Blocked drains happen to the best of us, often seemingly for no reason. One minute you'll be in the shower and it suddenly stops draining the water away, or you tip away a bowlful of dirty dishwater and it just sits there in your sink. These problems are caused by a range of things. In the bathroom, the most common causes of blocked drains are hairs clogging up the plughole, soap stopping up the sink or objects being flushed down the toilet that shouldn't really be there.
It's not just the bathroom that causes problems - the kitchen has its fair share of blocked drain issues, too. If leftover food particles get knocked into the sink or left in dirty dishwater which is then tipped away, these can build up in the pipes and eventually clog them. You could prevent this by fitting a catcher on the plughole. Soap flakes are known to block up washing machine drains and dishwashers get blocked easily with old food and soap building up in the pipes.
Blocked drains aren't just limited to inside the home. Your external drains and guttering are also susceptible to blockages from a multitude of causes. Probably the most common of these are leaves, particularly in fall when they're falling from the trees and get blown about by the wind. Leaves can block up drains in an instant, especially when coupled with rain turning them into mulch, but matters aren't helped by other factors such as grass cuttings in summer or soil being washed in by the rain.
You really need to watch that pesky rain - no matter how diligent you are at cleaning out your drains, they can still get blocked with too much water, leading to problematic floods, particularly in areas near to a natural water source. This happens when the surrounding ground becomes saturated and the sewers and drainage systems can't carry the water away fast enough, leading to excess which then collects on the surface instead. Keep your drains clear of other materials to keep the flooding risk to a minimum.
Finally, another common cause of blocked drains - litter. This may not always be your fault, but if people drop litter near your property, it can end up in your drain causing annoying blockages that are hard to shift. Newspapers, plastic wrappers and drinks cans are all common causes here, so it might be worth undertaking a regular sweep of your property to keep all the drains free of litter and prevent it becoming a problem. Most blocked drains are preventable, so it's an idea to keep on top of it.
*Disclaimer* This information should be used as a guide only and should not be relied upon as the sole source of information on this issue. We cannot be held responsible for any loss, inconvenience, damage (whether special or consequential) or claims arising out of the use of this information.
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