What Can Cause a Blocked Drain?

This is a question that is on the lips of many UK homeowners and the short answer is ‘just about anything’. Your drainage system is a maze of pipes that run through the house and into a system that takes the waste out to the main sewer pipes under the street and all these pipes have joints and are subject to the stresses of the ground.

Here are some of the common causes of a blocked drain.

• Human hair – We all shed hair and if the shower drain doesn’t trap these strands, they will be washed into the drainage system and the slightest resistance can cause the hair to bond with the pipe and the next batch sticks to that and you have a partial blockage that will eventually cause a back up.
• Personal hygiene items – Tampons are a major culprit, while sanitary towels are a big no-no down the toilet, for obvious reasons.
• Soap – Slivers of soap can easily stick to waste pipe and bond with other materials to form the start of a serious blockage.
• Ground subsidence – The pipes that run from your house to the street are subject to ground movement and a slip could cause a pipe breakage, which would certainly stop all flow. The effective drain clearance in Stroud can identify the breakage and replace the broken pipes and flush out the entire system.
• Food – Allowing food to drain into the kitchen sink will eventually lead to issues; all food residue can be used in the garden as a form of compost.

If you encounter a blocked drain, resist the temptation for a DIY fix and call in a drain cleaning specialist.