How do I stop my drains from blocking up?

Blocked drains are nightmarish - horrible smells, backup of sewage water, and expensive repairs. Do you have frequently blocked drains? Have you enlisted help from professional plumbers and the drains still keep blocking? If that's the case, chances are you may have broken pipes or your kids could be flushing stuff that they shouldn't. To help you with this, we have created a guide to help you get rid of this problem once and for all. Keep readiing to learn the techniques to manage your drains like a pro!

The most common reason for blocked drains is obviously because of what is being flushed down the drain. So how do you stop your drains from blocking up? With regular care of the drains you can avert a plumbing disaster.

How to prevent blocked drains?

Tree roots are a major reason for repeated blocked drains. Due to soil movement and pressure, the pipes can develop cracks allowing tree roots to make their way into the pipes to feed on the nutrients from the wastewater. To compound this issue if you flush solid objects or fat, oil and grease (FOG), the roots will catch this solid waste quickly blocking the pipes.

Kitchen

The most common reason for blocked kitchen sinks or drains is due to the solidification of fat, oil and grease in the pipes.

How to avoid a blocked kitchen sink?

• Use sink drain strainers.
• Avoid flushing coffee grounds, rice, cereals, and other food waste down the drain.
• Wipe grease from kitchen utensils with a paper towel before you put it in the sink.
• Scrape plates & utensils into the bin before they are placed in the dishwasher so the food debris doesn’t get caught in the drain.

Struggling with blocked drains? Contact our plumbers today.

Preventing blocked drains in the bathroom

• Place grates over the bathroom sink and drains to trap hair and soap. Throw the caught waste in the bin.
• Do not flush nappies, wet wipes, sanitary products, paper towel, and tissues down the toilet.
• Kids often throw their toys or other bulky items in the toilet out of curiosity. Teach your kids to not throw objects down the toilet.
• Secure the toilet fresheners carefully so they don’t accidentally fall in the toilet bowl.
• Clean the bathroom sinks, bathtub and shower to get rid of mould and hair.

Stop your garden drains blocking up

• Leaves, rocks, grass, and garden debris can make its way into the sewer or stormwater drains during heavy rainfall. To avoid blocked stormwater drains, ensure grates are placed on the drains. The grates can help prevent the stormwater drains from blocking up.
• Clean your garden regularly to remove dead leaves, sticks, and other garden debris.
• Get the gutters cleaned every 6 months (or more frequently if needed) to prevent accumulation of garden debris and a potential blockage on the roof, in gutters or downpipes.

How are blocked drains fixed?

Your local plumbers will use a combination of tools to clear the drains. For example, they could use a CCTV drain camera to inspect the pipes and find the reason for the blockage.

Depending on the extent and cause of the blockage, they may use equipment like drain snake, high pressure water jetting, or robotic cutter to clear the blockage.

Once the blockage is cleared and they find cracks in the pipe or the cause of the ongoing blocked drain problems, they could use techniques like no-dig pipe repair, i.e Pipe Relining, to fix the pipe. A relined pipe will provide a long lasting pipe repair, preventing blocked drains in that section for many years.

Need help with blocked drains?

If you are experiencing blocked drains anywhere in Sydney, give us a call on 02 9191 7374 or complete our online job booking form.

We specialise in pipe relining, drain camera inspection, and water jetting to clear blocked drains. Depending on the problem, we can clear the debris or fix a broken pipe quickly. We promise top-quality services at affordable prices using industry-leading techniques.