Clogged drains are among the most common plumbing problems a homeowner faces, and one that our plumbers deal with daily.

You have a variety of options when it comes to clearing clogged drains -- there are chemical cleaners, organic solutions, plumbing snakes, plungers, and more. But why go to the trouble when it’s cheaper and easier to just prevent clogs in the first place?

Taking care of a drain mostly just requires you to be careful. Add to that a few proactive cleanings each year, and your chances of developing a serious clog become very low.

Read on to learn why it’s important to take care of your drains, and how our drain-clearing product Bio-Ben® can help keep your drains in good working order.

Why drain health is important

When you don’t take good care of your drains, the first consequence is often a foul smell. This is more common in kitchen drains where organic food particles can rot, wafting noxious air into the kitchen. But even bathroom and floor drains can be the source of offensive odors.

After the smell, the next problem is usually clogged formation. This happens gradually, causing drains to simply work slowly at first, followed by complete closure of the drain system.

Finally, if drain systems are really neglected, permanent damage can occur. No drain is built to last forever, but basic care can extend a drain’s useful life by decades, whereas neglect can have the opposite effect.

Watch what goes down the drain!

The most important aspect of preventative drain maintenance is being careful about what goes down the drain. In bathtubs and showers, the biggest problem is usually hair. But this is easy enough to avoid by using a wire mesh filter over the drain. Cleaning it out after every shower just takes a couple of seconds.

In the kitchen, you should take care to avoid putting anything but water down the sink drain. Many organic food products -- but not all -- can go into the garbage disposal. Among the most common clog culprits for both drains and disposals are grease and coffee grounds -- always put those in the trash can instead.

Floor drains can be troublesome because it’s so easy for debris to fall in inadvertently. If you have floor drains in a basement, laundry room or elsewhere, make sure they have suitable drain covers. Don’t make a habit of sweeping or washing debris into the drain if you can avoid it.

How Bio-Ben can help

However, sometimes clogs happen despite your best efforts. That’s why we created Bio-Ben, our own advanced microbial drain, septic, and grease trap treatment, made up of naturally occurring strains of live, vegetative bacterial cultures with an appetite for organic matter.

If your drains aren’t working properly and you want them free of bacteria and grease, our Bio-Ben treatment is the solution. Here’s how it works.

Bio-Ben’s Special Features

  • Fast Acting: Bio-Ben begins working immediately when introduced in a drain line or collection system. These friendly bacterial cultures do not require a wake-up period as with other microbial products.
  • Ease: Bio-Ben is easy to use and simple to pour and go. No pre-mixing, the convenient drain back bottle cap measurer is used to add the correct amount of treatment to the drain line or collection system.
  • Value: Bio-Ben requires one-half capful per treatment. One-half capful has more activity than five capfuls of other bio-products.
  • Eliminates Emergency Callbacks: Bio-Ben continues to work long after the service call. The bacteria continue to feed on the organic residue left in the drain line, grease trap, and septic tank long after the plumber leaves.

What Makes Bio-Ben Different

Bio-Ben is effective and helps keep your drains clean and free from bacteria. Some of the things that set Bio-Ben apart include:

  • Guaranteed quality-controlled products with high cell counts
  • Exceptional bacterial enzyme activity
  • Speeds breakdown and digestion of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, and petroleum hydrocarbons
  • Bacterial metabolism with aerobic growth
  • An environmentally safe formulation containing nonpathogenic bacteria

Got a stubborn clog and need help unclogging it – or want to stock up on some Bio-Ben? Reach out to Benjamin Franklin Plumbing today! Call us at 1-877-BEN-1776, or contact us online.