Blockage of drainage systems can be really inconvenient and frustrating. Food waste or sewage come up through the pipes, and it is totally unhygienic with standing water. Everything about a blocked drainage system is just distressing.
Prevent These Things From Blocking Your Drainage System
There are many reasons for causing blocked drains. Perhaps the most common cause is misuse, such as putting things down the toilet or sink that nobody shouldn’t. So, here are a few things that most certainly shouldn’t go in your waste pipes, but in the trash bin. Some of these things are evident, but the things you can find when unblocking drains can shock or amaze you.
Dirty Nappies
One of the biggest causes of blocked drainage systems is people who are attempting to flush nappies down the toilet. You may think that doing this is practical considering the material which plenty of modern nappies are made of. However, these materials are not designed to be flushed down the toilet. Nappies or diapers do not degrade in water and eventually end up getting stuck in the pipes, causing blockage.
Hair
A lot of hair end up in pipes from showers and sinks. The longer a person’s hair is, then there’s a bigger chance it falls out during washing. It doesn’t take much time for women, or even men with long hair to start blocking up pipes. One way to prevent this from happening is to get a trap or guard that can catch falling hair before it gets washed down the pipes.
Wipes
These are another common cause of drain blockages. Wipes may seem rather harmless on their own. But together, they cause serious blockages. If you’re using wipes, please be responsible in throwing them in the bin and not down the toilet.
Fats and Oils
There are many cases blocked drains where a build-up of oils and fats ended up in a u-bend somewhere. They are physically denser than water. So, even if you’ve already flushed them down the sink, it hits a bend in the pipe where it may gather and get stuck. Eventually, it solidifies and clogs, resulting in a costly blocked drainage. The best thing to avoid this is by putting fats or oils into a sealable container and throwing them into the bin.
Condoms
Here’s another sickening cause for blocked drainage systems. Likewise, these may seem harmless to flush down the toilet. However, they do not degrade or degenerate in water. Any minor blockage can be staggered by a condom and turn it into a serious drainage issue than needs fixing. The best place to dispose condoms is in the bin to avoid this issue.
Feminine Products
Women use a myriad of feminine products from cotton buds, sanitary napkins, and feminine wipes. All of these items do not belong in the drains. They belong in the trash bin. It doesn’t take much work to keep a bin by the toilet or sink. Therefore, throwing anything that may cause blockage must be thrown there, rather than down the sink/toilet.
Coffee Grounds
Who doesn’t love a cup of real coffee? Brewing or filtering coffee at home is becoming more popular than ever. However, with this trend, there’s also a massive rise in drains that are getting blocked by filters and coffee grounds. All tea bags, coffee grounds and filters must be disposed properly in the bin and not down the drain or water pipes.
Egg Shells
Why would anyone throw egg shells down the kitchen sink? Well, some people irresponsibly do. Egg shells can collect and make matters worse when there’s already been a minor build up somewhere in your pipes. There are plenty of things you can do with egg shells, but it never belongs in down the sink.
Paint
It’s surprising to know that a lot of plumbers are being called out for a blocked drain, only to discover that half a tin of paint was tipped down the toilet or sink and tried to drain it way. Paint contains a few harmful chemicals, and was never designed to be flushed down water pipes. All pain must be sealed in a tin and disposed properly together with household rubbish.
Food Waste
This is perhaps the biggest cause for blocking your drainage systems. It’s normal to have something left on someone’s plate after eating. You may think it’s easy to get rid of it by flushing them down the sink. However, leftover food lingers and builds up in your pipework and may cause smelly and severe blockages. To avoid this, you may get a waste disposal unit for your sink which can blend leftover food into tiny pieces before washing them away. Another obvious and practical solution would be to throw any leftover food waste into the bin.
Bottom Line
Our lives have been more convenient from products that we’re using and it’s easy to think of disposing of some of these items quickly. But, everyone should consider being responsible about drainage systems. Otherwise, they will end up with a blockage that may be really expensive to fix.
Keep in mind the items that may block your drains and how to prevent them. If you agree with the list, you may already be thinking that there’s a chance your drain is blocking if you’ve attempted to rid of these items down the drain. Never be tempted to let a few things slip down, hoping it won’t cause you a problem. It’s only a matter of time before you get drainage issues. You can also take contract maintenance services for both internal and external cleaning from a reputed services provider. Remember, prevention is better than cure.
