How to deal with a blocked drain
Ever had the sinking feeling that your kitchen sink isn’t just a bit temperamental – it’s actually completely blocked up?
It’s easy to ignore a blocked drain at first, as you are likely to only see a bit of water retention in the sink as the mechanisms fight to keep working. But there comes a point where you can’t ignore it any longer: it’s time to unclog the drain.
Drains clog for several different reasons
If it’s your kitchen sink that’s giving you strife, there’s generally food or a foreign object that is involved. Substances like cooking oils or all the grease that you tip out of the pain after a Sunday roast can coat the sides of drains, slowly blocking up the pipes. Add in bulky food like rice or pasta – which may look like it goes down easy – and there’s a smorgasbord of food items mingling together to fight against your pipes.
Bathroom drains – whether it’s the sink itself or the bath or shower – are often messy and unappealing to deal with. Depending on the age and condition of your pipes, they can become easily clogged with hair, soap, and anything else that makes its way to the sink or floor of the shower. Leave the drains clogging for long enough and your sink won’t drain, your shower or bath will start to flood, and the drain will start to smell and become slimy.
Your main drain is what connects your toilets, sinks and showers to your city’s plumbing system. Your main drain can be blocked from residue from your shower, bathroom sink, and your kitchen sink. Trees and leaves are other factors that can lead to your main drain being blocked. In the process of these plants looking for moisture, they can cause cracks in the piping resulting in a blockage.
So, how can you prevent these blockages from happening?
In the kitchen, try not to throw all your food scraps down the sink – no matter how convenient it may be. Throw them in the bin and try not to let things like paper towel or tissues end up in the pipes. In the bathroom, try not to let large clumps of hair end up down the drain, and if you see that the drain is beginning to clog – act fast!
There aren’t too many ways you can unblock a pesky drain yourself, limited to just using your everyday household plunger. It’s always best to get the advice of a professional plumber on your blocked drain and to hire somebody who is going to ensure the problem is fixed effectively. Regular household methods of unblocking drains can just be Band-Aid solutions, and you may not be able to see a larger problem going on beneath your drain. Tap Doctor WA use cameras to identify the cause for a once and for all fix.
Tap Doctor WA Plumbing & Gas are plumbing professionals with years of experience dealing with blocked drains, temperamental pipes, and other plumbing problems. They know what to look for, how to get the job done and have the equipment to deal with the problem. Tap Doctor WA Plumbing & Gas service homes across Perth and don’t mind getting their hands dirty with your blocked drains. Get in touch with a qualified plumber in your area today via our website, or give us a call on 1300 130 827.