5 Common Causes of Blocked Drains and How to Prevent Them

Blocked drains are a hassle that can disrupt your daily life. They could cause flooding, bad odours, and even health hazards. If they are not addressed promptly blocked drains could cause grave problems to your plumbing system, leading to expensive repair or even replacement.

Key Takeaways

• The blockage of drains can affect your routine and cause water damage, bad odours and even health hazards.
• The fat, oil and grease build-up can clog the walls of pipes causing obstructions; try not to pour grease down the drain or use soap and hot water while cleaning dishes.
• The roots of trees naturally expand into the earth to seek nutrients, which could cause serious damage and completely block pipes and cause flooding. It is important to regularly maintain the trees surrounding drainage systems by pruning them.
• Wet wipes, towels, and so on. can result in nasty smells emanating around toilets/bin areas; make sure to flush toilet paper down the drain.
• Hair

In this article, we’ll review five common reasons for blocked drains and ways to prevent them from happening.

Cause 1. Grease, Oil and fat buildup

Oil, grease, and fat may seem like harmless substances to pour down the drain but as time passes, they build up over the insides of pipes, creating the pipes to become blocked. If this happens then water cannot move freely through the drainpipes. The best solution is to refrain from throwing grease in the drain, or make use of hot water and soap to wash your hands when cleaning dishes because it assists to break down grease-based substances.

Cause 2. Tree Roots

Over time tree roots naturally expand into the soil searching for nutrients which leads to them expanding towards underground pipes. Once they’re inside, the trees roots can cause a lot of damage and could completely block them leading to flooding. It’s crucial, therefore, if you have trees nearby to maintain their growth in the drainage system by trimming them regularly.

Cause 3: Flushed items

It’s not difficult to conclude that flushing biodegradable products such as toilet paper, wet wipes etc. won’t cause any significant problems in the long run however, if too many of these products are flushed into toilets, they can pile up and push others away, in the way of pipes. This could cause unpleasant odors to emanate in the vicinity of toilets or bins! Be aware of what needs to be flushed, and what shouldn’t (i. the only toilet paper needs to be flushed out).

Cause 4: Hair

Additional Information

• Blocked Drain Emergency? Here’s What You Need to Know About DIY vs. Professionals
• Keeping Costly Drain Repairs at Bay with Routine Inspections
• Save Money and Time with Preventative Drain Care Practices
• Why CCTV Drain Inspection is a Cost-Effective Solution for Your Plumbing Needs
• When to Schedule a Professional Drain Cleaning Service
• The Ultimate Guide to Pipe Relining: How to Select the Perfect Material
• When to Call a Professional for Blocked Drains: A Guide
• Clogged Shower Drain? Learn Methods to Fix it with The subsequent Comprehensive Manual
• 5 Factors That Are Clogging Your Drains and How to Avoid Them
• Drain Maintenance 101: A Decade of Simple Methods to Prevent Clogs in Your Home