When you think about calling for a plumber, what’s the first plumbing problem that pops to mind? We’d bet in seven cases out of ten you’d say “clogged drain.” Slow or clogged drains are among the most common and irritating of plumbing troubles. Every home runs into them at some point, and no matter how much care people take to prevent them, they can still crop up—and often for some pretty strange reasons.
The main culprits behind clogged drains are food waste, FOG (fats, oils, grease), soap scum, hair, and small objects from bathroom and kitchen counters that may go down the drains by accident. Plumbers know how to deal with each of these. But plumbers also know how to deal with some of the more unusual and uncanny reasons for clogged and slow drains. Step into our “Museum of Weird Plumbing” and meet some of the other villains that can stop up your sinks, showers, toilets, and tubs.
Cement
Why in the world would you pour cement down your drains? Well, you are not going to. But construction and remodeling workers just might find a way to (accidentally) get cement into the drains. Older drainpipes that are no longer in use are often sealed up with cement, and the cement may get into other drains, leading to clogging. Plumbers will have to take care of this with some pipe replacements—this is one clogging job no drain snake or hydro-jetter can handle!
Cat litter
Cat lovers, we know you want to make disposing of old cat litter as easy as possible. But the plain truth is that you must it bag it and take it out to the trash—you can’t pour it down the toilet! Here’s the big problem: cat litter clumps. That makes it easier to scoop up, but it also means that if it’s flushed down a toilet, it will rapidly clump together into major obstructions. Clean up cat litter responsibly and you won’t have it ruining you drains.
Smartphones
This is an object that can accidentally fall out of someone’s pocket and end up in the toilet. A large object like this will create a major clog that will take a plumber to fix. (They won’t be able to salvage the phone, we’re sorry to say.)
Vermin
No one likes to think about it, but rats and mice can sometimes find their way into drainpipes and create blockage. It isn’t pretty, but its something professional plumbers can help you with.
Legos (and other building blocks)
Young children often enjoy throwing small objects into drains, and no matter how well you monitor them, sometimes you can’t stop these things. Legos and other small building blocks are the toys that are most likely to slip down into drains of any size and create trouble. But it could be anything that shouldn’t go down a drain—toddlers are not particular about this.
When you need to schedule drain cleaning in Burlington, VT, or maybe a or more serious repair (CEMENT!), you can reach out to us. We have emergency service available.
