Blocked Drains - Causes Of Blocked Drains

A blocked drain can be a big inconvenience to any home owner or building manager. Once there are blocked drains in the premises, the water in the sinks and showers drains slowly. The water in the toilet may come up when flushing and there may be an overflow in the gully. You may also get a foul smell coming from the drains since the water is held up and does not flow continuously. The services of a skilled plumber come in handy once you have blocked drains - one who will diagnose the problem accurately and fix it properly. There are a variety of things that can cause your drains to get blocked.

Grease

When washing dishes, fats and grease normally find their way down the kitchen sink. The grease does not go down the drain with the water but instead sticks to the inside of the pipes. The grease accumulates over time and as a result, you will experience blocked drains. This problem can be avoided by ensuring that you do not pour greasy substances down the sink. You can instead allow the grease to cool and become a solid, and then scrape it off and throw it away in the garbage.

Greenery

During autumn, leaves fall off the trees and can easily accumulate in the pipes resulting in blocked drains. It is, therefore, important to ensure that leaves are collected from your premises and disposed of properly in the garbage. Roots of trees are also a source of blocked drains. Roots are normally attracted to moisture and will move towards the pipes which carry the waste water. They will then crack the pipes in order to get to the water. When this happens, the drains are obstructed by the roots and will therefore block.

Foreign Items

You can experience blocked drains due to foreign items getting into the drainage pipes and accumulating there. Items like soap and jewelry can go down the sinks while sanitary items can be flushed down the toilet thus blocking the drains. Hair also gets drained into the pipes easily and can accumulate causing a blockage. It is, therefore, important to have traps in your sinks to ensure that foreign items do not go down the drain. Only tissue paper should be flushed down the toilet and other sanitary items and objects should be disposed of in the garbage.

Vents

As water is drained away from the pipes, air rushes in to take its place from vents. As long as there is enough air, the water and waste will drain properly from the pipes. Insufficient air from the vents will result in accumulation of the waste water and therefore a blockage will occur. You should, therefore, ensure that the vent on the roof is free from any blockage.

Slopes

The slope of the drain pipe also affects how effectively the waste flows into the main sewer line. A slope that is too steep will cause water to rush down fast thus leaving waste behind, and after some time the accumulation of waste will block the pipe. On the other hand, if the slope is too gentle, the waste and water will not drain off completely and will accumulate in the pipes thus causing blocked drains.


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