Why Does Your Drain Get Blocked?

Blocked drains are a common occurrence in most homes. At some point or another, you’ll either have a blocked drain or have had a blocked drain.

But what are the reasons for a blocked drain and how can you prevent them from happening again in the future?

Often only the symptoms are treated and not the underlying cause. Which can cause your drains to block frequently.

Some of the more common reasons why your drain might block are listed below.

5 Common Drain Blocking Causes

1. Wrong use

The most common reason is the wrong usage of drains. Drains are made to manage dirty water but often people tend to flush more than just water down their drains. Things such as soaps, food fats, and food debris are flushed into the drain and become caught up in the pipe system.

It may seem harmless, but over time these things can stack up and stop the water from flowing freely. This will eventually cause a blocked drain.

Often toilets are victims to the use of too much toilet paper or flushing down sanitary items. Avoid doing any of these and you’ll prevent a major blockage problem arising.

2. Heavy rain

Outside drains are often blocked after heavy rain and storms. Older pipes are not made to manage these high volumes of water that occur during severe weather.

Additionally, leaves, dirt, and other matter can find it´s way into the outside drains and cause congestion. These problems should be solved immediately to prevent damage to your property.

3. Broken pipes

This problem is maybe not so obvious. Sure, broken pipes are not good but in addition to this, they can contribute to blocked drains. Broken pipes prevent the free flow of water and eventually can cause a collapse of the overall pipe and drainage system.

Some of the reasons for broken pipes could be poor installation, age, and tree roots. Underground pipes are particularly susceptible to tree roots, and require investigation when the problem occurs, which can be expensive. It pays to have your underground pipes checked regularly.

4. Wrong installation

Thanks to modern communication, the Internet provides a lot of do-it-yourself advice in the form of videos and articles for repairs and home renovations. Unfortunately, this causes an increase in poorly installed plumbing and drainage pipes. This can cause a lot of damage to your property.

Wrong alignments and complete collapses can be the result for a DIY gone wrong. Full understanding of the drainage system of your house is required to install the right pipes. This is why you should always only work with drain professionals for all your drainage work.

5. Water flow issues

A problem can occur from a wrong installation of your pipes, leading to build-up of foreign particles and debris within your drains. Drainage doesn’t work without the correct installation, and for this reason, it´s important to ensure the correct water flow is happening.

Now you can see why recurring drain blockages can have a variety of different causes. It´s important to understand the underlying cause of your blocked drain before attempting to solve it for yourself.

If you have been experiencing ongoing minor blockages, it’s time to call a drain professional before it turns into a major issue and a more expensive job! Contact the team at Drain Cleaning Gold Coast today.