How to prevent clogged drains, explained by the licensed plumbers at Utah Service Pros in Payson.
TL;DR: Preventing clogged drains comes down to four habits: no grease down the kitchen sink, hair catchers in every shower, nothing but paper down toilets, and hot-water flushes after dishwashing. Skip chemical openers, they damage older pipe and fix nothing structural.
What actually causes most clogs?
Kitchen lines: grease, which coats cold pipe walls and then catches everything else. Bathrooms: hair bound with soap scum, worse in hard water, where soap forms curd instead of dissolving. Toilets: wipes (including “flushable” ones), cotton, and dental floss. Utah County’s mineral-heavy water adds scale that narrows older drains and gives all of the above more to grab.
Which prevention habits pay off?
Pour cooled grease into a can, not the sink. Run hot water 30 seconds after greasy dishes. Drop $5 hair catchers in showers and clean them weekly. Monthly, flush kitchen lines with a kettle of hot water and a squirt of dish soap, enzyme cleaners are gentler than caustics for maintenance. And exercise floor drains with a bucket of water so their traps stay sealed.
When is a recurring clog not a habit problem?
When it returns in the same line despite good behavior, that is structure: roots, a belly, or scale, found by camera and cured by jetting or repair, not another bottle. Start at drain cleaning: 801-874-8479.
Expert-reviewed by Utah Service Pros. Last updated June 2026.
Questions about how to prevent clogged drains? Call Utah Service Pros at 801-874-8479 for straight answers and a flat-rate quote.
How To Prevent Clogged Drains: quick answers
How to prevent clogged drains comes down to three things: act early, get a proper diagnosis before paying for anything, and insist on flat-rate pricing. For how to prevent clogged drains anywhere in Utah County, Utah Service Pros handles the diagnosis and the fix in one visit, with permits included where required.