Long-Term Blocked Drain Solutions

Understanding What Causes Drain Blockages

Commonly encountered causes of drain blockages in homes and businesses are:

• Accumulation of hair, soap scum, and skin cells can hinder clearing blocked drains over time
• Pouring oil down the drain solidifies upon cooling and can lead to blockages, prompting many to seek methods to unblock drains.
• Flushing inappropriate items such as wet wipes down the toilet
• Intrusion of tree roots into pipes can cause blockage due to cracks or pipe damage
• Build up of food waste, dirt, and debris in drains can cause blocked pathways

Accumulating deposits commonly lead to a gradual narrowing of pipes, disrupting water flow and underscoring the need for clear drains. Blockages can impede the kitchen drain, ushering in messy, costly leaks or back-ups, particularly troublesome in residential settings.

Tree roots invading older or damaged pipes are frequently responsible for blockages, compromising the reliability of home drainage systems. Tiny root hairs work their way into cracks, growing thicker over time. As tree roots become established, this can lead to ruptured pipes, wrinkled walls, and completely jammed drains.

Preventative Measures To Avoid Future Blockages

The best way to prevent future drain blockages is by implementing effective preventative measures including hydro jetting that homeowners can take:

• Install drain strainers over your sink shower outlets to help avoid blocked passages by catching hair, grease, and food before they travel down sink and into your drain system
• To prevent clogging, ensure only toilet paper and human waste are flushed down toilets.
• Opt for liquid hand soap over bar soap to prevent soap buildup that can lead to blocked drains.
• To unblock a drain, regularly flush a mix of boiling water, salt, baking soda, and vinegar down bathroom and kitchen sinks to dissolve grease and prevent blockages.
• Arrange for a professional inspection of your plumbing to identify and address issues early, averting serious blockages.
• Replace old metal sewer pipes with newer PVC piping to prevent blocked channels due to less susceptibility to cracks and root intrusions
• Trim back trees and shrubs to eliminate plants dirt that might interfere with the integrity of your underground drain pipes and ensure clear blocked drain pathways

When it comes to household maintenance, integrating small, consistent changes is vital to keep a rigorous schedule for upkeep, especially to avoid a blocked sewer scenario. Being proactive minimises the likelihood of backups, leaks, and expensive emergency services in the future.

Safe DIY Methods For Clearing Minor Blockages

There are several safe DIY methods that can be effective to clear blocked minor clogged drains:

1. Cup baking soda vinegar solution - Pour 1 cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup of vinegar down the drain as an effective substitute to harsh chemical cleaners. This chemical reaction helps disintegrate buildup and clears it from the drain conclusively. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes before effectively flushing the residue with hot water.
2. Plunger - Looking for an efficient way to address clogged drains? With your rubber gloves on, place the plunger over the drain and plunge up and down rapidly 10-15 times to unblock drain blockages.
3. Drain Snake - You can try using a plumbers snake instead of a wire coat hanger to meticulously extract hair and debris that’s instigating the clog.
4. Drain Auger - Alternatively, utilising a DIY drain snake can reach deeper and remove stubborn obstructions within pipes.

These methods offer safe, inexpensive ways that provide an alternative to chemical drain solutions and are recommended by our plumbers to fix simple household clogs and clear blocked drains. However, recurring issues such as blocked sinks or complete drain failures hint at more serious issues, at which juncture one of our drain plumbers should be contacted to prevent damage or back-ups.

When To Call A Professional Plumber

In cases of severe blockages, it’s advisable to contact a professional plumber if experiencing:

• Attempts at DIY drain clearing have failed to resolve the blockage, something that can easily occur with persistent clogs
• When water begins to back up or overflow, indicating a potential blocked toilet or issues with your bathroom sink or shower units
• Sewage backing up through drain openings, especially in your sink area, indicates severe blockage issues
• Recurring clogged drain issues occur frequently
• Persistent bad odours often serve as the early signs blocked drain within your plumbing network
• You have located cracks or cave-ins around exterior plumbing pipes
• When a cctv drain camera inspection uncovers roots, pipe damage, or an extreme drain blockage
• A hydro jet is needed for a comprehensive drain cleaning
• The pipes under floors need replacing (e.g. terracotta piping)

Our skilled drain cleaners provide effective drain solutions with cutting-edge equipment, handling all your stubborn clogs, sewer drain backups, and complex drain issues. We carry out thorough inspections and use specialised methods like high-pressure water jetting. For stubborn blockages, consider our jet drain cleaning service which can effectively remove debris and prevent long-term blockage, supplementing our interest-free pipe relining services that mend damaged sewer lines without full replacement.

Don’t hesitate to consult with your local plumber by making a call to 1300 349 338 or email us to schedule a comprehensive drain inspection and maintenance.

Long-Term Drain Maintenance Tips

We put together a series of effective long-term drain maintenance tips to support the prevention of blockages:

• To maintain clear pipes, flush a mix of salt and baking soda through your sinks and shower drains weekly.
• Use mesh drain covers to trap hair and debris, demonstrating how clear the pathways before they become clogged in your pipes
• To prevent clogging, ensure only toilet paper and human waste are flushed down toilets.
• Have a professional drain inspection every 1-2 years so you can use preventative strategies to identify minor issues before they escalate due to a buildup of chemical drain cleaners residues
• Consider how enzymatic cleaners can assist in break down of monthly accumulations of organics that cause blockages
• Replace old metal piping with newer PVC over time to prevent root intrusions and cracks
• Prune encroaching tree roots to reduce the risk of obstruction and enhance efforts to maintain clear drains.

By embracing these practices, customers can be confident in keeping their drains unobstructed, which prolongs the life of their plumbing system and sidesteps emergency callouts. If stubborn clogs or drain repairs are needed, Our skilled technicians possess the advanced tools and expertise to restore your drains’ proper function.