Top Tips For Clearing Blocked Drains

There are few things that are as unpleasant as the experience of blocked drains. Whether it is the nuisance of slowly emptying sinks, unpleasant smells or worse, drains backing up and returning their contents to the kitchen or bathroom, blocked drains are horrible. So what can be done to try and avoid blocked drains and the unpleasantness it brings?

Watch for the signs
While preventing the drains in your home or business from becoming blocked is always the best option, recognising the signs of a problem before it escalates can be crucial. If you think there is a blocked drain, it is always best to get in touch with an expert who will have equipment including CCTV systems to check drains, find the problem and sort it.Common signs include water draining slowly from a sink or bath as well as toilets filling up too quickly as waste doesn't flow away through the pipe. If any water-based appliance is used and water appears elsewhere at the same time, then drains may be blocked. The smells of blocked drains are unmissable and extremely unpleasant, where rotting debris isn't moving down the system and causes smells. Sounds can also indicate a problem. Listen for gurgling noises at drains and plug holes as this is caused by air gets trapped in pipes by a blockage.

Preventing blocked drains in the bathroom
In the bathroom, one of the top causes of blocked drains is hair so preventing this from reaching the plughole is a good move. Clean the plug area regularly and even consider a cover to help catch debris before it enters the drains.Items falling into the toilet and even down the sink is another common cause (mobile phones being a top culprit!) so keep these items away from potential risk. If they aren't close to the sink or toilet, there's no chance they can fall into them.

The kitchen
Grease and fat from cooking is a top problem in kitchens, both at home and in catering businesses. Therefore, ensuring this is removed before washing pans and dishes can help stop this problem before it gets started. While these substances may be liquid when they go down, they cool and congeal, causing a blockage. If you have to wash fat down the drain, mix it with detergent first to stop it solidifying.Small scraps of food can also cause blockages so ensure you clear plates into the rubbish bin before doing the washing up. A few scraps may not seem much of a problem but they can accumulate and cause a blockage.

Outside
Problems with the drains sometimes comes from outside the house, not inside. In autumn, for example, debris from trees and shrubs can fall into drains, rot and cause a blockage. Use drain covers to ensure nothing can fall into the drains.Guttering and drain pipes are designed to carry water from the roof to the drains but can also take debris along for the ride. Therefore, regularly clearing these out is an important preventative step, especially during autumn and winter when there is more debris and usually more water flowing through the system.

Article kindly provided by drain-smart.co.uk