5 Common Causes of Blocked Drains and How to Prevent Them

Blocked drains can be a nuisance that can disrupt your daily life. They could cause smelly water damage, bad odours, and even health risks. If they’re not treated promptly, blocked drains can cause serious issues in the plumbing system, which can lead to expensive fixes or replacings.

Key Takeaways

• Blockages to drains can cause disruption to your day-to-day routine and lead to problems with water, bad smells, and even health risks.
• Oil, grease and fat build-up can clog the pipes’ walls causing obstructions; try not to pour grease down drains or use hot water and soap when washing dishes.
• Tree roots naturally extend themselves in the ground to find nutrients that could cause severe damage and completely block pipes leading to flooding; regularly keep trees in the vicinity of drainage systems by pruning them.
• Disposing of non-biodegradable materials like wet toiletries, wipes, etc. can cause unpleasant smells emanating around toilets/bin areas; be sure to wash toilet papers down toilet.
• Hair

In this article, we will examine five of the most common reasons for blocked drains and ways to avoid them.

Cause 1. Grease, oil and fat buildup

Fat, grease, and oil might appear to be harmless substances to dump down the drain but over time they accumulate on the walls of the pipes, causing the pipes to become blocked. If this happens, water is unable to move freely through the drainpipes. The solution is to avoid throwing grease down the drain. Or use hot water and soap during cleaning dishes, as this helps break down greasy substances.

Cause 2: Tree Roots

As time passes, tree roots naturally extend their roots into the earth seeking nutrients. This leads to them expanding toward underground pipes. Once inside the pipes, tree roots could cause significant damage and may completely block them leading to flooding. It is therefore essential if you have trees around to regularly monitor their growth around drainage systems by pruning them regularly.

Cause 3: Items that are soiled

It’s easy to assume that flushing non-biodegradable things like toilet paper, wet wipes and so on. aren’t likely to cause major issues in the end, however, if too many of these items are put into toilets, they can accumulate pushing others aside which can create unpleasant smells around toilets/bin areas too! Be aware of what needs to be flushed and what shouldn’t (i. it is only toilet paper should be flushed away).

Cause 4: Hair

Additional Information

• The Ultimate Checklist for a Smooth-flowing CCTV Drain Inspection Experience
• Effective Ways to Clear a Clogged Shower Drain Naturally
• The Top Causes of Blocked Drains and Their Simple Solutions
• What You Need to Know About Blocked Drains and How to Resolve Them
• Dealing with Blocked Drains: DIY Techniques vs Professional Services
• Expert Manual to Plumbing Cleaning for a Blockage-Free Home
• Keeping Costly Drain Repairs at Bay with Routine Inspections
• The Importance of CCTV Drain Inspections in Preventing Expensive Property Damage
• Ways to Find & Verify a Obstruction in Your Drain
• CCTV Drain Inspection: An Effective Way to Prevent Future Plumbing Issues