When it comes to your San Gabriel home’s plumbing, one of the most important things you can do is perform regular drain and sewer maintenance. Those pipes are vital to maintaining a steady flow of waste water out of your home – if something goes wrong, you’ll regret not fixing it earlier. Here are some easy strategies for maintaining your drains and sewer lines:

Avoid Unflushable Items – Some items are designed to be flushed down the toilet. Everything else is not. If something isn’t specifically designed to go down your toilet, don’t put it down there. This includes paper towels, napkins, any kind of food, floss, or hair, and anything else that should go in a garbage can. Toilets may seemingly whisk everything away in one flush, but a lot of that stuff can get stuck on its trip to the sewer.
Clear Drains Weekly – You can’t clean your sewer line without professional help, but you can do your best to keep drains clear on their way out. Use boiling hot water and lemon juice or a mixture of baking soda and vinegar once a week to clear out the drains of any excess build up. Also, avoid putting any grease or other gunk down the drain that might stick to food particles and clog the drains.
Have Slow Drains Inspected – If a drain in your home slows down significantly, have it inspected. It might be a bit of hair stuck in a trap somewhere, or it could be your sewer line starting to clog. It’s better to know now than to wait and fall victim to a much larger problem in weeks or months.
Use Drain Strainers – Don’t let anything go directly down the drain. Use strainers to block food, hair or other stuff from getting into the sink or bathtub drains. Hair in particular, when mixed with grease or soap can become a glue-like substance in your drains.

Most drain and sewer maintenance is preventative and common sense. Pay attention to the effects your actions have on the water lines leaving your house and you can greatly reduce the risk that something goes wrong in the future.