5 Common Causes of Blocked Drains and How to Prevent Them

Blocked drains are an inconvenience which can cause a disruption in your daily life. They can result in smelly water damage, bad odours, and even health risks. If not promptly dealt with blocked drains can lead to serious issues in the plumbing system, leading to costly maintenance or repairs.

Key Takeaways

• Blockages to drains can cause disruption to your day-to-day routine and lead to the destruction of your home, bad smells, and even health risks.
• Oil, grease and fat accumulations can stick to the walls of pipes causing blockages; avoid pouring grease down the drain. Alternatively, use hot water and soap while cleaning dishes.
• The roots of trees naturally expand into the earth to seek nutrients, which could cause serious damages and blockages to pipes leading to flooding; regularly maintain nearby trees around drainage systems by trimming them.
• Disposing of non-biodegradable materials like wet wipes, towels, and so on. can result in nasty smells emanating around toilets/bin areas; make sure to wash toilet papers down drain.
• Hair

In this post, we’ll look at five common causes of blocked drains and the best way to avoid them.

Cause 1. Grease, Oil and Fat buildup

Grease, oil and fat might appear to be harmless substances to flush down the drain, but they can build up over the insides of pipes causing an obstruction. As a result, water is unable to flow freely through drainpipes. The solution is to stop the practice of pouring grease down the drain. Or use soap and hot water when cleaning dishes as it helps break down grease-based substances.

Cause 2: Tree Roots

Over time tree roots naturally expand into the soil seeking nutrients. This leads to them expanding towards underground pipes. Once inside these pipes trees roots can cause a lot of damage and could completely block them leading to flooding. It’s important therefore if you are near trees to regularly monitor their growth around drainage systems, by trimming them in a regular manner.

Cause 3: Unwanted items

It’s easy enough to believe that flushing non-biodegradable things like the wet wipes, sanitary towel etc. aren’t likely to cause major issues in the end, However, when a lot of these items are flushed into toilets, they can accumulate pushing others aside that block pipes. This can cause unpleasant odors to emanate 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 out).

Cause 4: Hair

Additional Information

• Discover the Best Pipe Relining Materials for Your Plumbing Needs
• The Importance of Professional Drain Cleaning for Your Family's Health and Safety
• Don't Ignore The Symptoms of a Blocked Drain
• Clearing Clogged Drains: A Comprehensive Guide for Plumbers
• CCTV Drain Inspections: Why They are Crucial in Detecting Drain Blockages
• Troubleshooting Blocked Drains Plumbing Tips and Solutions
• The Benefits of CCTV Drain Inspection: Beyond Unclogging Pipes
• DIY Drain Cleaning: How to Safely Tackle Clogged Drains
• From Clogged to Clear: A Comprehensive Tutorial to Fix Your Shower Drain
• The Risks of Unclogging Your Drains Without Professional Help