You’ve tried everything to unclog your drains. You’ve snaked them, poured in baking soda and vinegar, and you’ve used a plunger. You even poured in a lye-based drain cleanser. Your drains cleared up for a few days, then went right back to being clogged. Not only this, it wasn’t just one drain, but all the drains in your home. What could be the reason for this? Read on to find out.

What Causes Clogs: Grease, Oils and Fats

Never pour grease, oils or fats down the drain, for few things make impenetrable clogs better than these materials. Toss old, used oils and grease in the garbage. There are even places where you can take old oil to be recycled.

Unflushable Objects Flushed Down the Toilet

The only things that should be flushed are bodily wastes and toilet paper. Toilet paper is made to disintegrate in a septic system, while other types of paper, even facial tissues, are not. Even if the package says an item is flushable, it’s not unless it’s toilet paper. Throw it in the garbage.

Soap Scum and Hair

Soap scum is a type of fat, but it’s hard to keep it out of the drain as you wash your hair and body. Dirt and hair join the soap scum that goes down the drain and eventually cause clogs. One solution is to install a drain strainer and make sure to clean it out frequently.

These are things you can take care of yourself, but some clogs need to be handled by a professional.

Broken Sewer Pipes

One sign that a sewer pipe is broken is that all of the drains in your home are clogged at the same time. There’s also a condition called pipe belly, where a main drain buried in the ground or in the concrete slab in your basement sags to the point where wastewater pools in it. This also leads to clogs. You’ll need to call in a plumber to repair this.

Tree Roots

Tree roots seek out the nutrients found in your sewer pipe, and even the tiniest crack is big enough for feeder roots to enter. Some trees, such as willows, do this aggressively. Sometimes the pipe gets so full of hairlike roots, though, that it not only causes clogs but ruptures the pipe. The remedy is to plant trees well away from your sewer line. Unfortunately, if it’s too late for that, you might have to cut down the tree.

Call the Experts If Your Drains Keep Clogging

Drains that clog over and over, no matter what you do, can be maddening. However, it might not be your fault. To find the reason behind the clogged drains in your Rochester, New York home, and to clear them once and for all, get in touch with our plumbers at Nichols Electric and Plumbing.