In 2019, roughly one-quarter of homeowners needed to hire a plumber. This work
is not cheap. The average cost is $230 for repairing a clogged drain and $1,175 for
installing new pipes. Here are five tips to decrease your odds of needing a plumber.
Keep out fats, oils, and grease. Pouring any of these down the sink is a major
cause of clogs.
Protect your toilet. Don’t flush wipes, napkins, or feminine hygiene products.
Defend your drains with a strainer in sinks and tubs to catch hair and other
drain-clogging debris.
Try a plumbing probiotic. An enzyme drain cleaner keeps food, soap scum
and organic waste from sticking to pipe walls.
Coffee grounds, bones, and eggshells should stay out of the garbage disposal.
But eggshells are a particular threat; the thin membrane on the inside can get
lodged in the disposal’s impeller.
