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If you’ve got a blocked kitchen sink, a toilet that won’t flush, or water pooling in the shower, it’s likely you’ve got a blockage. Not only is a blocked drain an inconvenience, but if not dealt with quickly, can cause significant, costly problems.

What could begin as an unsavoury smell could quickly turn into drains overflowing around your property, disrupting your daily life and preventing simple essential tasks such as taking a bath and cleaning clothes. So, in order to help you avoid the persistent problems of a blocked drain, here at Watermains and Drains, we’ve put together some of the most common blocked drain causes, with advice on how you can easily prevent them, too.

What are the Signs of a Blocked Drain?

• Discoloured water sitting in the garden

• Unpleasant smells, indicating trapped and rotting waste

• High rising toilets and sinks, which may overflow

• Bath or shower gurgling and not flowing away properly

How Common are Blocked Drains?

While a clogged drain is one of the most common plumbing issues, it’s one not to be ignored. It may start as a minor issue, but can soon cause major problems resulting in corrosion, flooding, and sewage backup, for example.

Will a Blocked Drain Clear Itself?

It can be easy for homeowners to ignore the fact that their drains are clogged hoping that it will unclog itself, however that’s not always the case. It’s always best to get clogged or blocked drains checked by a professional as they can often get worse over time. In fact, thinking your blocked drain will clear itself may leave you with a drain that is completely blocked with water gushing into your home.

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What Causes Blocked Drainage?

1. Flushing Foreign Objects

One of the most common causes of a blocked drain is foreign objects being flushed down the toilet. From baby wipes and cotton pads, to sanitary products and too much toilet roll, it can be tempting to just flush these items away, however our drains aren’t built to handle it, which inevitably leads to blockages with very unpleasant results. Let’s face it, no one wants to deal with overflowing sewage, so be sure to position a waste basket near and be careful what you’re throwing down there!

2. Hair & Soap Suds

Bathroom sinks, baths, and showers are easily subject to drain issues due to their tendency to get blocked up by hair and soap suds. As a daily routine, with many family members using the same space, this type of debris can culminate in your pipes and cause blocked or slow-running drains.

In an attempt to avoid this problem many place drain covers over plug holes to catch the strands of hair and prevent tangled drain pipes, preventing blockages and helping your drains run effectively for longer. We’d also recommend lifting your drain cover and removing any hairs after showering.

3. Outdoor Debris

Leaves and debris from outside can be easily blown or washed into your outside drain, causing blockages. This is particularly an issue during Autumn and Winter, as well as during stormy weather.

Avoiding this problem completely it’s really an option, however one of the most effective ways you can prevent debris clogging your drains is to cover the drain entrances with a drain guard and tidying and sweeping your garden or outdoor space regularly. If the issue still presents itself, even with the prevention methods in place, then you may want to consider contacting an exterior drainage specialist who can assess and advise the best course of action.

4. Tree Root Intrusions

The tiniest cracks or leaks in your drainage system can be an attraction for tree root ingress, encouraging tree roots to grow their way inside your plumbing system. This is highly damaging to your pipes, which not only obstructs water flow, but also causes significant pipe damage.

The best way to check your drains are healthy and working smoothly is by having a professional carry out a CCTV survey. A CCTV drain survey is where a small, flexible tube with a camera on the end is fed into your drainage system, showcasing video feed of the inside of the pipes.

5. Food Remnants, Grease & Fat

Small pieces of leftover food being pushed down the kitchen sink can cause a blocked drain. This is an easily fixed problem by scraping the excess food remnants off your plate and into the rubbish before washing. We know it might seem obvious, but it is one of the most common causes of blockage, so be sure to bin before rinsing.

It’s not just food either, liquids such as grease and fat washed down your drains culminates in the pipes, forming what are referred to as ‘Fatbergs’. These fatbergs block the pipes and cause significant back-up problems. Just because it flows doesn’t mean it should go!

Suffering from Drain Blockage?

WMD offers emergency drain unblocking and high pressure water jetting services to customers in Manchester, Stockport, Warrington and Cheshire who are suffering from problematic drains that require professional attention without delay.

During the drain unblock, our engineers will act quickly to minimise the disruption, and have your property back to full flowing health as soon as possible. For extra peace of mind, once cleared we would also advise on a CCTV drain survey to identify the problem, so steps can be put in place to avoid the drain from blocking again in the future.

Call us today on 0800 024 8494!