We often forget how reliant we are on our plumbing systems and there’s nothing more frustrating than discovering that you have a blocked drain. It makes life difficult when mundane day-to-day tasks like emptying your bath water, flushing the toilet, or doing the washing up become impossible. It’s a situation that nobody enjoys and one that most homeowners will want to get fixed up right away.
When drains become blocked, things can go from bad to worse quickly if you don’t take action. The problems can escalate if left unattended and can end up causing a lot of damage to your system, potentially resulting in expensive repairs. While you can sort out some blocked drain issues yourself, in reality getting in touch with a plumber in Melbourne or other major city is the best course of action.
Continue reading to learn more about what you should do when you have a blocked drain at home to get the problems resolved quickly.
Warning Signs
A blocked drain doesn’t usually happen overnight. There are various warning signs that will alert you to potential problems and it’s important to be aware of these. For example, a nasty smell coming up from the drains or a gurgling sound can mean you have a problem. Also, if your toilet, sink, or bath water level doesn’t go down at the usual speed there is obviously a problem somewhere in your pipes.
What Causes Blocked Drains
There are a huge number of reasons why drains become blocked. Generally, it will boil down to where in your home the drains are, what the water at that particular source is being used for and what ‘foreign’ objects can come in contact with the drain.
For example, hairs accumulate are a common cause of blockages baths, showers, and sinks in bathrooms. In the kitchen, the most common cause is food waste, so it’s important that throw all waste into the bin and not down the drain. Other objects and debris can also clog drains, such as jewellery. Children can even put small toys down the sink, causing issues.
Outside, leaves and other debris can block your lawn drainage as well as your gutters.
Something as simple as a tree root can also block your drains, which can lead to broken or cracked pipes, which will always require you to call in an expert.
How to Deal with a Blocked Drain
Some minor problems with your drains can be dealt with without professional help. For example, if hairs are blocking up your drains, you need to get a pair of pliers and ease them out. If the sink or shower isn’t draining properly, you can always try a plunger. If that doesn’t work, you will need to call a plumber as the problem is deep-rooted and needs proper attention. In the kitchen, you should always avoid pouring oil down the sink, however, if you have made this mistake a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, followed by a flushing with hot water should clear this out.
It may be tempting to use drain-opening chemicals, however, over-use of these can cause more harm than good. Although they may open up your drains almost instantly, the caustic soda in them can destroy your pipes if used too much, so be careful if deciding to this route. In addition, they can damage your natural water supply and your wastewater treatment system and these chemicals are not good for the environment.
Deal With Your Clogged Drains Efficiently
Apart from minor problems, which you can fix yourself, you should always call in a plumber to get the job done right. If roots have got into your outside drainage, you will need a rotary power tool which a plumber will have. Toys, nappies, and too much paper can clog up a toilet beyond DIY repair and washing machine lint can clog up the drains from your washing machine, which can lead to bigger problems if left unattended.
If you are in any doubt, it’s always better to call in a professional to ensure that the job is done correctly and so you can be sure that it won’t be a recurring issue, costing you more time, money and energy in the long run.
Image Credits: System Hygiene
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