Blocked Drains

Blocked sewer and stormwater drains can occur in any property, old or new, and can be caused by a multiple of reasons, including:

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• Tree Roots
  - The most common cause of blocked drains is tree roots. Tree roots will penetrate a waste pipe if there is a crack or opening in the pipe or if the tree root is strong enough to break through the pipe.
   

• Wipes
  - If you have to resort to using wipes or paper towels, bin them, don’t flush them. Toilet paper disintegrates in water. Wipes and paper towels soak water and can cause major blockages to your toilet and further down the drain.
   

• Fats and Food
  
  - Fats and food are very common for causing blockages. Always dispose of food scraps in the bin, not down the drain. Foods like rice and pasta swell in water and can cause a blockage to your sink. To prevent the fats from building up, don’t rinse fats and oils down the drain. Allow them to solidify and scrape them into the bin. Alternatively, for rinsing plates with little remnants of oil, be sure to rinse with hot water. Dishwashing liquid will disperse the minor oil residue when it enters the drain.
   

• Hair and Soap Slurry
  
  - Shower blockages are commonly caused by hair and soap slurry. An accumulation of hair, soaps, shampoos and conditioners can create slurry at the bottom of the drain and cause a blockage to the fixture.
   

• Concrete or tiler’s grout
  
  - A concrete or tiler’s grout blockage is common on renovated or new build bathrooms. It’s a difficult blockage to remove without the right equipment. The best way to prevent and avoid it is to cap waste outlets when the tilers are tiling and grouting a bathroom. This can prevent the grout being disposed of down the waste.
   

• Sanitary products
  
  - Sanitary products like pads and tampons should always be disposed of in a bin and never flushed down the toilet. These items cannot disintegrate in water and can get stuck around other solids in the sewer causing a major blockage.

Signs of a Blocked Drain Include:

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• Gurgling sounds in your sinks or tubs

• An unpleasant smell coming from your drains

• Slow draining in the bathroom, laundry, or kitchen 

• Water backflow from your drains or toilets

• Your toilet water level seems too high or too low

 

Once a drain is completely blocked the water will usually begin to backflow through your toilets or sinks. A blocked sewer drain can be a major health concern, as can a blocked stormwater drain. This is a problem that requires urgent attention this is why Kline Plumbing are available around the clock across the Gold Coast to assist you with any of your blocked drain problems.