Blocked drains are nasty and there is no way you can sugar-coat the situation. A blocked drain pipe is more than an inconvenience, it’s a health risk to you and your family. For example, there are typically more than 500,000 bacteria per square inch in your kitchen drain alone and if you have a blocked drain, that bacteria laden water is now coming into your home, along with some pretty foul odours. Having blocked drains is a nuisance every home owner will experience at least once during their lifetime, and it’s not something you want to leave because there’s a good chance it will bring along health issues too.

If you need to fix drainage issues, contact the professional qualified plumbers at Manariti Plumbing!

Signs Of Blocked Drains

Slowly Draining Sink, Shower Drains, Bathtub Or Blocked Toilet

A slow drain can be the first sign of a problem. This often happens when they diameter of the pipe is constricted by a thickening layer of grime and soap, of because of a blockage somewhere in a pipeline.

Stinky Smells

An unpleasant smell can come before a slow drain, potentially, but is a sign of a problem. It could be caused by several things: rotten food in a kitchen sink or drain, even a small rodent in another area of the drain and sewer system connections.

Water On Your Lawn/Plants Growing Near Blocked Stormwater Drains

This is a little different from the other signs, as those occur inside the home and these are obvious outside. If you have found a puddle in your lawn, you’ll want to have a professional come in to evaluate the drain and take action to remove the clog or damage from the sewer line. Foliage and trees growing near the sewer line can create big problems because the root systems can damage the sewer and water lines underground.

Blocked Toilets That Back Up Instead Of Flush

A toilet blockage is often caused by too much toilet paper going down, or more commonly, the wrong things being flushed down the toilet (like a small child’s toy or female sanitary products). This is serious because the item blocking the drain could damage the pipeline, or lead to damage to your bathroom as the water comes out of the bowl. If a plunger doesn’t help, you should probably call a professional to examine the pipes and drain system.

Gurgling Drains

The gurgling sounds means that air is trapped somewhere in the plumbing. This could be caused by buildups in the drain, like grease, food, and oil. Food deposits may not always be easy to remove with drain cleaner – sometimes a professional’s high-powered tools, like a hydro-jetter, can sometimes improve the interior of the pipe at the same time as they remove the clog causing the problem. Damage to the sewer line could be another reason for gurgling in a drain. This issue is far more serious than a clog, and usually requires a professional to safely fix the problem. Yet another reason for gurgling noises in a drain is a blockage in the vent pipe that attaches to the drain pipe and goes to the roof to let sewer gas escape the system. If these are not taken care of, you could find that sewer backs up into the drain system.

How Do Plumbers Clear Blocked Drains?

If you notice any of these signs, it’s likely you have one or more blocked drains. Instead of trying to figure out where the blockage is and attempting to clear it yourself, call a professional plumber.

Identify The Cause Of The Blocked Drain

To identify the cause of the blockage, generally a video snake inspection system is used, which allows the plumber to work out where and what the blocked drain is. Common causes of blockages are:

Damage From Tree Roots

If your blocked drain is being caused by tree roots growing into the pipe, there are a number of tools that can be used to unclog it. The most common include hand snakes for smaller blocks and drain machines for larger blocks. These consist of bendy cables which are fed through the pipes to the blockage. An attachment on the end of the cable allows your plumber to cut, scrape, or maneuver the blockage to remove it from the pipe. A high-pressure jet blaster is another option for your Newcastle home, which blasts away stubborn clogs that were not able to be removed using a hand snake or drain machine.

Foreign Body Blockage

A clogged drain can commonly be caused by people putting things down the sink or toilet that they shouldn’t be. In this case, plumbing rods can be used to remove blockages from your drains. They are extendable and can be screwed into one another to create a rod that is long enough to reach the blockage, wherever it is in the pipe. Like the hand snakes and drain machines, different attachments can be screwed onto the end depending on the nature of the blockage. Note that this method is not suitable where the pipes are damaged from the blockage, as the pipes will need replacing, which calls for a professional.

If you do decide to give plumbing rods a go yourself, always make sure they have been screwed together properly and in the correct direction. Otherwise, the rods can come apart in the pipe and make the blockage worse! A lost plumbing rod could mean digging up the pipes to get it back, which is why it’s best to avoid this by consulting a professional.

Identify The Location Of A Blocked Drain

The drain clearing approach taken by your plumber may also vary depending on where the blockage is. Common places you’ll find blockages:

Plumbing Fixtures

Sometimes the blockage might be in the sink, bathtub, or shower fixtures rather than the sewer pipes. This type of blocked drain is easier to fix.

The classic plunger is often the best way to remove blockages in this instance. Simply place the plunger over the blocked fixture’s opening and plunge it up and down rapidly, the suction created should help to dislodge the clog. If this doesn’t work though, the blockage will need to be located through an inspection opening and removed with drain rods – best to call a professional plumber in this case.

Sewer Line & Pipes

Larger sewer pipes usually feature manholes which is used to access to the pipe. An experienced plumber can use the manhole to check for evidence of a clog and is definitely a job for a professional, as it requires extreme care. Explosive gases can build up in sewer pipes, which is risky if an unprepared person opens the lid. For this reason, if you do decide to ignore this advice and open it yourself, always stand back and wait a few minutes after opening so that any explosive gases can escape. Secondly always wear protective equipment and breathing apparatus if you choose to enter the manhole. Seriously though, this is a plumbing job for a professional.

Instead of manholes, some sewer pipes feature inspection openings, which are plastic or cement caps on top of a length of pipe. These may be above or below ground. If you do decide to go digging in search of then, always get a copy of the pipe plans from council or your local wastewater authority, as hitting the pipe wrong could be disastrous.