How To Identify Blocked Drains

Water overflowing from a blocked drain

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Blocked drains have the potential to cause massive damage inside your home if not fixed.

One of the primary issues you’ll deal with related to clogged drains is flooding. When the inside of your home floods, the water residue can cause mould to form. That’s just the beginning, there are several other issues which may arise from blocked drains.

So, identifying whether your drains are blocked or not can help save you tons of money and stress.

When trying to identify blocked drains, there are a few key signs to look for.

To learn more, continue reading.

Key Signs Your Drain Is Blocked

One of the most apparent signs of blocked drains is a slowly draining shower, toilet, or bathtub. These are the main areas affected in any home when blocked drains are present.

If you experience slow draining in one or all of these areas, contact Capital Plumbing immediately.

That’s just one of the primary signs your drains are blocked.

There are more extensive signs of blocked drains you should be aware of.

Here are some of the other most common signs of blocked drains:

  • Foul smells coming from your drains
  • Puddles of water near appliances
  • Water backs up in your sink, shower, or bathtub
  • Hear your toilet bubbling or making noises when you flush

All of these issues are brought on by various factors. The specific issue causing your blocked drains depends mainly on the age of your home.

Older homes deal with more issues related to blocked drains since the pipes are often rusted.

Once you find the cause of your blocked drains, the next step is fixing the problem.

1. Identify a blocked drain with a visual inspection

Visuals are a big indicator when it comes to determining whether or not your drains are blocked up.

Of course, it won’t always be obvious to you that a drain is blocked because it’s not always visible.

Making a visual inspection to identify a blocked drain

However, when it is visible, it will be obvious that this is the case, especially if you are looking at an external drain opening.

Visual cues inside the property might be that the water level in a full sink or toilet might drain slowly and take a long time to reach the regular level.

The sight of a blocked or partially blocked drain is something that you need to make sure you identify quickly.

2. Identify a blocked drain using sound

You should also look out for any unusual sounds that can be an indicator of a blocked drain problem as well.

If your pipes and fixtures are sounding different to how they normally sound, this could well be an indicator that you have blockage problem with your drains.

Man listening closely

Gurgling noises from plug holes and drains is usually a pretty good indicator that all is not well, and this is something you need to listen for.

Understanding the signs that could point to blockage problems is really important as a way of identifying drain blockages early, and knowing when to bring the experts in.

3. Identify a blocked drain using smell

Perhaps the biggest and most obvious indicator when it comes to identifying if you are facing a blocked drains problem is the smell.

This is something you need to make sure you look out for when you are trying to assess the situation with your drains at home.

Nose closeup

Blocked drains will usually lead to foul smells or odours that are generally pretty unpleasant to deal with.

If you find yourself dealing with an unpleasant aroma, it could well be that there is a blocked drain somewhere that’s the root cause of the issue.

Fixing Blocked Drains

Fixing blocked drains can be a complicated process depending on how bad the damage is. For severe issues or even small ones, always contact the professionals.

A lack of experience and proper tools can lead to severe problems during the repair process.

It’s not worth risking causing more damage by attempting a blocked drain repair yourself. Call Capital plumbing, we are the repair experts on the Gold Coast waiting and able to assist.

Ensuring Your Drains Remain Clear

The best way to make sure your drains are clean is by using preventative maintenance.

Stopping the issue before it gets big, always beats fixing the problem once it arises.

Here are some tips on keeping your drains clean:

  • Avoid flushing obscure objects down your drains
  • Use a drain cleaner product every 6 months or so on your main pipes
  • Get a yearly pipe inspection from a certified plumber

Following all these tips can save you tons of money and headaches down the line!

Our team is available to service you 24/7, so you’re covered regardless of when your plumbing emergency happens.

Please don’t wait until it’s too late, contact Capital Plumbing today so we can assist you with top-quality plumbing maintenance on the Gold Coast!

We are always here to help, so if you are ever unsure about how to deal with your plumbing situation, simply give us a call, and whatever your emergency, we will have a licensed plumber sent to your door to resolve your problem.

Water overflowing from a blocked drain
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