What Causes Blocked Drains?

At one point or another, every single homeowner will have already experienced blocked drains within their home. It is one of the more common plumbing issues that crop up every now and then. The thing is, we often fix blocked drains by just taking out the immediate cause of the blockage.

There are reasons why blocked drains happen in the first place, and these reasons are the ones that we homeowners (count me in!) should address once and for all.

Heavy Rains

The outside drains we have at home are not really designed to take in the large volumes of water produced by a heavy downpour. The rainwater also brings with it leaves, earth and all kinds of debris that block drains without fail. While there’s not much you can do about an act of nature, you can still do something about the debris. Rake leaves, sweep the grounds for any kind of foreign material lying around like lost plastic toys, and generally just keep the surroundings clean. That way, there will be minimal blockage of your outside drains even when it’s raining cats and dogs.

Faulty Pipe Installations

This most probably occurs when a home’s plumbing system was installed by a member of the household in do-it-yourself (DIY) fashion. While there’s nothing wrong with DIY repairs and home renovations, plumbing takes a certain amount of expertise to pull off correctly. It is essential to have an absolute understanding of pipework to, say, choose the right kind of pipes. With the wrong pipes, and worse, incorrect installation, they could misalign or even completely collapse. If you’re a homeowner and you’re considering DIY plumbing, make an honest assessment of your skills first before doing any pipework. If you think you’ll only be doing faulty pipe installations, then call a professional plumber for help.

Accumulated Foreign Objects or Debris

Soaps, fats, hair, food, toilet paper, toys, toilet brushes, and sanitary items are just a few examples of foreign objects or debris that could block drains inside and outside the house. While they may not block the drain fully the first time, they will accumulate over time and eventually cut off any flow of water through it. This is why it’s important to not flush toilet paper and sanitary items down the toilet. To avoid accumulated foreign objects from causing blocked drains, make it a habit to pick up any hair on the floor, and train your kids not to throw anything into the toilet. Installing strainers on all drains can also help you avoid accumulated foreign objects.

Broken Pipes

One of the costlier reasons for blocked drains are broken pipes, which could either be caused by age, tree roots or just plain faulty pipe installations. A broken pipe could collapse and completely block any drain. This problem can be costly especially when underground pipes in the way of tree roots are involved. To lessen the likelihood of broken pipes, always install good quality pipes and avoid faulty pipe installations by having them installed by someone who really knows pipework.

All blocked drains can be cleared through something as simple as a plunger for light cases, and high-pressure water jetting and other mechanical methods for the more severe ones. Still, focusing on the underlying reasons for blocked drains is a much better solution than just taking out what actually blocks them. Aside from the tips shared above, it would also be wise to have a professional plumber deal with major plumbing issues at home, because it often is more cost-effective in the long run.