Most homeowners know that you should keep FOG (fat, oil, and grease) out of your drain. “FOG” are the three main culprits that cause clogging and back up in your pipes. However, there are a few more common household items that you probably pay no mind to that you should never dump down your drain. If you do have a slip up that leads to a plumbing issue, our team at Cooling Unlimited gives some of the best Lexington, MA plumber services. You can count on our reliable technicians for help.
5 Surprising Items That Harm Your Plumbing
- Coffee Grounds: Think twice before you toss the remnants of your morning cup down the drain. Although a small amount of coffee grounds won’t immediately cause a backup, routine flushing of grounds down the sink will cause piping problems. Coffee grounds don’t break down in water, they actually clump together and form tenacious clogs that affect your system.
- Medications: You’ve probably heard that you should flush the rest of your prescribed medication down the toilet. This is outdated and bad advice. Flushing medication leads to contamination of a water supply because the remnants of these medications are never fully flushed away by the wastewater treatment process.
- Wet Wipes: Many people are upgrading from regular two-ply to luxurious wet wipes in their bathrooms. What you might not realize is that this negatively impacts your pipes. Although these wipes claim to be flushable they get caught in the “FOG” in your drain and cause clogs. These wipes don’t break down like regular toilet paper, so it causes a persistent issue that will lead to a need for repairs. All wipes including makeup removing wipes, baby wipes, and personal care wipes should end up in the trash and not down the drain.
- Pasta: You might be surprised to learn that pasta is one of the main culprits of drain clogging. Pasta expands when it’s in water. The leftover spaghetti that you dump down the drain can double in size and clog your pipes where it really matters.
- Drain Cleaner: Plumbing isn’t a job eligible for DIY. No matter what the enticing labels on drain cleaner say, they are some of the most corrosive substances you can put down your drain. Instead of busting down grease and fat like the promise, they actually wear down the inside of the pipes and lead to leaks. Don’t make a mistake that could lead to expensive drain repair, get the help of a professional.
Get the Help of a Professional
It’s good to stay informed about the various systems throughout your home but it’s also common to have some areas where you are not an expert. If you’ve already done damage to your plumbing and need assistance, call on our team at Cooling Unlimited, Inc.
