Prevention is better than cure when it comes to drains, because a blocked drain costs time and money. Blocked drains are one of the most common household plumbing problems. Left alone, a blockage can make water leak from the system and damage your home.

Some blockages need an engineer, because they sit deep in the pipe. However, many can be avoided with a few habits. This guide covers the usual causes and the steps that help. For the common triggers in more depth, read the common causes of blocked drains.

Causes of Blockages and How to Avoid Them

Food waste

Food from the kitchen sink builds up in the pipe. It may seem to rinse away, yet it sticks to the pipe wall over time. You may notice a foul smell, and the water drains slowly.

Scrape plates into the food bin before washing. Because food waste is easy to bin, this habit costs almost nothing.

Grease

Grease, oil and fat cool in the pipe and set. Keep cooking fat in an old jar, then put it in the rubbish bin. If you pour some away by mistake, run hot water afterwards, although this will not remove a large amount.

Coffee grounds

Coffee grounds settle in the pipe and cling to any grease. Put them in the bin or on a compost heap. Run the hot tap for a few minutes if some go down by mistake, since the flow can push them on.

Hair

Hair sticks to soap and grease and builds up. Fit a hair catcher over the plughole, because it stops most hair before it enters the pipe. Pull out small amounts with gloved hands.

Sanitary products and nappies

These cause blockages if you flush them, because they do not break down. Bin them instead. Our guide on things that get stuck down the drain lists more items to avoid.

Cotton buds

Cotton buds have plastic sticks, and they catch in bends and corners. They do not shift easily. As a result, they can add to a blockage that is already forming.

Clothing and mud

Dirt on clothes washes into the pipes and settles. Shake mud and grit off outside before the wash. While one load does little harm, over time, even a small amount of dirt adds up.

Leaves and garden debris

Leaves lodge in outside drains. Fit covers on gullies where you can, because they keep leaves out. Wear gloves when you clear dirt, soil and leaves by hand.

Cement and grout

Never pour cement or grout down a drain. It sets and hardens in the pipe, because it is made to cure. That causes serious trouble. Check the packaging for how to dispose of leftover compounds.

Cat litter

Most cat litter is clay-based, so it can harden like concrete once it has been wet and dry many times. Therefore it must never go down a drain. The pieces are also sharp and catch other waste. Bin it, and never flush it. The same goes for bagged dog waste.

Good Habits for Each Drain

Drains tend to clog at the worst time, for example when you have overnight guests. You cannot prevent every blockage, but you can avoid most of them. A good rule is that what goes down can come back up.

In the bathroom, hair is the main culprit, although soap helps it stick. Run warm water through the sink and shower drains each week to help keep them clear. Read about a bathtub drain backing up if you have trouble with the bath.

Toilets take paper and human waste only. Paper towels and baby wipes may come back up, since they do not break down, especially where the pipes join large drain lines. For a blocked toilet, read unblocking a toilet.

Home Fixes That Can Help

A plunger comes first, since it is simple and safe. If it fails, a drain snake may help. It is a flexible cable that you push into the drain to break up a blockage. Snakes will not harm most pipes, but they can scratch porcelain, so use one with care.

For a kitchen drain, some people use baking soda and vinegar. Pour a few cups of baking soda into the drain, add vinegar, and wait about half an hour. Then pour in boiling water, although you should take care with plastic pipes. Do not mix in more chemicals, because that can make things worse.

If your own attempts fail, step up to a professional, because stubborn blockages need proper tools. Our guide on what to do to clear a blocked drain shows the next options. For a blockage deeper in the system, read how to clear the main sewer line. An engineer may use jetting for blocked drains.

If the Sewer Keeps Blocking

If your sewer line blocks every year or two, do not just clear it again, since the cause remains. A camera can show the cause, which saves guessing and digging. See how to know when your drain needs cleaning and how often drains should be cleaned.

Waste backing into the home is the worst case, yet it is often avoidable. Our page on a sewer backup in the basement explains it. A blockage outside can cause it too, so read blocked drain outside house.

Tree Roots

Repeat blockages may come from roots, because roots seek water. They enter clay joints, and they can wrap around pipes and crush them. If a pipe has a small crack, a root will force its way in and keep growing.

Trees from next door can cause the same trouble, since roots travel a long way. Therefore a tree-free garden does not guarantee clear pipes. For the wider picture, see causes and prevention of blocked drainage.

A CCTV Drain Survey Before You Move In

A CCTV survey of the underground drains is worth having before you buy, because faults hide underground. A camera goes into the pipes and sends a live picture to the engineer. It shows cracks, leaks, defects and signs of blockages.

If you are buying or selling in Enfield, see our CCTV drain survey service for pre-purchase surveys. This survey can save you from costly surprises, since faults stay hidden until the survey finds them.

Getting Help

Paying to learn the cause is better than frequent backups, since repeat call-outs add up. With so many causes, the best fix is to prevent the clog. We cover drain unblocking in Enfield and drain unblocking in Southgate, along with blocked drains in Barnet. Our blocked drains service handles the rest.

Avoid adding more chemicals or objects to a stubborn blockage, because that can make it worse. If a drain does not clear, send the online enquiry form.