A blocked drain can be the cause of lots of frustration. One of the prime symptoms of a blocked drain is water which gathers around, and draining very slowly or not at all. However, there are a number of reasons why drains get blocked and while not every one of the reasons discussed below can be easily fixed, the fact is that knowing what can cause a block will perhaps give you a chance to prevent it. Below we look at five of the most common reasons why people end up having to deal with a blocked drain frequently.
Reason no. 1: Rusty Drainage Pipes
Many people may not know this but rusty drain pipes can end up causing blocked drains. The reason being is that when a pipe becomes rusty it tends to also start shedding its rust into the opening, plus the inside of the pipe starts becoming brittle. So, when anything other than liquids are flushed through the drain it gets stuck on its rusty parts. Over time things like hair, finger nails, excrement etc can get stuck in the drain and cause a block. The best way to deal with these types of blocked drains is to replace the rusty pipe before the rust spreads to adjoining pipes.
Reason no. 2: Throwing miscellaneous items down the Drain
Even though hair and excrement will not result in a blocked drain if its large enough to accommodate these items but throwing things like bottles, plastic bags, paper and pens down to the drain will block it for sure. At times an open drain can get blocked when things like leaves, berries and mud gets blown into the drain. Unblocking these drains requires professional help and at times these blocks can damage the drain by causing it to crack or chip under pressure. You can start by ceasing the practice of throwing anything other than water down the drain and then covering up any open parts of the drain to prevent leaves and dirt from blowing into it.
Reason no. 3: Plant roots have entered into your Drainage Pipe
This is a surprisingly common problem with homes that have lots of trees and plants. At times even old trees from across the trees will have roots that go into your pipe causing it to block. Even though there is no known way of preventing tree roots from blocking your pipes other than obviously removing all trees and plants from your yard the only way to fix the problem is to hire a professional. A professional using the latest equipment should be able to determine the exact spot at which the roots have infiltrated the drainage pipe and then remove them from there. This is an expensive job because at times even the damaged pipe will need to be replaced, the yard will need to be dug up and it will be a day or two before the pipe can be used again. However, an early diagnosis of the problem like when the water starts moving through your drain slower than it did before will help to prevent extended damage to the drainage pipe.
Reason no. 4: Your pipes are too small to handle the flow of water efficiently anymore
At times quick fixes like joining a damaged drainage pipe to a good working one just to save on having to lay fresh pipes all the way is what causes the problem. When you increase the flow of water and excrement through a pipe which is meant to only carry the load of one toilet or the kitchen you’re in fact causing it to block after a period of time. When people experience frequently blocked drains this is the most common reason for it.
Reason no. 5: Not hiring a professional service
Professional plumbers without a doubt are expensive. Some people in their effort to save money hire the cheapest plumber they can find. The plumber in an effort to save time cuts corners and uses low quality materials which are only good enough to fix the problem temporarily. This is why it’s always best to hire professionals like SPS Plumbing in Australia so that the problem can be diagnosed and fix properly the first time around.
Citations:
- Plumbing Services
Mark has been a plumber for over twenty years. During his time as a plumber he serviced the entire Sydney area and established one of the most trusted plumbing services to date in the city. His blogs and books mostly focus on teaching regular people on how to prevent and fix common household plumbing problems.
