Have you noticed slow drainage or contaminated water in your sink?
Homeowners often overlook drain cleaning because the dirt isn’t always visible. Unfortunately, ignoring this can lead to serious problems.
Drains are only meant for water and soap to pass through, but residents may throw other things down the sink. For example, you could be guilty of pushing food down the sink instead of fishing it out.
But it doesn’t stop there—hair, small objects, and grease can make their way into drains, building up over time. This buildup can lead to blockages, slowing down or even stopping the water flow entirely.
The blockage may push water backwards, causing flooding issues. But there’s more—and today, we will discuss the harmful effects of blocked drains and why you should get them fixed immediately.
So, keep reading!
How Blocked Drains Affect Your Home
1. More Mosquitoes
Blocked drains hold moist waste, creating ideal breeding spots for mosquitoes. You might notice more mosquitoes around, and they’re not just annoying—they carry diseases like malaria, dengue, and yellow fever. If these spread, the whole neighbourhood could be at risk.
2. Bad Smell
When your drainage system is blocked for a long time, the waste materials rot, emitting a strong and unpleasant odour. The foul smell can spread around the house and make living difficult. As a result, one of the harmful effects of blockage drainage systems is that its unpleasant smell can cause nausea and headache in people living in the house.
3. Foundation Damage
Cleaning blocked drains prevents issues with the house’s foundation as soon as possible. When there is a blockage, it stops the water flow in the drainage system. The water can seep into the bricks and enter the house’s foundation. If this happens for an extended period, you may face severe damages, leading to expensive repair jobs.
4. Stagnant Water Or Slow Water Movement
Have you noticed that water moves slowly down your sink drains? A clogged drain inside the drain pipes could cause this annoying occurrence.
The waste might not have blocked the entire path, making it less severe, but it could have caused a partial blockage. Hence, you might be able to take care of the slow water drainage without spending too much.
5. Water-Borne Diseases
Blocked drains can become breeding grounds for bacteria as the clogs grow. If water accumulates on the surface for a long time, it can lead to various water-borne diseases as it gets contaminated with human waste, agrochemicals, etc. Most diseases are caused by viruses, protozoa, and bacteria transmitted by hosts living in blocked drains.
Bacteria and harmful substances present in the waste can cause serious health issues. For example, snails can spread schistosomiasis, while house flies can spread cholera and typhoid.
Also, water tends to flow back if it cannot cross the blockage. This means the waste in your sewage system flows back into the sinks. Contaminated standing water from your clogged drain can be a breeding ground for viruses and spread diseases among your household members.
Backflow can bring harmful microbes and bacteria, potentially causing airborne allergies and making your home feel unsafe.
6. Pipe Leakage
When a pipe is blocked, the water that flows towards the blockage must escape somewhere. If there is a lot of water pressure, the pipes will likely burst, leaking water into your kitchen or bathroom floor. Burst pipes are dangerous as they can lead to flooding in your home, garden, or backyard, possibly killing plants if they seep into the soil.
If you have a plumbing problem, such as pipe leaks or a drain blockage, you can suffer irreparable property damage and, worse yet, spread fatal diseases. It can be pretty expensive to replace damaged drainage pipes in the plumbing system. So, don’t forget to call a professional before such a situation arises.
7. Aesthetic Damage
Blocked drains can raise indoor humidity, leading to persistent musty odours—definitely not pleasant. Poor drainage might also cause discolouration and watermarks, ruining your home’s look.
At-Home Tips
For minor blockages, you can try a few DIY methods before calling in the pros. One option is using drain cleaning chemicals. Simply pour them down the sink and leave them overnight to work their magic.
The following day, test the flow by pouring water into the sink. If it goes down smoothly, then you’ve likely cleared the blockage.
Alternatively, you can try pouring hot water down the drain if you do not want to use chemicals. This technique may melt the particles inside, clearing up the pipes. You can also use a plunger to clear out impurities.
If none of these methods works, it is better to seek help from a plumbing company. These specialists are experienced in clearing blockages and will clean the water drains quickly.
What’s Next?
Stagnant water can grow moulds and pests over time, which can cause health issues for your near and dear ones. Apart from health risks, letting the problem simmer can lead to a home’s structural integrity and extensive damage. So, for every plumbing emergency, contact a local plumber and get a blocked drain fixed as soon as possible. If you need a professional plumber in Perth, Henley Brook, for your blocked drain and experience impeccable plumbing services, ensure you contact Woolf Plumbing & Gas. We guarantee fast and effective results for all your plumbing needs and plumbing emergencies!
Also, ask the technicians to check the entire pipeline for any other blockages forming. Once cleaned, we recommend using strainers in sinks to prevent larger particles from flowing into the drain.
As a preventative measure, avoid throwing grease down the drain. It sticks to the drain walls and traps larger particles over time, leading to blockages. But if grease accidentally enters the drain, you must pour cold water immediately to prevent it from sticking to the sides of the pipes.
We will be wrapping this up. Stay safe!
