Why drains block
Understanding why drains fail helps you look after them. Four causes account for most blockages in UK homes. They are grease, flushed items, roots and worn pipes.
Fat, oil and grease cool in the pipe and stick to the walls. Each pour adds a layer, so the pipe narrows over time. Wipes, cotton buds and sanitary items catch on rough spots and form a dam. Roots enter through small cracks, while old pipes crack with age.
What you can do yourself
Small habits keep drains clear. Scrape plates into the bin and wipe greasy pans before you wash them. Fit a hair catcher over bath and shower plugholes, and empty it often.
Every month, check the traps under basins and the plugholes in the bath and shower. Remove hair and soap by hand or with a plastic hair tool. Pour a bucket of water into each outside gully, because slow draining shows debris below.
In spring and autumn, clear leaves from gullies before rain washes them in. Wet leaves pack down and are hard to shift later. Check that chamber covers are clear of plants, since roots seek moisture near drains.
Once a year, look at visible pipes for cracks and loose brackets. If your home has older clay drains and big trees nearby, a camera survey every few years can find roots early. Biological drain products can also help keep kitchen traps fresh, although they will not clear a solid blockage.
Professional maintenance contracts
Landlords, businesses and owners of shared houses may prefer planned visits to emergency call-outs. A contract sets regular cleaning and checks through the year. It also gives you a record of the work, which can help with insurance.
Compare the terms before you sign. Check what each visit covers and what happens between visits. Our guide to drain maintenance contracts explains what to look for.
Products worth keeping at home
A hair catcher is cheap and catches hair before it enters the waste pipe. A basic cup plunger will shift many small blockages. A plastic hair tool and a bucket complete a simple kit.
Some people use biological drain maintainers once a month. Bicarbonate of soda and vinegar may freshen a drain, yet they do not clear a serious blockage. Always follow the label on any product.
What not to do
Never pour fat down the drain. Hot water only moves it further, because it cools and sets in the pipe. Do not flush wipes either, since even flushable ones do not break down well.
Avoid using strong chemicals in place of proper clearing. They can harm skin and pipes, and they often fail on solid blockages. Do not ignore a slow drain, because it is an early warning.
Related guides and local help
If you want to know more, read How to Unblock a Drain: A Simple Step-by-Step UK Guide. You can also read Drain Jetting vs Rodding: Which Method Is Right for You? and How to Unblock a Toilet: Safe Methods and When to Stop, because they cover closely related problems.
These guides help too: 8 Common Causes of Blocked Outside Drains and What to Do, Kitchen Drain Problems: Causes, Fixes and Easy Prevention, Blocked Sink: Every Common Cause and How to Fix Each One, Outside Drain Blocked: What to Do and Who Is Responsible and Blocked Drain Emergency: What to Do Right Now in the UK. Each one explains a related topic in plain English.
Need help near you? Read our blocked drain guide first, or see Blocked Drains in Coventry and Blocked Drains in Nottingham. You can also see Blocked Toilets in Bingham, since every service page has a free quote form. We pass each request to a local drainage engineer.
