How Do I Stop My Drain From Blocking Up and Smelling Awful?

Bad odours coming from your drains are never fun – but luckily, there are ways to fix them. Do you have a clogged drain that smells awful? If so, you’re not alone. Blocked drains are one of the most common plumbing problems and can be both a nuisance and health hazard. Fortunately, there are some easy things you can do to prevent your drain from blocking up and smelling bad. Tips to stop your drain from clogging up and smelling badIt happens to everyone eventually. You go to take a shower, only to be met with the rank smell of sewage. And then you realize that your drain is blocked again. Not only is it an unpleasant experience, but a smelly one too. If you’re tired of dealing with this issue on a regular basis, here are some tips to help stop your drain from blocking up and smelling awful: Getting Recurring Blockages or Bad Smells?It’s time to call an expert drainage engineer to take care of the issue once and for all. Drain 247 are here for you. Call 0800 612 8038 Keep it clean. When it comes to keeping your drains clear and free from blockage, there are a number of different things that you can do. One of the best ways to keep your drains clear is to have them cleaned on a regular basis by a professional. However, there are also a number of things that you can do on your own to help keep your drains clear. Using a drain cover. One of the best things that you can do to prevent your drain from blocking up is to make sure that you are using a drain cover. A drain cover will catch any hair or other debris that may be going down the drain and causing a blockage. You should also make sure that you are not putting any food scraps down the drain as these can also cause clogs. Use a hair catcher. This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent your drain from getting clogged in the first place. All you need to do is put a hair catcher over your drain before you start using it each day. That way, any hair that would normally go down the drain will be caught in the hair catcher instead. You can then clean out the hair catcher on a regular basis so that your drain stays clear and doesn’t start to smell bad. Don’t pour grease down the drain. Grease is one of the main culprits when it comes to clogged drains that smell terrible. When hot grease cools down, it solidifies and can quickly build up in your pipes, causing a major blockage. To avoid this, simply don’t pour grease down your sink at all – dispose of it in another container instead. Collect food scraps in a container. Another common cause of smelly drains is food scraps that end up going down the sink. To avoid this, make sure you collect all food scraps in a container before throwing them away. That way, they won’t have a chance to rot and produce an unpleasant odour in your kitchen or bathroom. Avoid using chemical drain cleaners. The first step is to avoid using chemical drain cleaners. These can be very harsh on your pipes and may actually cause more damage than good. If you must use a cleaner, try a natural one made with baking soda or vinegar. Use hot water regularly. One way to prevent a clogged drain is to use hot water regularly. This will help break down any grease or soap that may build up in the pipes over time. You can do this by running the hot water for a few minutes each week, or even better, after each use of the sink. Invest in a plunger. If you don’t already have one, invest in a plunger! This tool can be very useful for clearing small clogs before they turn into big ones. Be sure to use it correctly – place the plunger over the drain and push and pull vigorously until the blockage is gone. Remove soap scum regularly. One of the main culprits when it comes to clogged drains is soap scum build-up. Over time, soap residue can harden and form a plug in your drain, which can lead to water backups and bad odours. To avoid this problem, make sure to clean off any soap scum from your shower walls and doors on a regular basis. You can use a sponge or brush dipped in hot water and vinegar to break down the soap scum quickly and easily. Flush with boiling water occasionally. Another way to help keep your drains clear is by flushing them out with boiling water every so often. This will help melt away any grease or grime that may be clinging to the sides of your pipes, preventing it from building up over time and causing problems later on down the road. Just be careful not to do this too often as it could potentially damage your pipes if done excessively. Practice preventive maintenance. One of the best ways to avoid costly repairs (and smelly drains) down the road is by practicing preventive maintenance now. This means taking steps such as regularly cleaning out your gutters and downspouts, fixing any leaks in your home promptly, and keeping an eye out for early signs of trouble (like slow draining sinks). By catching problems early on, you can save yourself a lot of headache (and money) further down the line. Call a professional. If neither of these methods works, then you may need to call in a professional who will be able to use more powerful equipment such as hydro jetting to remove the blockage quickly and efficiently without damaging your pipes.Benefits of Stopping Your Drains From Blocking UpMost people don’t give their drains a second thought, until they start to see signs of a blockage. A blocked drain can be a major inconvenience, and if left untreated, can lead to serious problems like water damage or mould growth.Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to help prevent your drains from blocking up as we have discussed above. Here are just a few of the benefits:Save money on repairs: Blocked drains can be expensive to repair. By taking some simple precautions, you can save yourself a lot of money in the long run.Prevent water damage: Water that backs up in your sink or shower can cause serious water damage to your home. Taking steps to prevent blockages can help protect your home from this type of damage.Avoid health hazards: Stagnant water that sits in a blocked drain is a breeding ground for bacteria and other harmful organisms. These organisms can cause serious health problems if they come into contact with humans or animals. Keeping your drains clear will help reduce the risk of exposure to these hazardous substances.Fewer clogs: One of the most obvious benefits of keeping your drains clean is that you’ll have far fewer blockages. When hair, soap scum, and other debris build up in your pipes, it can eventually lead to a complete blockage. By taking some preventative measures now, you can avoid those costly (and messy) blockages altogether.Better drainage: Another benefit of maintaining your drains is improved drainage throughout your entire plumbing system. When gunk builds up in your pipes, it creates resistance which requires more water pressure to overcome. This increased pressure puts stress on all of the components in your plumbing system and can cause leaks or even burst pipes over time. Keeping your drains clean will help reduce this water pressure and protect your plumbing from damage.Longer lifespan for fixtures: All of the fixtures in your home that use water – including toilets, sinks, showers, tubs, etc., will last longer if you maintain clear drain pipes leading to them. When water has nowhere else to go but back up into these fixtures because of blocked pipes downstream, it causes corrosion and mineral deposits that shorten the lifespan of these fixtures significantly. Regular drain cleaning will help prolong the life of all of your home’s fixtures by keeping them free from harmful build-up.Prevention of backups and flooding: One final benefit of preventive drain maintenance is that it helps prevent sewage backups and floods caused by blocked drainage systems. Raw sewage is not only unsightly and smelly; it’s also extremely dangerous as it may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness if exposed to humans or animals. A small investment in regular drain cleaning now will save you a lot of money (and headaches) later should a backup or flood occur. Don’t Ignore The Signs of a Blocked Drain!If left untreated, a blocked drain can escalate and cause disastrous outcomes for your property such as dampness, flooding, and even subsidence. Let our drainage engineers help you. Call 0800 612 8038 Final ThoughtsHaving a blocked drain can be quite a hassle. Your sink will stop working and you will have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out ways to remedy the problem. Here are some of the ways you can fix your blocked drain and keep it from happening again.

For more information on How Do I Stop My Drain From Blocking Up and Smelling Awful? talk to Drain 247