Most Long-Lasting Drains

There are many factors that come into how long a drain will last, but since calling professional maintenance can be frustrating, we put together this guide on what are the Most long-lasting Drains?

Type of Metal:

There are a variety of metals used nowadays that prevent rusting, but some last longer than others. Since there are many different types of stainless steel, we recommend stainless steel from a reputable brand. This way you’ll be able to trust you’re receiving a type of steel that won’t start rusting after 2-3 years. This, however is more important for sinks or drains near laundry/garages where there might be cleaning products mixed in with the water. What exactly will be going through that drain is an important factor, which brings up the next point…

Shape of the Grid:

There are a large variety of different grid types which are used in many different situations. For use in showers and sinks we recommend a grid with small opening, especially for a sink. Showers do deal with a lot of hair, but those drains are large and clog very rarely; sinks on the other hand are easy to clog. This is why the best option for sinks are drains with a removable grid for easy cleaning, or the use of  a drain hard catcher. This makes for a “filter” which is easy to clean and prevents anything unwanted from going down the drain (both hair and valuables like small jewelry). For the outdoors the situation gets more complex since it’s best to get a drain with aperture depending of the size of the debris it’s pipes can handle.

Type of Pipe:

 

There are a variety of different types of pipes for different situations. We won’t be going into too much detail, so we’ll go over some basic uses. For indoor drainage, HDPE pipes are a type of durable plastic that is very easy to clean, is long lasting, and withstands the cold well. For indoor drainage we’d have to go with HDPE, or the classic PVC since they’re both cheap, very long lasting, and easy to maintain. For outdoor drainage, the standard is plastic, different types of PVC that extremely durable, thick, and hard to clog. When starting a new project, the variety of indoor piping used can be somewhat overwhelming since different parts of the system require different pipes.

Upkeep:

This is possibly the most important part of the article, since a large portion of how long drains last depends on how they were maintained. For sinks and bathrooms using a drain snake regularly will prevent your drain from ever fully clogging. The snake also removes any debris that would normally sit in the pipes and hold a lot of extra humidity. It’s true that cleaning the actual piping is somewhat difficult, but it goes a very long way in ensuring the longevity of the drainage system. For outdoor drains, removing the grids and clearing out all debris with your hands is generally enough. Cleaning piping can be done in very large intervals, for this very reason it’s often more convenient to call professionals to do preventative maintenance every couple of years.

 

When installing a new system there are a lot of details to take into account, but the most important advice we can give is that preventative maintenance is the deciding factor. It’s an extra chore to have to do maintenance on drains that seem to be working fine but putting in a small amount of effort regularly will prevent the headache that comes from having big piping problems!