Top 10 Causes of Blocked Drains
Struggling with blocked drains? Discover the top ten reasons why they keep occurring and learn the best ten ways to prevent them in the future.
Ever had a blocked drain? Ever wondered why it continually happens to you, check out my top ten reasons for a blocked drain, and then check out my top ten ways to prevent it.
1. Grease
Grease tends to block up our kitchen regularly and yet this is a straightforward one to prevent and eliminate.
2. Fat
This is another common cause of blockages, and yet fat is different from grease, fat tends to come in several different forms, body fat that is washed down our shower drains and toilets along with cooking fat/animal fat that is put down our kitchen sinks, either way Fat is a shocker for blocking up our sewer drains and waste lines.
3. Hair
Is a common issue with blocking showers and basins, we all lose hair some of us more than others, I remember the days of actually having a fringe and a small forehead. Hair especially long hair tends to get stuck in drains and catch other solids. I’ve experienced hair blockages that are several meters long being pulled from drains, they are a horrible sight especially after they have been in a drain for several months.
4. Toiletries
This one seems unlikely however those little toilet deodorisers that sit on the side of your toilets are major contributors to blocked toilets, they have a constant habit of being knocked off the side of the bowl and being flushed down the drain, where they inevitably get stuck on pipework somewhere in the drain.
5. Tree Roots
The old tree root invasion is by far the most common cause of Blocked drains in Australia, and rightfully so. Most of our houses and yards have beautiful large trees and all of our houses have sewer lines. Now what more would a large tree like than a warm extremely fertile and nutrient-filled sewer drain? The tree roots are truly amazing they will find a hairline crack or break in a sewer drain in no time, then work their way into that crack until they infest the drain, slurping its goodness until a plumber arrives to save the day.
6. Leaves
Are great at blocking up our stormwater drains, they generally start in our gutters, then flow down the downpipes and settle in our stormwater drains. Once in our drains they break down and start blocking up the drains catching more and more leaves and eventually blocking them up entirely and filling the drain.
7. Foreign Objects
These aren’t objects from Europe these are objects that have been placed in a drain that has no right being in a drain, many many times in my career as a plumber have I found drains blocked with foreign objects, including Kids’ toys, animals, stones, balls, sanitary items, baby wipes tools and many more.
8. Heavy Rain and Storms
Sometimes overwhelms drains, especially drains that are not in great condition. When we experience torrential rains the water just can’t get away fast enough, and will inevitably block the drain, this can cause serious damage to property and often people.
9. Broken Pipes
Broken or displaced pipes caused by trees or even just ground movement are a continual cause of blocked drains, as you can imagine a displaced pipe will have an edge or lip that catches solids and paper that is flushed through the drains, once these lips catch the paper and solids we experience a domino effect of solids and waste building up and eventually blocking the drain.
10. Poor Workmanship Or Installation
Another factor in blocked drains, we often see incorrect pipe sizing, which can cause blocked drains, or drains laid in a manner that water cannot flow, for example, a drain that is falling uphill. Sometimes when drains are laid they may have a dip or belly in them, this dip allows water to flow past but will catch solids and block the drain.
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