Sometimes, it’s hard to work out if your drains are blocked. Drainage issues are a common problem with pipes and there are a number of reasons why this happens. Finding the common indications to a blocked drain can help to find out what to do next.
Unusual noise coming from the drains
There are many signs to warn you if your drains are blocked and noises coming from your drain are a big giveaway. If you can hear any gurgling noises coming from your drain, it could mean there is air trapped in the pipes. When the water runs through the drains, it will try to flow around the blockage. This pushed the water and the air, causing a gurgling noise.
The trapped air could be because of a build-up of rubbish in the drains. This can be grease, soap, oil and food. Because of the build-up, it can then affect how quickly your water can drain. It is easily done but if we take more care in what we put down our sinks/drains we can avoid bigger issues in the future.
Water draining slowly
If there is any kind of blockage in your pipes, your water will drain slower than usual. You can test this by how slowly the water drains from your bath, sink, shower or toilet. If you think it is slower than usual, it could be one of the first signs that your drains are blocked.
This happens because the blockage is stopping the water flowing through the pipes as normal. Depending on what is causing the blockage in the pipes, the water has to filter through the blockage. This can take significantly longer and affect how quickly your pipes can drain.
Bad smell coming from the drains
Another sign of a blocked drain can be a bad odour coming from your bath, sink, shower or toilet. This smell may even appear even worse when the taps are turned on.
This commonly happens because food debris has gathered and are now stuck in the pipes. As the food decomposes, it can create an unpleasant smell.
Are your drains blocked or is it the sewers?
You will probably be able to tell by now if your drains are blocked. In more dramatic cases, water will not be able to flow down the drain and even overflow in your sink, bath or toilet. There will probably also be a bad odour around your drains and inspection chambers.
One of the best ways to tell where the problem lies is to see if your neighbours also having issues with their pipes. If not, it is likely that your drain is blocked. If others are having a problem then it is more likely to be the sewers.