` What Causes Drain Blockages?

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What Causes Drain Blockages?

Posted on February 28, 2016

There are a number of things that can cause a blocked drain at your property, some of which may surprise you. Here, we run through some of the most common things that can block drains, and by doing so warn our readers of the potential hazards your drain could be facing with everyday objects without realising and help advise them on how to prevent these blockages from happening in the first place.

Fat, oil and food

When cooking, the temptation is often to pour excess oil, fat and even food stuff away down the drain rather than putting it into your bin and creating a funny smell or leakages onto your kitchen floor. By doing this, however, the fat and oil run the risk of setting hard within the pipes and blocking them, with blockages also easily caused by pieces of food that do not break down easily. Make sure you bin all of the above, with wet or oily waste being placed out into dustbins straight away rather than sitting around in your kitchen bin.

Wipes

People often think that flushing wipes away is the easiest solution, but this is not the case as they can easily block drains and cause issues with the pipe systems. Ensure you always dispose of wipes properly in a bin rather than allowing them to enter the drains system.

Hair

Hair is something that can easily build up in drains without anybody noticing, simply getting clogged in plugholes and inside the drains themselves, causing blockages to the flow of water and, thus, the functionality of the drain itself. To prevent this buildup, there are devices which can be bought to catch the hair before it enters the pipes.

Trees and leaves

During the turn of season from summer to autumn, a lot of leaves are shed from trees, meaning that leaf debris can easily build up in areas such as drains and create issues including blockages within them. Be sure to sweep leaves away from drains, keeping your garden and outdoor space as leaf-free as possible.

Sanitary items

Often flushed away just like wipes, sanitary items are another thing which cannot and should not be flushed away and enter the drain system at your property. These items will easily create blockages in your pipes, so make sure you dispose of them in a bin rather than trying to flush them away.

Foreign objects

It goes without saying that trying to dispose of other objects – that should not be put into a drain – within your pipe system is not a good move. Instead, dispose of objects in the correct type of bin, be that waste or recycling.

Here at Wildon UK, we help our customers with their properties’ water systems everyday to ensure they run smoothly and efficiently at all times. If you’re experiencing difficulties with your property’s water, drainage or wastewater system, get in touch with us today. Our highly trained engineers are on hand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, thanks to our emergency call out service, meaning you never have to worry about an issue with your system getting in the way of your premises’ function. Get in touch with our friendly team today to find out more.

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