Like other sink drains, your garbage disposal will need regular maintenance to keep it working properly when you need it to. Every disposal should have a P-trap that can get clogged if too much food is put into it without plenty of water available to flush the system. It is far easier to prevent a clogged disposer drain by following some simple practices.

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What is the easiest way to avoid clogging your pipes? The answer is simple: prevent clogged pipes in the first place. You can perform these simple actions for clogged pipe prevention:

1. Pour waste cooking grease into a used soup can or pickle jar and scrape as much grease out of the pan as you can with a piece of thin cardboard (such as from a cereal box) or a spatula.Wash the pan with hot soapy water to make sure the grease dissolves and flushes out of your drain. You can also pour a little ammonia down the drain to help clean any remaining grease out of the pipe.
2. Use a basket strainer for your kitchen sink if the drain does not go through the garbage disposal. Larger pieces of food can be collected and discarded.
3. Periodically remove the plug in the bathtub and remove any hair that has accumulated on the cross members of the drain.
4. Pour an enzymatic cleaner in your drains several times a year. Enzymatic cleaner is a solution of bacterial cultures and enzymes that slowly deteriorates organic material inside pipes. Such solutions should only be used as routine maintenance to help keep your drains clean.These products are recommended because they are not corrosive and are safe for pipes, plumbing equipment, and septic systems. Use enzymatic cleaners for your garbage disposals, showers, bathtubs, toilets, and other household drains.
5. Fully turn on the cold water and then the garbage disposal before dumping coffee grounds or eggshells (or anything) down the drain. If you do not have a garbage disposal, or if you have a septic system, do not put coffee grounds or eggshells down the drain. These materials will build up over time and cause drainage problems.
6. Once a week, fill each sink in your home to the brim and then pull up the stopper. The volume and weight of the water will fill the drain pipe completely with water. It will do a good job of flushing the drain line.

   Once every three months fill every sink and tub in the house with water. With the help of friends or family members simultaneously pull all of the drain stoppers up and flush all toilets in the house. This large volume of water will help flush out the larger sized drain stacks and underground building drains.

7. Contact your local San Diego plumbing company for more information on more plumbing tips for clogged pipe prevention.

Our San Diego plumbers want to help you and your family with your everyday plumbing needs. When we move into a community, whether our home is old or in a new development, we want to acquaint ourselves with our new neighbors. We familiarize ourselves with schools, transportation and look for friendly faces at the local market. Often we don’t meet our local repairmen until disaster strikes.

Our San Diego plumbers want you to know they are people on your side in the community. Most don’t offer 24 hour plumbing service and wont be there when you need them, so why wait? Call us now at 858-200-1180.
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Any plumbing problem is a nightmare for all homeowners. It usually means there will be a big mess and a big bill to follow. Although I cannot fix the problem of money, I can help you quickly solve some common plumbing problems. For most plumbing disasters, there is always a temporary fix to prevent any further damage. (more…)