by Ali Koomen

Created on: September 05, 2008   Last Updated: October 07, 2008

There must be an unwritten "Murphy's Law" about plugged drains: they only occur right before you're expecting company, or on a holiday weekend when the plumber will gleefully charge you time-and-a-half to come out and fix it. The best way to prove old Murphy wrong is to do preventative maintenance on your drains.

Many people think that it is fine to get rid of oil and grease via the disposal, as long as cold water is used. The theory is that cold water congeals the fat and it will go down in clumps. The problem comes when it reaches a certain point in your pipes and it slows. When the water ran behind that is hot, it melts and solidifies and so on until you've got one huge mess on your hands.

Bathroom plugs are usually caused by soap scum and hair matting together and creating an immovable force in the plumbing. It is impossible to stop your hubby from losing all ursine growth from his back and ridiculous to ask your teenager to stop shampooing her waist length hair, so eventually you'll have to deal with a bathroom clog. Put off the inevitable by using hair traps, available for a few dollars at the hardware store. It's also possible to make your own, just cover the drain with a plug of mesh or tulle. Water can still get through, and when it becomes hair-clogged, simply toss it.

Once a month or so, pour an entire box of baking soda down the bathroom and kitchen drains, immediately followed by a quart of boiling water to help speed slow drains.

Basement and outdoors drain usually become clogged by foreign objects such as sand, twigs, grass, toys. Keep the drains area free of obstructions by placing a piece of netting across it and by cleaning it whenever it rains.

If, despite all your precautions, your sink becomes clogged, hold off on calling the plumber. If the clog isn't too deep, a simple plunger could loosen it. Or try using a plumber's snake, available at the hardware or plumber supply store. If the plug is organic in nature (fats, foods, proteins) there are plenty of enzyme drain cleaners available on the market Lye-based cleaners work well, too, but they are highly toxic and extreme care must be taken when using the product.

Keep in mind that the little bit of time and money spent now on preventative care can save hours of aggravation and hundreds on your plumber's bill in the future.

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