Blocked Drains

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Causes of Blocked Drains

Blocked Drains

Blocked Drain? Here are a few reason why it occurs withing your drainage pipes

Common causes of blocked drains

Oil or Fatty Foods

Fatty foods, oil and grease are terrible for plumbing pipes. So, fatty foods or grease mixed with cold water can easily clog / block drain pipes. In a commercial environment, owners must have specialized training on how to get rid of oily or fatty substances. Therefore, food fats are sticky, binding substances that can cause buildups and eventually clogs. The dirt bin is a better option to dispose of fat, oil or grease. Also another option would be to dispose of greasy substance in throw-away containers to simplify matters.

Hair

Hair can accumulate (especially in the bathroom) to the point where it creates slow flow and eventually a total blockage. To prevent hair buildup ensure that loose hairs are cleaned up and thrown into the bin. Also clean out any hair once done in the bathroom to prevent the buildup of hair. Try using a thin needle or toothpick to remove hair that is stuck around the basin or bath plug hole.

Tree Roots

Some plumbers believe that tree roots can’t cause the pipe to break. Anyway, tree roots are bad for pipes. This type of blockage is common in homes with large trees or have trees near their property. To fix the blockage, a jet rodding machine is required. If the drain needs to be fixed, excavation and relaying of the pipe will be needed. Depending on how bad the break is, the pipe may be internally relined without the need for any excavating.

Small Objects

Flushing small solid objects down the toilet is preventable, but with kids, it can sometimes be inevitable. Kids like to be curious and you can’t have your eyes on them all the time. If you know your child has flushed a toy down the toilet, there is no reason for alarm as it may travel through your drains with no harm. But if the bowl fills up after a flush or you notice the fixtures won’t drain water, it’s caused a blockage. A jet rodding machine will be the only way to blast the blockage.

Sanitary Towels / Hygiene

Sanitary products like tampons and pads should always be disposed of in the bin provided and never flushed down the toilet. Hygiene products and baby diapers also pose a danger to plumbing pipes. Neither are biodegradable, and both pose a threat to public and private systems alike. The sewer treatment contains microorganisms that break down the human waste, these items cannot disintegrate in water and can ravel around other solds in the sewer causing a major blockage. Always provide a bin in the toilet for these items to be disposed of.

Flushable Wipes

This can be a detriment to the piping system. They don’t break up when flushed, and are called “flushable” due to the ability to fit through the pipe. The truth about thick toilet paper, paper towels, facial tissue, light cardboard and other paper products is that they’re not made to be flushed down the toilet. Home and commercial plumbing systems have the capacity to accept and process water, human waste and biodegradable toilet paper. If you like using wipes or paper towels, then dump them into a bin and don’t flush it. Toilet paper disintegrates in water. Wipes and paper towel soak water and can cause a major blockage to your toilet and further down the drain from your property.

How to Clear a Blocked Drain

Here are some tips on how to clear a blocked drain yourself before calling a plumber.

Boiling water

Boiling water is the go-to for trying to unblock blocked drains caused by fatty foods, oils or grease. This is because these substances have a low melting point, and the boiling water helps to break them up.

Drain Cleaners

Some stores sell drain cleaners are effective at unblocking drains and pipes, powerful degreaser and dissolves fats. Make sure to follow the instructions and how to apply.

Plungers

As a simple yet effective tool, plungers can help to dislodge local blockages. They work by forming a seal around the plug hole, followed by a vacuum effect that removes the blockage.

DIY Drain snake

You can make your own drain snake out of any thin metal wire. form a hook at the end and insert it into the plughole. Plung and pull out any hairs of blockage material using this method.

Hydro Jet

Hydro jets use intense and sharp bursts of water to remove debris and other substances from pipes. Sometimes we need to follow this approach using other drain blockage removal techniques, but it’s a dependable way to remove the bulk of the problem.

Small Excavation

In the case of severe drain blockages, excavation is necessary. This involves digging around the drain so that we can repair or replace some of the pipework. Although this type of approach isn’t always necessary, it can save the rest of your pipework from extensive damage.

Natural cleaners

Pour hot water down the drain, then throw in one cup of bicarbonate of soda and a cup of vinegar. Leave it for about ten minutes, then pour down more hot water. This combination of the hot water and the natural cleaner mixture can break blockages up.

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Call Us Today

If you drain is still blocked and you have tried everything with no success. Then it is best you call in the experts to deal with the problem. Give us a call today and let us unblock your drain safely and effectively.