You Have Influence Over Whether Your Drains Get Clogged Or Not
Fernandina, FL residents have a fair amount of influence over whether their drains get clogged or not. 
Yes, there are some contributing factors that are beyond their control. However, there are plenty of other contributing factors that are not. For instance, local residents are the ones who control what they put down their drains, which can have a very real effect on whether they will need to call in a plumber or not in the future.
What Are Some Things That You Shouldn’t Put Down Your Drains?
Here are some examples of things that Fernandina, FL residents should avoid putting down their drains if they want to avoid having to call in the plumber:
Oil and Grease
Both oil and grease are substances that interested individuals should never put down their drains if they want to avoid having to call in a plumber as much as possible. This is because both oil and grease can congeal under colder temperatures, meaning that they can congeal on the inside of pipes. On their own, this would be bad enough. However, what is particularly unpleasant about congealed oil and grease is that they are sticky substances. Thanks to that, both of them can cause other flushed items to get stuck inside the pipes, with the result that what started out as a minor issue can turn into a serious blockage much sooner than what interested individuals might expect.
Rice and Noodles
Speaking of which, rice and noodles also shouldn’t be flushed down the drains. In their case, it is because they can swell up when they absorb water, thus causing them to take up a much bigger space in the pipes than what their initial appearance would indicate. Granted, both rice and noodles will break down with sufficient passage of time, but they will still be more than capable of creating a problem bad enough for a plumber to have to be called in before then.
Egg Shells
Food waste should never go down the drains. Yes, certain forms of food waste can break down on their own, but they are still big enough and solid enough to block the pipes. Having said that, there are some forms of food waste that are even worse, with an excellent example being egg shells. The main issue with egg shells and other hard substances is that they won’t be breaking down anytime soon. Thanks to that, if they get stuck in the pipes, they are going to be stuck there for a very long time to come.
Flushable Wipes
Flushable wipes can come as a surprise to a lot of interested individuals. After all, their very name says that they can be put down the drains, meaning that this comes as a challenge to that claim. However, the fact of the matter is that flushable wipes should be considered an edge case, meaning that people should be careful when flushing them.
In short, the issue is that while flushable wipes will break down, they won’t break down as fast as toilet paper. As a result, it is very much possible for flushable wipes to get stuck in the pipes where they will obstruct the free flow of water as well as other substances. Even worse, flushable wipes can get tangled up with other flushed items such as cotton swabs, sanitary pads, and paper towels to create what is called ragging, which can be even more frustrating to say the least.
Paper Products
On a related note, people shouldn’t be flushing most paper products. They can flush toilet paper without having to call in the plumber. However, that is because toilet paper is meant to be flushed down the drains. Unfortunately, other paper products are not, meaning that they can contribute to blockages as well. In particular, interested individuals should watch out for water-absorbent paper towels because those paper products can swell up by soaking up the water flowing through the pipes, thus making them even more threatening as potential causes of clogs.
Household Fluids
Household fluids shouldn’t be flushed down the drains. Generally speaking, they aren’t going to cause clogs and other plumbing-related issues that will need to be resolved by a professional. However, they can be hazardous, meaning that it is a bad idea to send them into the water supply. On top of that, while most household fluids won’t be causing plumbing-related issues bad enough to warrant a plumber’s attention, that is by no means a universal rule. There are some household fluids that can cause serious damage to the material of the pipes in the plumbing system,
Medications
The flushing of medications won’t force people to call for the plumber. However, it is nonetheless a serious problem, meaning that it should be avoided as much as possible. There was a point in time when people were recommended to flush their unused medications rather than leave them sitting around, but that turned out to be a serious mistake when that resulted in a wide range of undesirable chemicals being introduced to the water supply. Nowadays, people should know better, meaning that the flushing of medications is very much something to be avoided even if it won’t result in the need for a plumber.
Contact Us
Curious about how to minimize the need for plumbing services? The best solution is to speak with a skilled and experienced plumber who can put their expertise and experience at the disposal of interested individuals. Plumbing maintenance plus other plumbing services can do a great deal to minimize the chances of serious plumbing problems popping up, meaning that they can save people a lot of time, effort, and even money in the long run. To learn more about this as well as other plumbing-related issues, please contact us at Bert Norman’s Plumbing as soon as time permits. Our representatives are happy to help, meaning that interested individuals shouldn’t hesitate to consult them.