Taking Care of Drains, Part 2 – Clearing a Clog

Our second post in a mini series about taking care of your home’s drains (and by extension, the entire plumbing system) will deal with how to care for clogged drains properly. No matter how well you care for your home’s plumbing system and drains, (even refusing to pour in grease) at some point, you will have to deal with a slow-draining sink, shower, or tub. So, the first thing you should do is grab a high-powered clog-clearing chemical, right? Well… Maybe not.

While most clog-clearing chemicals these days advertise that they are safe for plumbing, they may not be safe for your plumbing. Usually, these chemicals are safe for most types of systems, but you’ll need to read the fine print to make sure your specific type of pipes are going to survive the assault. In many cases, it may be best to simply use a plunger or drain snake to manually remove the obstruction from your drain.