Consequences of Drain Blockages for Homeowners

Have you ever considered the consequences of drain blockages for homeowners? Probably not. After all, the average person doesn’t spend much of their day thinking about drains, do they?

We run a bath, do the washing up and flush the toilet without thinking about what goes on behind the scenes. As far as we’re concerned, the water goes down the plughole, basin or bowl and that’s that. It’s gone. Disappeared. Out of our homes and out of our lives.

We should be more mindful about our drainage systems though because there are consequences of drain blockages for homeowners that we all need to be aware of.

With that in mind, below are three problems you might encounter if you get blocked drains.

Slow drainage

One of the most common problems for homeowners with blocked drains is slow drainage. It’s so common, it’s probably happened to you at some point. When it happened, you might have done a number of things:

Attempted a DIY solution such as pouring boiling water or a mix of vinegar and baking powder down the plughole.
Bought a drain unblocking liquid or powder online or from a local store.
Ignored the blockage and hoped it would go away by itself.

I’m willing to bet that, even if the first two attempts at solving your clogged pipes worked, it was only temporary and it wasn’t long until the pipes got blocked again.

As for the third ‘solution’, as we all know, ignoring a problem until it goes away doesn’t usually work.

Store-bought solutions and DIY attempts at unblocking drains are only ever a temporary fix. In fact, not only are they temporary, attempting plumbing work yourself can actually cause more damage to your pipes.

This is the reason why you should always get a professional plumber or drainage company to sort out any drainage problems.

A drainage company will use professional drain jetting equipment to effectively and – more importantly – safely clear any blockages.

Bad smells that are not only unpleasant but a health risk too

No one likes a smelly house and if you can’t immediately find the source of a bad smell – for example, a cat litter tray, piles of dirty washing or a mound of dirty plates under your teenager’s bed, then it’s a possibility the smell is coming from your drains.

A blocked drain will prevent water flowing freely, which results in bad smells coming from the stagnant water and build up of waste.

Unpleasant odours aren’t just unpleasant but the affected air quality poses a health risk too.

Leaking pipes that cause damage to your property

Ignore a blocked pipe or drain at your peril. As the pipe remains blocked or clogged, the pressure builds up and, as the water needs to go somewhere, the pipe can burst or leak.

A burst or leaking pipe will not only result in a repair to the pipe but the water damage to your property could also be time-consuming and costly to fix.

For example, you may need a new floor or ceiling, there could be damage to the foundations of your property and you may need expensive damp treatment.