Am I the Cause of Reoccurring Drain Blockages?

Have you noticed that the drains in your home keep getting blocked? Perhaps this has been something that you have accepted and ignored in the past. But, it has got to the stage where you are starting to question why this is happening. In particular, you are starting to believe that you are the cause of the reoccurring drain blockages. So, could this really be the case?

The answer is yes; there are a lot of drain blockages that are caused by homeowners. Of course, this is something that happens by accident. But, you have to realise that changing some of your habits will be enough to stop blockages from occurring. Let’s take a closer look at why this might be happening.

What are the Main Causes of Drain Blockages?

Often, drainage experts see the same things happening and causing drain blockages. Let’s take a look at the most common reasons why drains end up blocked.

Flushing the Wrong Things

Often, toilets end up blocked because people are putting the wrong items down there and flushing them away. But, they end up getting stuck in the pipes. For example, you should never flush away sanitary products, nappies or wipes.

Grease and Oils

Grease and oils are bad culprits when it comes to blockages. They might be liquid at first, but they soon become hard and sticky. They get stuck to the pipes, and debris gets attached. Together, this creates a problem. Always use reliable drain unblocking services when you notice that water is not draining away properly. What’s more, if there is an unpleasant odour from the drain, this is another sign that you could have an issue going on

Food Debris

A lot of people do not realise that food debris is a major cause of drain blockages. Small bits of food can cause blockages to develop over time, which prevent water from getting through the pipes. What’s more, there are certain foods that expand when they are exposed to water, which makes problems worse. For example, this happens with rice and pasta.

Hair and Soap

Do you get a shower every day? The chances are that you are going to be dropping a lot of hair and soap down the drain. People do not realise that this can cause problems to develop. Hair can get tangled up, and soap debris can become sticky. Together, they can get stuck in pipes and create blockages.

How Can I Prevent Drain Blockages?

There are many things you can do every day to help prevent drain blockages. Indeed, this can include changing your habits, as well as making small preventative purchases. So, let’s take a look at simple things you can do today.

Keep a Bin in the Bathroom

To avoid the temptation of flushing away items down the toilet, keep a bin in the bathroom. This means that everybody has a way to dispose of items they need to in a discreet way. They will not feel like they have to flush them.

Use Strainers

If you find that a lot of food is going down the drain, use a sink strainer. This is going to be a cover that goes over the drain, and it will catch any debris. It will prevent it from going down and getting stuck in the pipes. In addition, a strainer can be used in the shower, which can catch any soap or hair before it goes down the drain and causes problems later on.

Keep a Bottle for Oil

To avoid oil from going down the drain, you should make sure that you collect it first. In other words, keep a bottle handy and use this to pour the oil into. Then, you can simply throw it away in the bin. Doing something simple like this prevents it from becoming an issue.

Scrape Plates

Food debris is one of the reasons why a kitchen sink becomes blocked. So, the best way to avoid this from happening is to make sure that you always scrape the plates into the bin. This is going to prevent food waste from being washed down the drain and creating a blockage. It can stick to the inside of the pipes and, over time, grow larger to prevent water from getting through.

Call Experts

When you first notice signs that something is wrong with the drainage system, call the experts straight away. This might prevent things from getting worse and there being a total blockage. In addition, it can prevent there being additional damage to the pipes that would have to be replaced.