5 Common Causes of Blocked Drains and How to Prevent Them

Blocked drains are a hassle that can disrupt your daily life. They can result in smelly water damage, bad smells, and even health risks. If not dealt with promptly blocked drains may cause serious problems in the plumbing system, which can lead to expensive maintenance or repairs.

Key Takeaways

• Drains that are blocked can interrupt your day-to-day routine and result in the destruction of your home, bad odours and even health hazards.
• The fat, oil and grease build-up can clog the walls of pipes causing blockages. Do not pour grease down the drain or make use of hot water and soap to wash dishes.
• Tree roots naturally grow into the soil to search for nutrients which may cause significant damage to pipes and even completely block them and cause flooding. It is important to regularly maintain the trees surrounding drainage systems by pruning them.
• Disposing of non-biodegradable materials like wet wipes, towels, etc. can result in nasty smells emanating from toilets or bins. be sure to wash toilet papers down drain.
• Hair

In this article, we’ll review five common reasons for blocked drains and what you can do to stop them from happening.

Cause 1. Grease, Oil and Fat Buildup

Oil, grease, and fat may appear like harmless materials to pour down the drain however, over time, they begin to accumulate on the walls of pipes, creating obstruction. When this occurs then water cannot flow freely through drainpipes. The best solution is to refrain from throwing grease in the drain, or use hot water and soap while cleaning dishes, as this helps dissolve greasy substances.

Cause 2: Tree Roots

In time, the tree roots naturally expand into the soil seeking nutrients. This implies that they expand towards underground pipes. Once inside the pipes, tree roots could cause significant damage and could completely stop them from flowing, causing flooding. It’s important therefore if you have trees in the vicinity to regularly monitor their growth around drainage systems, by trimming them in a regular manner.

Cause 3: Items that are soiled

It’s not difficult to conclude that flushing items that aren’t biodegradable like toilet paper, wet wipes etc. aren’t likely to cause major issues in the long run However, if a large amount of these items go into toilets, they can pile up and push others away, which can create unpleasant smells around toilets/bin areas too! Always be aware of what should be flushed and which shouldn’t (i. that only toilet paper should be flushed).

Cause 4: Hair

Additional Information

• How to Choose between Different Types of Pipe Relining Materials (And Which One Is Right for You)
• The Importance of CCTV Drain Inspections in Preventing Expensive Property Damage
• DIY Drain Cleaning: How to Safely Tackle Clogged Drains
• Keeping Costly Drain Repairs at Bay with Routine Inspections
• CCTV Drain Inspection: An Effective Way to Prevent Future Plumbing Issues
• What You Need to Know About Blocked Drains and How to Resolve Them
• Effective Ways to Clear a Clogged Shower Drain Naturally
• Investigating the Primary Causes of Drain Blockages
• Unblock Your Drains with Ease: The Power of Blocked Drain Jetting
• Unblock Your Pipes: Simple Tips to Try Out Now