, helping prevent future clogs.
If you have a drain screen set up for your sink or shower, make sure to clean it after each use. Disposing of leftover hair or food particles into the trash saves your home's pipes.
Avoid draining or pouring grease and oil down the sink after use. The best way to dispose of grease or oil is to pour it into an empty cup or container. Once the grease or oil has cooled down, you can safely throw it away in the trash. This helps prevent any build-up in your home's drains.
If you don't have a drain screen or strainer, allow hot water to run down the sink for 20-30 seconds after each use. Running hot water will help dislodge any grime that might be stuck in the bottom of your sink or the garbage disposal, if applicable.