Although it’s not unusual for drains to become blocked, it can be tricky to determine the cause of a blockage. For some homeowners, a blocked drain is a rare occurrence that can be traced back to a specific issue. In many cases, however, blocked drains become an on-going problem that requires regular maintenance and resolution.
By identifying the cause of your blocked drains, you can take steps to prevent the issue from occurring again. By doing so, you’ll protect your property from unnecessary damage and save yourself a whole lot of hassle. To find out what’s causing your drains to become blocked, take a look at these top three causes of blocked drains now:
- Fat
Using your drains to dispose of fat or grease is a major cause of blockages. ‘Fatbergs’ are causing major problems for councils and local authorities because they impede the flow of major pipes and sewers. In highly populated areas, it’s increasingly common for fatbergs to cause on-going drainage issues.
If you live in the capital and you’ve inadvertently been using your kitchen sink to dispose of cooking oil, for example, you might be in need of drain unblocking London. A significant number of these issues occur in major cities, simply because of how many people are using their drainage system to dispose of inappropriate materials.
As fat solidifies when it gets cold, it doesn’t take long for interior and exterior drains to become blocked with grease. If left unresolved, a complete blockage will eventually occur, and your drains could even crack or burst due to the pressure.
- Hair
No-one enjoys removing hair from the plughole of the bath or shower but it’s a household chore that really is essential. Failing to remove hair from plugs means it will be washed into the drain, where it will sit and adhere to other debris.
Over a relatively short space of time, the amount of hair present in the drain accumulates and other debris is trapped. In no time at all, you’ll notice water flowing at a reduced speed. Eventually, water will be unable to travel through the drain at all. At this point, there will be standing water in your bath or shower and the facilities will become unusable.
If hair is removed before it is swept into the drain, major problems can be avoided. Although it may not be a job you relish, it can avoid the need for drain unblocking and prevent unnecessary property damage from occurring.
- Leaves
When it comes to exterior drains, leaves are a major cause of blockages. When leaves are swept into a drain by the wind, they tend to stay there. The next time water flows from an interior or exterior pipe into the drain, the leaves are pushed down and begin to block the drain itself.
As the amount of debris increases, you’ll notice that your drains are functioning at a sub-optimal level. When water and liquid can’t flow through the pipework properly, you may even notice an unpleased odour coming from interior pipes that are connected to the affected drains.
Removing leaves from external drains before they can be swept into the system may seem like a deceptively simple solution but it’s one that really works. By doing this regularly, you can prevent debris from being transported into exterior drains and avoid the need for professional drain unblocking or repair services.
Preventing Property Damage
If you don’t already have a drain maintenance schedule in place, it’s time to create one. Although you can monitor the effectiveness of your drains yourself, the most effective way to assess the functionality of your drainage system is via CCTV drain surveys.
With specialist equipment, technicians can examine the inside of pipes and drains without digging down and excavating them. This confirms whether partial or complete blockages are present and, if so, exactly where they occur.
By identifying potential issues before they cause major problems, you can prevent your property from being damaged. With flooding and broken pipes requiring substantial financial investment to fix, maintaining your drainage system is a comparatively low-cost and speedy way to avoid a potential problem.
Keeping Your Drains Well-Maintained
With regular maintenance, you needn’t deal with the hassle of having blocked drains ever again. Instead, you’ll have peace of mind that your property isn’t likely to be damaged due to leaks or flooding. Furthermore, you can avoid the potential health hazards that arise from improper drainage solutions. By incorporating drain maintenance into your regular schedule, you can save yourself some cash and safeguard your property against unnecessary damage.
