Tag: clogs

Common Causes of Clogged Drains

Feb 15, 2020

Common Causes of Clogged Drains

  • Plumbing
  • Uncategorized
MillTown Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning and Drain Cleaning 131 Stedman St #6, Chelmsford, MA 01824 (978) 616-7412 Drain Cleaners

Clogged drains are an inconvenient problem that can develop into a serious threat to your home and your health. At the first sign of a clog or backup, you should call a Milltown Plumbing professional to assess the situation. When your wastewater can’t exit your property it will begin overflowing through your drains. This can lead to standing water, waste, and other contaminants in sinks, toilets, and showers. Not only is this unhealthy, but it can result in costly water damage as well.

Common Causes of Clogged Drains

Clogged drains can be a major inconvenience in your home. While they may not always be avoidable, it’s helpful to know what may be causing them in your home and on your property:

  • Offset pipes. If your plumbing is old, it’s possible that over it may have shifted over time. When the ground moves around the pipes, their support structure changes. This can be caused by several things, like heavy rains or animals burrowing nearby. Old concrete and clay pipes are especially at risk of becoming offset.
  • Tree roots. One of the most common causes of clogs is due to tree roots! As the roots grow, their search for nourishment continues. They need a source of water, and its likely that they will try and break into your pipes to get it! The larger the roots grow, the more damage they can cause to your pipes.
  • Grease. Grease buildup happens very quickly. Typically introduced through a kitchen drain, grease cools and hardens on its way down your system. With every new layer that hardens, the diameter of your pipes constricts. As it sticks to the walls of your pipes, it can grab other debris on their way down and quickly cause a clog.
  • Soap. You use some sort of soap in your bathrooms and laundry room. It accumulates over time and like grease, it can cause a blockage.

Items You Should Never Put Down Your Drains

One of the most common causes of clogged drains is foreign objects that get lodged in your pipes. Resisting the temptation to dump household wastes down the drain is difficult, but important. It seems so convenient just to pour that bacon grease into the sink after cooking breakfast, but doing so can have negative, long lasting results. Not to mention, fixing issues that may arise can be costly. Improper disposal of waste in your toilet or sink can result in clogs, backed up drains, or other malfunctions.  Here are some things that should never be introduced into your plumbing system: 

  • Diapers, Flushable Wipes, and Feminine Hygiene Products
  • Hair and Dental Floss
  • Fats, Oils, and Grease
  • Paper Towels, Cotton Balls, and Swabs
  • Motor Oil, Transmission Fluid, and Anti-Freeze
  • Coffee Grounds
  • Egg Shells, Bones, or hard Foods
  • Stickers or Band-Aids

We understand that accidents happen. In the event of a clog, don’t hesitate to call Milltown Plumbing. One of our trained professionals will be able to locate the source of the clog and get your plumbing back up and running in no time.

For all of your plumbing needs, call Milltown today! 

 

By Milltown Plumbing

7 Things That Shouldn’t Go Down Your Drains

Jul 26, 2019

7 Things That Shouldn’t Go Down Your Drains

  • Plumbing
drains in Massachusetts by MillTown

The drains in your house likely seem like an easy way to dispose of certain things. The water pushes stuff down easily enough and you don’t have to take out any trash! However, drains aren’t as powerful as you may think. Putting certain things down your drains in Massachusetts can result in a variety of problems. Whether it’s certain kinds of foods or bathroom products, there are plenty of things that should never go down the drain.

Here are seven examples of things that should never go down your drains in Massachusetts:

 

Oils

There are a variety of oil-like substances used for cooking. Among these are cooking oil, olive oil, salad dressings, condiments, and mayonnaise. Not only are they a major contributor to clogs, but they can combine with other debris to make sludge.

 

Coffee grounds

Coffee grounds are one of the biggest contributors to sink clogs. Grounds aren’t completely water soluble, which means when they mix with oil or grease coating the pipes, it can create a big mess. It’s better to throw them away or compost them.

 

Pasta and rice

Rice and pasta share a common trait that’s an important part of cooking them. The two tend to expand when exposed to water. When stuck in your pipes, this can result in clogs. In addition, pasta made of sticky semolina can gum up your pipes or garbage disposal.

 

Egg shells

Egg shells can be particularly difficult for garbage disposal units to take care of. The shells can be hard on the blades, and the membrane can wrap around the grinding apparatus. Even when ground up, the shells are granular waste that often collects with other waste to form clogs.

