Unless you work for a Vancouver or Kelowna plumbing company, a clogged drain or pipe probably isn’t something that you worry about on a daily basis. It is in fact a much more common problem than you think. There’s all sorts of reasons that a drain or pipe becomes clogged, and the solutions can range from relatively cheap to very expensive. There’s a lot of simple things that you can do to help avoid calling a Kelowna plumbing company.  Here is a list of some of the most common things that will clog your plumbing lines, and how to avoid them.

1. Hair. So much more hair washes out than you think, and once it’s in the drain it can entangle all sorts of other things and cause a blockage. It’s the simplest and one of the most common culprits. If you have long hair, be sure to take a second after a shower and remove long strands collecting at your drain. You may also want to consider getting a filter for your shower drain to better protect your plumbing lines.
2. Grease. Everyone loves a good pan of bacon or a taco cook up, but when it comes to the grease that the meat creates, it’s not a good idea to pour it down the drain. For anyone who’s left a pan sit after cooking meat, you can see that the grease solidifies when cooled down. It will solidify in your plumbing lines if you do this, so better to pour it into your organic waste bin or trash.
3. Kitchen waste and food scraps. Putting food down the drain should be avoided, especially products like pasta and rice that expand when wet. Most Kitchen sinks come with a filtered stop that can be inserted in the drain to collect food debris. Using one of these can save you a call to a Vancouver or Kelowna plumbing company.
4. This may surprise you, but high grade multi-ply toilet paper. Everyone wants comfort in the bathroom but don’t buy 100 ply toilet paper, especially if you tend to use a lot at a time. It can soak up, expand and can stick to your plumbing lines.
5. Kid’s toys. For anyone with children, you will know that they get their toys caught everywhere, and getting stuck down a toilet or shower drain is no exception. They’re a common problem so be sure to try to recover all their toys when your children get out the bath.
6. Coffee grinds. This one may be surprising because they are so small, and rinse easily down the drain, but they can create a blockage themselves, or build on an existing grease or hair clump and quickly exacerbate the problem. In a traditional coffee maker, both the paper filter and the grinds can be placed in your organic waste.
7. Bath salts and scrub products. We’re not saying a relaxing bath isn’t great, but a lot of these products have elements that don’t dissolve fully and can get caught. If you are having a bathtub drain issue and you use a lot of these products, they could be the culprit.
8. Personal hygiene products. A lot of these products come in plastic and cardboard packing and shouldn’t be flushed. We’ve all seen the signs in public bathrooms, so why flush them at home?
9. Cotton swaps and cotton balls. Like hair, these products love to entangle themselves with everything else. To avoid searching for a Vancouver plumbing service, throw them in the trash.
10. Baby wipes and baby products. We don’t need to tell you how messy a baby can be and baby wipes can be a must, but avoid the temptation to flush them down the toilet. They often don’t break down as easily as toilet paper and can clog your plumbing lines.

Protecting your plumbing lines is a lot easier than you think, and can save you a lot of money. Carefully monitor what you put down your sink and shower drains, and be careful about what you flush. There’s a number of different filter product you can purchase to help better protect yourself as well. If you are experiencing just a minor build up, or just want to clean your plumbing lines, try pouring a cup of vinegar down the drain, waiting half an hour, then following up with a pot of boiling water.  Vinegar works surprising well for a quick clean, and can help you avoid calling in a Vancouver plumbing service.