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 result in flooding, bad smells and even health risks. If not dealt with promptly blocked drains may cause grave problems to your plumbing system, resulting in costly fixes or replacings.
Key Takeaways
- Blocked drains can disrupt your daily life and cause problems with water, bad smells, and even health issues.
- Grease, oil and fat buildup can accumulate on the walls of pipes causing blockages. Do not pour grease down the drain. Alternatively, make use of hot water and soap when washing dishes.
- The roots of trees naturally expand into the soil to search for nutrients which may cause significant damage, and also block the pipes completely leading to flooding; regularly maintain trees near drainage systems by pruning them.
- The flushing of non-biodegradable products like wet wipes, sanitary towels and so on. could cause unpleasant odors emanating from toilets or bins. be sure to flush toilet paper down the drain.
- Hair
In this article, we’ll look at five common causes of blocked drains and the best way to prevent them from happening.
Cause 1. Grease, Oil and Fat Buildup
Fat, grease and oil may appear like harmless materials to drain down the toilet, but over time they accumulate in the pipes’ walls the pipes causing the pipes to become blocked. As a result, water is unable to flow freely through drainpipes. It is best to avoid the practice of pouring grease into the drain. Alternatively, use hot water and soap to wash your hands when cleaning dishes because it assists to break down grease-based substances.
Cause 2. Tree Roots
In time, the tree roots naturally extend their roots into the earth seeking nutrients. This means that they grow toward underground pipes. Once they’re inside, the tree roots can cause substantial damage and can completely block them, causing flooding. Therefore, it is essential that if have trees in the vicinity that you maintain their growth around drainage systems by pruning them on a regular basis.
Cause 3: Unwanted items
It’s easy enough to believe that flushing biodegradable products such as the wet wipes, sanitary towel etc. shouldn’t cause a lot of problems in the long term, but when too many of these items go down toilets they will resultantly build up, pushing other items aside and in the way of pipes. This could create unpleasant smells around toilets/bin areas too! Always be aware of what should be flushed and what shouldn’t (i. it is only toilet papers should be flushed away).
Cause 4 Hair
Additional Information
- From A to Z Tricks for Cleaning Your Plumbing and Maintaining a Clog-Free House
- When to Schedule a Professional Drain Cleaning Service
- The Benefits of CCTV Drain Inspection: Beyond Unclogging Pipes
- How CCTV Drain Inspection Helps in Saving Time and Money on Plumbing Repairs?
- 5 Factors That Are Clogging Your Drains and How to Avoid Them
- Uncovering Hidden Damage with a Professional CCTV Drain Inspection
- The Professional's Guide to Clearing Blocked Drains in Your Home
- Clean Drains, Happy Home: 10 Methods to Maintain Your Pipes Unclogged and Unobstructed
- Plumbing Tips to Keep Your Pipes Running Smoothly
- Top Reasons to Avoid DIY Drain Unblocking