Most drain blockages have a simple cause, and most can be avoided because they follow habits. Grease, hair, wipes, roots and scale are the usual suspects. This guide explains how each one blocks a pipe and what you can do about it.

The most common causes

Grease and fat

Fat is liquid when hot, yet it sets hard as it cools inside the pipe. It coats the walls, so food scraps and other waste then stick to it. Over time the pipe narrows until water cannot pass. For that reason, bin your cooking fat and wipe greasy pans before washing.

Hair and soap scum

Hair binds with soap and forms a plug in showers, baths and basins. Because the plug builds slowly, you may only notice a slow drain at first. A cheap strainer stops most of it, and cleaning it after each wash keeps it working.

Wet wipes and items that should not be flushed

Wipes do not break down like toilet paper, even when the packet says flushable. They catch on rough joints and gather into a dense mass. Cotton buds, sanitary items and nappies do the same. Therefore, only toilet paper and human waste belong in a toilet. Unblocking a toilet explains what to do if one blocks.

Tree roots

Roots look for water, so they can find their way into a pipe through a cracked joint, yet the fault often goes unseen. Once inside, they grow and catch waste, which can block the drain completely. Trees close to older pipes are a particular risk. Main drain keeps clogging explains why the same fault returns.

Limescale and mineral build-up

In hard water areas, scale can form a rough crust inside pipes. Although it grows slowly, it makes it easier for other waste to snag. A camera survey shows how much has built up. Our CCTV drain survey service explains how a survey works.

Damaged or collapsed pipes

Old clay pipes crack, sink and shift over time. As a result, soil can enter the pipe and form a blockage that no rod can shift. If a drain blocks again and again, a defect may be the cause. Why drains block so often in North London explains how the age of local housing plays a part.

How to know you have a blockage

Slow drains and gurgling sounds are the early signs. Bad smells and water that rises in a second fixture are the later ones. Since these signs overlap, check the whole house before you decide where the fault lies. What problems blocked drains cause explains why you should not wait.

What to do about it

Try gentle methods first, such as a plunger or hot water. Rods and drain snakes can follow if the blockage stays. The best way to unblock a toilet without a plumber covers the toilet case. When these fail, high-pressure water can clear the pipe, which clearing your blockage with drain jetting explains. For repeat problems, ask for a camera check, because the cause may lie deeper.

Prevention beats a call-out

Small habits stop most blockages, so they are worth the effort. Keep your plumbing efficient offers simple routines, and is drain cleaning important explains the value of regular cleaning. Why drain maintenance matters sets out the case, while why keeping your drains clear matters shows the wider benefits.

Help in North London

Although we are based in Enfield, we clear blocked drains across the area, and that includes drain unblocking in Enfield, blocked drains in Barnet and drain clearance in Edgware. If a blockage keeps returning, send the online enquiry form.