Four Early Signs of a Blocked Drain

It is never a good time to have a blocked, or even a blocking, drain. However, if you know the early signs, you can attend to the issue before it becomes a larger, costlier, and potentially an emergency situation. Knowing the signs and knowing the correct actions to take can save you a lot of money and a lot of stress.

Early Signs of a Blocked Drain

1. Toilets, basins, or showers, are gurgling. If a toilet is gurgling or making bubbling sounds when flushed, it is one of the earliest signs of a blockage in your sewerage drainage system. This is the same for if your basin is bubbling or gurgling when being used. 
2. Water is draining slowly. Whether it be your toilets, sinks, showers, baths, or even your stormwater that is draining slowly, this is one of the earliest and probably more obvious signs of a blocked drain. 
3. Foul odours throughout the home. If you have noticed some funky smells throughout your home, it is another early sign that your sewers are starting to or already have blocked.
4. Toilet water level rising then draining slowly. Another early sign of a blocked or blocking sewer service. This sign is perhaps a bit more alarming as you may be afraid of the toilet overflowing but catching it at this point before it actually overflows can save you a lot of stress and money.

I Have Signs of a Blocked Drain, What Can I Do?

There are a couple of steps that you can take to help unblock your drain if you would like to try fix the issue on your own before calling in a professional. 

1. If you don’t already have one, purchasing a plunger is a good place to start. Using a plunger on your toilet or your sink may help to dislodge the blockage. In conjunction with running hot water down the drain, this step may be enough to clear the blockage. (You will also now have a plunger handy for any future issues.)
2. Using drain cleaning chemicals may also help to dislodge or disintegrate a smaller blockage. However, if the cause is a larger one, such as tree roots, this would not be an adequate solution.

If you have carried out these steps, and have found that they have not worked, or you don’t want to attempt to clear the drain on your own, it is time to call a professional. Dependent on the issue, experienced professionals, have a range of equipment on board that will help to clear the blockage. This includes a plunger, a hand eel, an electric eel, as well as a high-pressure water jetter.

How Can I Prevent My Drains from Blocking?

There are several preventative actions you can take to help prevent your drain from blocking. These include:

• Not putting oil or grease down your drains. When they cool, they solidify and can cause your sinks to block.
• Flushing only toilet paper – and human waste – down the toilet. This includes not flushing ‘flushable’ wipes, paper towel, cat litter, and feminine hygiene products down the drain. 

• Keeping debris out of the downpipes and the stormwater drain. 
• Carrying out routine drain maintenance. If you know that your drains tend to have issues around a certain time of year, carry out preventative drain maintenance to stop the issue from affecting your home.

Have you noticed the early signs of a blocked drain in your home? Have you tried to clear a blockage yourself but have been unsuccessful? Or do you want to carry out some routine drain maintenance for your sewer or stormwater drainage services? If you have answered yes to any of those, it may be time to call Canberra Plumbing and Drains! Our team of friendly, highly qualified, and experienced technicians are able to attend your home and use the most suitable method to clear your drains. Call our team on 0474 488 899 to book your appointment today!