What Causes Clogged Drains?

The Go-To Pro Plumbing team is often called out to help with clogged drains. We thought we’d share some of the most common, and a few funny, things we have found inside a clogged drain. 

In 2019, it was a real Macomb County plumbing problem when a massive Fatberg was discovered between 15 and 21 mile roads. Fats, greases and oils leave your kitchen as liquids, but quickly harden and become sludge in your pipe. We were recently called to a Roseville kitchen to replace a section of pipe that had become so full that it no longer allowed proper drainage. 

Don’t be fooled into believing baby wipes, cleaning wipes or “flush-able” wipes are in fact flush-able. These wipes can often get caught on tree roots or Fatbergs and cause major problems.  We recently performed plumbing services in Warren that were caused by a large number of baby wipes collected in the main drain of a home. 

On a recent Sterling Heights plumbing job we encountered a trap of coffee grounds. Because coffee grounds do not fully break down in water, they can also get caught up with food particles and lead to a clogged drain. 

Cherry pits, lemon slices and other fibrous fruit skins can cause real mess in your kitchen sink or garbage disposal. At a recent Center Line plumbing job, we found a real fruit cocktail - and the stickers from the skins in a drain. The adhesive stickers, pits and fibrous skins should be disposed of in your garbage can.  

Tree lined streets are beautiful, and potentially a nightmare for Eastpointe plumbing clients. We recently helped a family who’s beautiful tree had completely destroyed the main sewer line. 

It plumps when you cook it, and it stays that way in your drain.  Pastas expand with liquid so the more water you add, the bigger they get. We’ve been called out to many Shelby Township plumbing jobs to find that the drain is packed with pasta. Be sure to throw any leftovers (who has leftover pasta?!) In the trash, not the sink. 

A clogged drain full of gives a whole new meaning to a bad hair day. At a recent Royal Oak plumbing job, we found a p-trap that was completely obstructed by hair. As hair fills a drain, it grabs more. We recommend using a hair trap at the drain to avoid this problem. 

At a recent Madison Heights plumbing project, we found a pipe that had clogged and corroded due to soap scum buildup. If you’ve ever tried to clean a soap dish, you know how thick and hard it can be to remove this buildup. The same can be true in your pipes. 

We were recently called to a Clarkston plumbing job that had pipes clogged with calcium and magnesium buildup. We were able to help the resident select the proper water softener to avoid this in the future. 

At a recent Ferndale plumbing project, we found a sink full of game pieces. Whether they fell in accidentally, or the little kid that looked very guilty placed them there intentionally, small items like bottle caps, kitchen waste and more often make their way into the drain. A drain cover, and some supervision of little ones, can prevent this issue.

We were called out for plumbing services in Royal Oak when a toilet continued to overflow.  Turned out that the homeowners keys had fallen from their pocket and into the toilet. 

Some cat litters claim to be flush-able, but trust us, you don’t want to try it. We performed plumbing services in Troy for a woman who flushed the cat litter. Cat litter is very dense and is like pouring sand traps into a drain. If there are tree roots in your line, you can develop a kitty litter dam.

Nothing causes a client to call for emergency service faster than a wedding ring down the drain. A St. Clair Shores plumbing customer recently called us in a panic when her ring fell from beside the sink and into the drain. We immediately advised her not to use the drains and were able to rescue her ring. It’s one of the things we love about our work. 

We take our phones everywhere with us, and that often includes the bathroom. At a recent Rochester plumbing job, the gentlemen of the house was embarrassed to tell us that he dropped his phone in as the toilet was flushing. He ended up with a plumbing visit - and a trip to the cell store.