3 Ways You Can Prevent Blocked Drains

Blocked drains can be a nightmare. Not only can they lead to flooding and damage to your property, they can also be costly to fix. Below are some simple steps you can take around your home to help to prevent your drains from becoming blocked.

Brush Your Hair Before You Shower

Before getting into the shower, you should brush you hair. This will help to remove any loose hair and capture it on the brush, thus preventing it from being washed down the drain. Loose hair can easily get caught in your drains, causing a blockage and acting as an anchor for other material.

Don't Use Your Drain as a Waste Disposal Unit

While it can be tempting to flush or wash lots of household waste down the toilet or drain, you should think twice before doing so, since items can quickly cause a blocked drain. You should avoid putting the following things down your drain:

• Cooking Fat and Oil: Once they begin to cool, fats and oils will congeal quickly. This can cause blockages in your drain. You should pour fats and oils into a suitable container and dispose of them in the waste bin.
• Pasta and Rice: When washing pasta or rice from the bottom of a dish or pan, be careful none of it enters the drain. Pasta and rice can expand and stick to the inside of your drain, increasing the chance of a blockage.
• Stickers or Labels: Fruit and vegetables will often have a sticker attached to the skin detailing the price or the country of origin. When washing fruit and vegetables, you should be careful that these stickers are not washed into the drain. Once in the drain they can form a blockage.

To help to catch items before they are washed down the drain, you could invest in a drain cap. A drain cap is a small meshed device which fits into the plughole. As water passes through the fine mesh, larger items are trapped and prevented from entering the drain. These food items should go in your regular rubbish bin. 

Rinse Your Drains

Occasionally, you should rinse your drains with hot water. This will help to flush out any build up of grease, dirt and other debris. To rinse your drains, simply turn on the hot water for a few minutes on every tap and bath or shower unit.

If you are experiencing problems with a blocked drain, you should contact a professional plumber.