5 Common Causes of Blocked Drains and How to Prevent Them
Blocked drains are an inconvenience that could cause disruption to your daily life. They can cause water damage, bad smells, or even health hazards. If they’re not treated promptly, blocked drains can cause serious problems in your plumbing system, which can lead to costly maintenance or repairs.
Key Takeaways
- Drains that are blocked can interrupt your daily life and result in water damage, bad odours and even health hazards.
- Fat, oil and grease buildup can accumulate on the pipes’ walls causing blockages. Do not pour grease down the drain. Alternatively, use hot water and soap when washing dishes.
- Tree roots naturally extend themselves in the ground to find nutrients. This can cause massive damage to pipes and even completely block them and cause flooding. It is important to regularly keep trees in the vicinity of drainage systems by pruning them.
- The flushing of non-biodegradable products like wet towels, wipes and sanitary pads etc. can create unpleasant smells that can be detected around bins and toilets; only wash toilet papers down drain.
- Hair
In this post, we’ll examine five of the most common reasons for blocked drains and what you can do to prevent them from happening.
Cause 1. Grease, oil and Fat Buildup
Oil, grease, and fat may appear like harmless materials to drain down the toilet, however, over time, they begin to accumulate on the walls of pipes, creating obstruction. When this occurs it is impossible for water to move freely through the drainpipes. The solution is to avoid spilling grease in the drain, or use soap and hot water while cleaning dishes, as this helps dissolve greasy substances.
Cause 2: Tree Roots
In time, the tree roots naturally extend into the ground in search of nutrients, which means that they grow towards underground pipes. Once they’re inside, the tree roots can cause substantial damage and may completely stop them from flowing, causing flooding. It is therefore essential if you have trees in the vicinity to maintain the growth of your trees around drainage systems by pruning the trees regularly.
Cause 3: Unwanted items
It’s easy to assume that flushing non-biodegradable things like toilet paper, wet wipes and so on. will not cause any major problems over the long haul, however, if too many of these items are flushed in toilets, they’ll accumulate pushing others aside that block pipes. This can result in nasty smells emanating around bins and toilets! Always remember what should be flushed away and what should not (i. that only toilet paper should be flushed).
Cause 4 Cause 4: Hair
Additional Information
- The Ultimate Guide on How to Clear a Blocked Drain in Your Home
- Speed Up Drain Cleaning with High Pressure Processes
- Top Plumbing Services to Keep Your Pipes Running Smoothly
- Why CCTV Drain Inspections Are Vital for Efficient Drainage Systems
- Understanding CCTV Drain Inspection and the Benefits for Your Home
- Why Regular Drain Cleaning Should Be Part of Your Home Maintenance Routine
- Maximizing the Benefits of a CCTV Drain Inspection: Preparations You Should Make
- Everything You Need to Know About Pipe Cleaning for Plumbers
- The Benefits of CCTV Drain Inspection: Beyond Unclogging Pipes
- Understanding Issues with Blocked Drainage
