Have you noticed a foul eggy odour spreading throughout your home? Unless someone’s been boiling eggs or has a bad belly, it’s a clear indication that you might have a blocked drain. Other common indications are…well, your drains not draining properly! This can be an infuriating situation, particularly when you are taking a shower and you notice the murky water begin to pool at your feet.
In this article, we’re going to talk about some of the most common causes of blocked drains (both inside and out), and how you can unblock them as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Why are my drains not draining?
So, why are your drains not draining properly? This could be for any number of different reasons, particularly depending on which drains aren’t draining.
For example: your bathtub drain might not be draining properly, or the drain outside your home might be pooling after a light rainfall.
The main reason why they’re no longer draining properly is that there is some sort of blockage that has built up over time. Below, we’ll look at some of the more common blockages and how you can try to prevent them in the future.
What is the most common cause of blocked drains?
Let’s take a look at some of the most common causes of blocked drains…
Bathtub and washbasin drains
For bathtub drains, the most common cause of a blocked drain is clogged up hair. It’s not uncommon (particularly in households with several women with long hair) for hair to accumulate at the point at which water is supposed to drain. Over time this will cause the flow to slow down, ultimately resulting in a total blockage.
For preventative measures, make sure that your clear all hair out of your sinks and bathtub, rather than trying to wash them down the drain. Also, make sure that when you are cleaning any hair brushes, that you do this over the bin, rather than your basins.
Kitchen sink
As for the kitchen sink, the most common cause of a blocked drain is fat, oil, and grease. These are a nightmare for plumbing as they will invariably build up, clog, and then slow down the overall flow.
While it might be tempting to wash everything down the kitchen sink, it’s important that you brush up on the do’s and don’ts. You might imagine that water will wash everything along easily enough, but fats and oils are sticky and binding substances that will eventually clog your drains.
Your bin is the best way to dispose of such substances. Simply leave your frying pans with fat and oil to cool down. After a while, they will solidify and congeal (which is precisely what they do in your pipes), and then they can be scraped into your bin for proper disposal.
Alternatively, you can pour your fats and oils into a disposable container and then pop that straight into the bin afterwards.
Outside drains
For outside drains, the most common causes of blockages are leaves, dirt, sticks, rocks, and other natural debris. You might even find that dead rodents are clogging up your drains which can be an absolute nightmare to contend with by yourself.
In order to prevent things like this from happening, it’s worth raking and sweeping the dead leaves from your property regularly, so that they don’t get washed down the drain during rainfall. You can also get specialised covers for your outside drains to prevent smaller debris from passing through and invariably clogging them up.
Tree roots are often the culprits
Tree roots are widely considered as being one of the number one causes of blockages and clogs in outside drains. One of the first and easiest signs of tree root invasion is a gurgling sound in your outside drains. While this isn’t necessarily a tell-tale sign, it’s not often wrong – in which case, you’re best consulting with the professionals to be sure.
Of course, preventing tree root invasion is far easier said than done. Certain species of tree can have very large root systems underground and even if yours are far from your home, it’s not uncommon for them to break through old pipes and begin to grow through them, thus causing unnecessary build-ups.
It’s definitely worth speaking to a specialist. They will be able to inspect your property, identify any potential trees that could be invasive, and even use specialised video inspection equipment to enter your pipes and double-check to see if there are any roots breaking through below ground.
How do you unblock a drain fast?
So, how do you go about unblocking a drain quickly? In honesty, it all depends on the extent of your problem. For example, clearing hair from your bathtub drain is relatively easily. You can use a plunger to pull the hair through, and then use a fork or your fingers to pull out the larger clumps. Bear in mind that this is a dirty and smelly job and is largely unpleasant. If you’re squeamish, you may want to hire professionals to make light work of it for you.
For anything else, getting your blocked drains fixed by a professional is the recommended approach – particularly for your outdoor drains if you suspect that you are suffering from tree root invasion, or your kitchen sink if there are some foul odours coming from it.
Final thoughts: Call in the experts
Rather than attempt to mess around with your plumbing unsupervised, you are likely far better off calling in the experts to ensure that no unnecessary damage is caused and that your blocked drains are resolved quickly and efficiently.
We hope that you have found this article helpful and wish you the best of luck getting your drains flowing properly once more and ridding yourself of those unpleasant eggy odours!