 

Flushable wipes

Despite the name, flushable wipes shouldn’t be disposed of through your toilet drain. A New York Times article wrote about NYC’s $18 million expenditure on problems caused by flushed wipes. Unlike toilet paper, wipes don’t disintegrate in water and can combine with materials like grease to create major clogs.

 

Paint

Depending on where you live, there may be specific rules as to how you dispose of oil and latex paint. Sometimes, even water used to rinse brushes used with water-based paints shouldn’t go down your drain. As a rule of thumb, oil paint almost always has to be disposed of at a hazardous waste facility.

 

Medication

Medications don’t damage your plumbing in any way, but the pharmaceuticals get into the waterways and aren’t healthy for humans and animals. Most of the medicine found in our waterways comes from human urine. However, it’s estimated that one-third of sold medicine goes unconsumed. If there’s no medication take-back program available, mix the medication with something unpalatable, seal it in a plastic bag, and throw it in the trash.

 

What can MillTown do to help me with plumbing problems?

Since 1979, MillTown has been helping homeowners like you resolve their home service issues. Since then, we’ve proven our brand of high quality in our service area. We have a 24/7 call center so we can come by no matter what time your plumbing acts up. Our uniformed plumbers will arrive with a fully stocked truck ready to help you. If you have problems with your drains in Massachusetts, call MillTown today.

 

Same Day Service

By Milltown Plumbing

7 Usual Causes of Clogged Drains in Massachusetts

Jul 14, 2019

7 Usual Causes of Clogged Drains in Massachusetts

  • Plumbing
clogged drains in Massachusetts by MillTown

Clogged drains are a common problem in any home. No matter how good you are about your plumbing, something will eventually get stuck down there. Clogged drains mean slower draining, and that can get to be a real problem if left unfixed. But what exactly causes these clogs? Let MillTown tell you seven of the more common causes of clogged drains in Massachusetts.

Here are seven common causes of clogged drains in Massachusetts:

 

Soap

Traditional soap bars are made with the help of grease or fat. The fat in soap can combine with water to make a hard residue known as soap scum. Soap scum has a tendency to stain bath fittings and clog drains. Once the pipes have a clog, a pressure cleaning is your best option. In order to help prevent these kinds of clogs, you should consider soap-free washes.

 

Mineral buildups

Hard water is water with a large amount of calcium and magnesium dissolved in it. These minerals can build up and cause insoluble masses in your drains. If hard water is a problem in your area, a water softener can do wonders for your home. If that’s not an option, you’ll have to do things the hard way by regularly descaling and removing sediment. Mineral buildups are hard to remove once established, so call one of our plumbers if one is blocking your drains.

 

Hair

Hair is a fairly common cause of clogged drains in Massachusetts, as it binds with grease and other sticky substances to form clogs. The best way to prevent these clogs is to install a guard to catch hair. Make sure that you clean it out regularly so it continues to work effectively.

 

Tree roots

In your underground pipes, even the smallest crack or leaks can attract growing roots. Roots that get in your pipes can grow larger, blocking off water and damaging the pipes further. To prevent this, you should keep an eye on your trees and plants to figure out which ones might be a problem. Cleaning out such clogs is a complex process which can require rooter service, pressure jet cleaning, trenchless repair, or even excavation.

 

Toilet paper buildups

Using too much toilet paper can cause clogs that prevent your toilets from flushing. If water can still run through the toilet, you should be able to fix it with a plunger. However, if the toilet fills without flushing, you might need to call one of our plumbers.

 

Foreign objects

As a rule of thumb, nothing but toilet paper, water, and waste products should go down the toilet, drain, or sink. Anything else can cause blockages and should be disposed of in the appropriate way. If something gets into your plumbing and causes problems, our professionals can help you remove it and get your plumbing back to normal.

 

Dirt

It’s true that drains are capable of washing things away, but just because it can doesn’t mean it should. If chunks of dirt get caught in your drains while you’re washing, it can cause issues in your drains. Shake or rinse extra dirt off your clothes and body before washing up inside.

 

Why should I call MillTown for my next plumbing job?

With 40 years of professional experience, MillTown knows plenty about handling home service jobs big or small. When you call us, our uniformed plumbers will arrive with a truck fully stocked with the latest in plumbing technology, ready to make your plumbing like brand new. We’re able to help you with your plumbing 24/7, because we know disaster never follows a schedule. If you need professionals to help you with clogged drains in Massachusetts, call MillTown today!

 

Same Day Service

By Milltown Plumbing