5 Common Causes of Blocked Drains and How to Prevent Them

Blocked drains are a hassle that can disrupt your daily life. They can cause water damage, bad smells, or even health hazards. If they are not addressed promptly blocked drains can lead to grave problems to the plumbing system, which could lead to costly repair or even replacement.
Key Takeaways
- Drains that are blocked can interrupt your day-to-day routine and result in problems with water, bad odours and even health hazards.
- Oil, grease and fat accumulations can stick to the walls of pipes, leading to blockages. Do not pour grease down the drain, or make use of hot water and soap to wash dishes.
- Tree roots naturally extend into the ground searching for nutrients, which could cause serious damage to pipes and even completely block them and cause flooding. It is important to regularly maintain nearby trees around drainage systems by pruning them.
- Flushing non-biodegradable items like wet wipes, sanitary towels etc. could cause unpleasant odors emanating around toilets/bin areas; make sure to use toilet paper to flush down toilet.
- Hair
In this article, we will review five common reasons for blocked drains and ways to stop them from happening.
Cause 1: Grease, Oil and fat buildup
Fat, grease and oil may seem like harmless substances to pour down the drain but they can build up in the pipes’ walls pipes, creating the pipes to become blocked. If this happens it is impossible for water to move freely through the drainpipes. The best solution is to refrain from throwing grease into the drain. Alternatively, use hot water and soap to wash your hands when cleaning dishes since it can help remove greasy substances.
Cause 2. Tree Roots
In time, the tree roots naturally extend themselves into the ground searching for nutrients which means that they grow towards underground pipes. Once they are inside the pipes, tree roots can cause massive damage and could completely block them leading to flooding. It’s crucial, therefore, if you have trees around to maintain their growth around drainage systems by trimming the trees regularly.
Cause 3: Items that are soiled
It’s easy to assume that flushing non-biodegradable items like toilet paper, wet wipes etc. shouldn’t cause a lot of problems in the long term, However, if a large amount of these items are flushed in the toilets, they’ll pile up and push others away, in the way of pipes. This could create unpleasant smells around bins and toilets! Be aware of what needs to be flushed and which shouldn’t (i. the only toilet papers should be flushed out).
Cause 4 Cause 4: Hair
Additional Information
- The Advantage of CCTV Drain Inspection in Detecting Root Infiltration Early
- Problems with Blocked Drains: Plumbing Tips and Solutions
- Investigating the Root Causes that Result in Blocked Drains
- Unblock Your Drains with This Do-It-Yourself Guide That is Simple to Follow
- Why Your Business Needs Periodic Drain Inspection and Cleaning
- Prevent Expensive Repairs with Regular Drain Maintenance
- Clearing Blocked Pipes: An Exhaustive Guide for Plumbers
- Efficiently Handle Drain Cleaning with High Pressure Solutions
- Future-Proofing Your Plumbing System with CCTV Drain Inspection
- Tips on Keeping Your Drains Clear and Free From Blockages