Why Do Drains Block?

When you have a blocked drain, your only thought is likely to be "I want it fixed – now"! You probably won’t be too interested in speculating about why it blocked. However, you may be more inclined to do so afterwards, particularly when the bill comes in.

In practice, there may be a significant number of reasons why drains block and some of them are preventable if you take a few common sense precautions. Here are some top tips about how to avoid blocked drains, from a plumber. Northern VA experts will always be on hand to help but don't get complacent, and no matter where you live, don’t think "it could never happen to me".

People putting stuff down them they shouldn’t

Sadly, you perhaps wouldn’t believe just what some people try to flush down their WC - and you probably wouldn’t want to know either. The bottom line’s simple: use the WC only for the products it’s designed to handle and absolutely nothing else. Hopefully, there’s no need to be more specific!

Too much fat and grease

The same logic applies when some people pour waste kitchen products down their sink outlets. This is a really bad idea, as an accumulation of solidifying gunk around the pipes, traps and bends, can cause major problems – it might also be against local laws and regulations. So, only waste water. Syphon off food fatty liquids elsewhere.

Ancient drains

Even if your property is relatively modern, it might have been built on old foundations and could be using a much older drain infrastructure. Of course if it’s old, it will definitely be doing so. Old drains can deteriorate and collapse due to soil movement and so on. Earth can seep into cracks and quickly block things up. There’s not a huge amount you can do on a day-to-day basis to prevent that, but what you can do is to arrange for a drains inspection. That usually involves using a little camera and robot or maybe some camera fiber-optics – and it's far better to leave this to an expert plumber. Northern VA tradesmen are used to old homes so will be well versed in the procedure. Remember that prevention is usually better (and cheaper) than a cure.

Bad design

You may think drains plumbing is all about just connecting pipes together, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Diameters, flow-rates, angles when turning corners, traps – they (and many other things) are all hugely important. Many professional tradesmen spend a fair bit of their time sorting out the problems caused by over-ambitious (or just botched) DIY work. Be sure you know what you’re doing before trying to start doing anything radical to your drains.

Poor sizing

Linked to the above in some respects is the problem of sizing. The waste pipes in some older houses may have originally been designed to cater for a single family with perhaps one WC and bathroom. Today that same property might have been sub-divided into several different units, multiple new WCs and bathrooms might have been added, as well as a plethora of modern devices such as dishwashers and washing machines.The drains might simply be incapable of coping with the increased loads – particularly at peak times.

The above is just a sample of some of the things that might have led to your drains giving you cause for concern. If you’re in any doubt, get advice and help from a professional plumber. Northern VA has some great ones to choose from.

Sarah Saadoun works for HMS Plumbing, a family-owned business in Manassas, Northern Virginia. If you need a plumber, Northern VA is lucky to have Herve and his dedicated employees at HMS - proud to be serving the plumbing needs of Northern Virginia residents and businesses. For reliable Fairfax plumbers HMS Plumbing is your first choice.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.