Preventing Blocked Drains In Your Property

Clogged toilets and basins are just the worst, and you wouldn’t disagree with us, would you?

Pooled-up dirty water in any place of the house, be it showers, sinks, or toilets, is a complete nightmare. Why does that happen? You know it well; it’s all because of those wretched drain blockages.

They can be frustrating and inconvenient, but luckily can be avoided by simply following a few preventive measures. In this guide, we’ll discuss all those strategies and cures in detail.

First and foremost, make sure that your family is mindful of the things they flush down the drain. Kids do not mind shoving strange objects down the drain, just for the hell of it. Half of the problems will be solved if you get a hold of this particular situation.

Today, we’re going to briefly tell you all about drain blockages and effective methods to prevent and treat them. So, don’t stop reading!

Preventing Drain Blockage

How To Know If You’ve Got A Blocked Drain?

The pipeline that transports the water away from your house has two major components, the sewer, and the stormwater. It’s important to properly look after both these waterways to ensure the free flow of wastewater.

Finding blocked drains isn’t a tough task because the nasty smell and sight make it pretty evident. Still, there are two legitimate ways to tell with certainty.

Notice if there is stagnant water in the sink that isn’t draining away, or effluents aren’t flushing down the toilet properly. In some cases, water will start pooling and overflowing from the drains, which is the cue.

Another reliable way to detect a drain blockage is by inspecting the ORG. The Overflow Relief Gully is located outside the property and looks like a grated drain.

This backflow prevention saves your house from sewage if there’s an overflow in the main sewer line. If you find your ORG overflowing, then there’s undoubtedly a blocked drain in your house.

Now that you know how to spot a faulty drain, we can move on to the preventive and fixing part. First, let’s discuss the crucial precautions to prevent stormwater drains and sewers from clogging.

Preventing Storm Water Drains From Clogging

The stormwater drains, also known as surface water drains or storm sewers, are designed to channel excess ground and rainwater from impenetrable surfaces. These drains can get clogged because of the accumulation of organic matter like leaves, rocks, sticks, and plants.

Anything solid that passes through the grill along with stormwater can potentially block the drain. Mostly any debris that sits around the opening is very likely to end up getting inside.

For instance, sand easily gets carried away by water and deposits inside the drain. It will surely lead to blockage after a certain period and to prevent such instances, routinely clean your gutters after seasonal transitions. This will also help avoid pest breeding and tone down the stink.

Keep your stormwater drains well covered, preferably with a fine mesh or a closely barred grate. These grates act as a filter and don’t let the garbage enter.

We also suggest that you pay attention to the landscape as we often overlook the most obvious things that can easily be solved. If your yard is the type that often lodges with water, you should consider planting grass in it.

Hence, save your soil from eroding and drains from blocking by simply covering the backyard with grass.

Preventing Sewer From Blocking The Drain Pipe

All drains in your property are connected to the main sewer line. We already told you to make sure that none of the fixtures experience blockages, but you need to be careful what you rinse down the basins and toilets.

You will find that clay-style pipes often get interrupted by the growth of tree roots. Since the sewage has rich water and organic material supply, it’s easy for roots to derive nutrition and flourish. This consequently leads to blockages in the sewer pipes.

There’s no need to worry as we’ll guide you through the unclogging process in a bit. For now, note these things that you should not dump in your fixtures:

Dishwasher And Kitchen Sinks

Avoid rinsing expandable food materials like pasta, cereal, and rice in your sink. You can either use a strainer to filter these out or install a grinder that dices down the food scraps.

As a rule, don’t let any leftover food pass through the sink while doing the dishes. It would be best to ensure that your cutlery is free of every bit and piece of leftover food before placing it in the dishwasher.

Also, don’t spill or pour thick liquids like oil, greases, or fats down the pipeline. Rather let them solidify in the dishes and dispose of them in the bin by scraping.

Toilets

The most important thing to bear in mind is that paper towels, “flushable wipes,” or tissues should not be dumped in the toilet. They aren’t made of organic stuff and don’t disintegrate in water. Instead, they just absorb water and form undissolved lumps that block the sewage lines.

If you have kids in your home, teach them not to flush toilet paper rolls or toy pieces into the seat.

Bathroom

Bathroom drains are typically bombarded with hair, spilled over products like shampoos and scrubs. That’s why it is important to pick up hair and clean the grate immediately after bathing.

How To Clear A Blocked Drain

Now let’s look at a few practical ways to clean the drain if it has been clogged due to some unknown reason.

1. Boiling Water

In a lot of cases, just pouring down a pot of scalding hot water can loosen up the lodged items and rinse them off. This method is useful for ceramic or metallic pipes but we do not recommend it for PVC pipes as hot water will melt the joints.

2. Caustic Cleaner

Chemical drain cleaners are readily available at the supermarket and hardware stores at a low price. Plus, they can readily dissolve ordinary blockages like hairs, food items, and grease.

However, you’ll have to take proper precautions while working as they’re toxic.

3. Plunger

A plunger is a handy tool to unclog sinks and toilets. First, clean the overflow spouts thoroughly, and then start plunging.

Moreover, cover the hole entirely to get a nice and b seal. The vacuum suction created by the plunger will drive out the blockage, and water will start flowing freely.

Prevent Blocked Drains In Your Home

Drain blockages in any part of the house are a pain, but now you know all about preventing them.

So, if you face any clogging issues, do try our suggested methods to save some money, instead of rushing to the plumber. On that note, we have reached the end of our simple guide on getting rid of blocked drains.

We started by discussing the reasons for blockages, before talking about the preventive measures and rounding it off with deblocking solutions. Hopefully, you find our techniques helpful?

Now, we’ll be signing off. See you next time; meanwhile, remember to carry out monthly drain maintenance for a hassle-free experience.