It is highly likely that most homeowners will have at least on blocked drain to deal with in their lives and if not properly addressed then it can be a time consuming and expensive issue to fix. So below is some information put together by our team at JWC Plumbing & Heating to help you understand the causes of blocked drains and how you could prevent them.

Causes and Prevention Measures

Grease and Fat – This is one of the most common causes for blocked drains. Leftover grease and fat from cooking are often just washed down the sink, but its not as simple as that, sticky properties in the fat lace the insides of the pipes, gradually building up and eventually clogging the pipework.

To prevent this from happening simply take care in what you are washing down the sink.

Hair – It may not seem like hair can cause such a big problem, however, over time a build up of hair that has been washed down a plughole can stop water from passing through completely and result in a rather large problem for homeowners.

This can be prevented by simply using a shop bought product that is designed to catch hair before it has chance to go down the plughole. Even when using one of these you should still regularly check your plughole for an accumulation of hair and remove it.

Foreign Objects – Any foreign objects that have been put down the drain may not initially cause a blockage but overtime they will collect and cause a blockage.

Foreign objects include, sanitary products, soap, nappies and so on, so be mindful about what you put down your toilet to help prevent blockages for occurring.

Toiletries – Baby wipes and toilet paper are commonly known to block drains. Toilet paper has been designed to be flushed down the drain, but it is important not to uses too much at once! The pieces of broken up paper can get stuck together and stick to the drainpipe and anything that may be in it causing a blockage.

Baby products such as wipes and nappies are not designed to go down the toilet however, many people do flush them! As they do not disintegrate the way that toilet paper does it is much more likely that that they will get caught up in your pipes and cause blockages.

Trees and Leaves – The last cause of blocked drains is outside of your home, Your garden! If you do not keep on top of your garden maintenance, then this can affect your drains. A build up of leaves and other debris can cause your drains to block.

So, to prevent this make sure you keep your garden well maintained and clear out gutters of leaves and debris regular.

If you are having trouble with blocked drains at your home or business, then contact JWC Plumbing & Heating today- 0151 345 4039