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 the destruction of your home’s plumbing, unpleasant smells, and even health hazards. If not promptly dealt with blocked drains could cause serious issues in your plumbing system, leading to costly repairs or replacements.

Key Takeaways

• Drains that are blocked can interrupt your day-to-day routine and lead to flooding, unpleasant smells, and even health issues.
• Oil, grease and fat buildup can accumulate on the walls of pipes, leading to obstructions; try not to pour grease down the drain or use hot water and soap for cleaning dishes.
• Tree roots naturally extend themselves in the ground to find nutrients, which could cause serious damages and blockages to pipes that can lead to flooding. Regularly keep trees in the vicinity of drainage systems by pruning them.
• Flushing non-biodegradable items like wet wipes, sanitary towels etc. can result in nasty smells emanating from bins and toilets. be sure to use toilet paper to flush down toilet.
• Hair

In this article, we will examine five of the most common causes of blocked drains and what you can do to avoid them.

Cause 1. Grease, oil and Fat buildup

Oil, grease, and fat may seem like harmless substances to flush down the drain, but as time passes, they build up within the wall of pipes causing obstruction. When this occurs, water is unable to move freely through the drainpipes. It is best to avoid the practice of pouring grease down the drain or make use of hot water and soap to wash your hands when cleaning dishes, as this helps remove greasy substances.

Cause 2. Tree Roots

As time passes, tree roots naturally expand into the soil seeking nutrients. This leads to them expanding towards underground pipes. Once they are inside the pipes, tree roots can cause substantial damage and may completely block them leading to flooding. It’s crucial, therefore, if you have trees around to regularly monitor the growth of your trees around drainage systems by pruning them regularly.

Cause 3: Items that are soiled

It’s easy to think that flushing non-biodegradable things like wet wipes, sanitary towels etc. won’t cause any significant problems in the long term, however, if too many of these products are flushed into toilets, they can build up, pushing other items aside and blocking pipes – this can create unpleasant smells around bins and toilets! Always be aware of what should be flushed and which shouldn’t (i. it is only toilet paper needs to have to be flushed).

Cause 4: Hair

Additional Information

• DIY Drain Cleaning: How to Safely Tackle Clogged Drains
• The Benefits of CCTV Drain Inspection: Beyond Unclogging Pipes
• When Should You Call A Professional To Clear Your Blocked Drain?
• Don't Ignore The Symptoms of a Blocked Drain
• The Importance of Professional Drain Cleaning for Your Family's Health and Safety
• Investigating & Verifying a Blocked Drain: Measures to Take
• Troubleshooting Blocked Drains Plumbing Tips and Solutions
• CCTV Drain Inspections: Why They are Crucial in Detecting Drain Blockages
• Save Money with These Simple Drain Maintenance Techniques
• What to Know about Pipe Relining Services for Blocked Drains