Tips for Prevent Bigger Causes of Blocked Drains
Just when you thought that running out of hot water was the worst thing that could happen to your plumbing, you get a blocked drain. And we are not just talking about ‘clog of hair down the shower’ blocked drain, but ‘stinky squelchy patches in the backyard’ blocked drain. When you get one of these you’ll know it. And then you will be very glad that you read this article.
Blocked drains more than any other plumbing problem. The basic ones you can probably deal with, perhaps with a plunger, coat-hanger and some good thick drain solvent. But if it’s a bigger problem, you might need to call us in.
Signs of a bigger problem blocked drain include:
- Puddles of water around the outside of the house when it hasn’t been raining
- Patches of lawn that are greener than other areas of the lawn
- Toilets that take a long time to empty
- Toilets fill up before they empty
- Drains take a long time to go down
- Overflowing downpipes
- Concrete cracks that have water seeping out of them
- Toilets, sinks or showers backing up
- Grates outside overflowing
- Gurgling from pipes, toilets or other plumbing fixtures
- Foul smells coming from drains or plumbing fixtures
What are some of the bigger causes of Blocked Drains?
As an expert in blocked drains, we have seen it all. Some of the things we have seen blocked in drains would turn your hair white. So, whatever you think might be down there, don’t be embarrassed, and don’t hesitate to give us a call if something looks or sounds or smells funny.
One of the major causes of blocked drains is broken pipes, which can happen for any number of reasons, including land subsidence or ground movement, poor installation, heavy vehicular traffic or deterioration of old pipework. Sometimes the leaking water can attract roots of nearby trees into the pipework, which as you can imagine, only serves to make things worse.
Other causes are usually human error. This can include tiny people putting things down the toilet, wads of toilet paper, hair, food or other objects clogging up the drain after a while, or DIY installation or fixes gone horribly wrong.
The main thing is not to be embarrassed about it and call us in for help as soon as you notice a problem.
What can the Blocked Drains experts do?
Well, we have more than a plunger and coat-hanger for starters. We carry the right equipment to quickly find the cause of the blockage and fix any damage. Our plumber may use a high-pressure Water Jetter that self-propels itself through the pipe, cleaning any obstacles such as roots that are in the way. We may also use our CCTV drain camera to inspect your drains and pinpoint the cause of the blockage and any other potential issues.
These tools mean a minimum of disruption to your home and the least amount of excavation necessary. This allows us to make the quickest fix which is the one that will stop the damage from spreading and cost you the least amount of money long-term.
