How to Prevent Blocked Drains: A Household Guide
The large majority of blockages we attend were avoidable. Fat, wipes and leaves account for most of them, and all three are easier to keep out than to clear once they are in.
None of the following takes long. A few minutes a month is the difference between a drainage system you never think about and a call-out on a Sunday night.
In the kitchen
Fat is the single biggest cause of household drain blockages. It goes down warm as a liquid and sets solid on the pipe wall a few metres along, then catches everything that follows.
- Pour cooled fat and oil into a jar or an old carton and bin it — never down the sink, even with hot water behind it.
- Wipe greasy pans with kitchen roll before washing them up.
- Fit a sink strainer and empty it into the food waste bin.
- Run the hot tap for 30 seconds after washing up, and flush the sink with hot water and washing-up liquid weekly.
In the bathroom
Bathroom blockages are hair, soap and wipes. A £2 hair catcher over the shower waste prevents more call-outs than anything else on this page.
- Use a hair trap in the bath and shower and clear it weekly.
- Bin wipes, cotton buds and sanitary items — nothing but the three Ps (pee, paper, poo) down the toilet.
- Run taps in unused bathrooms monthly so traps do not dry out and let smells through.
Outside
Outdoor drainage fails quietly. Gutters, gullies and soakaways silt up over years and you only find out during heavy rain.
- Clear leaves and silt out of external gully grates every few months, more often in autumn.
- Clean gutters and downpipes twice a year — overflowing gutters saturate the ground next to the foundations.
- Keep an eye on trees and large shrubs near drain runs; roots find any open joint.
- Lift inspection chamber covers once a year and check the water is running freely, not standing.
A simple seasonal checklist
Autumn is the priority: leaves and heavy rain arrive together and gullies block fastest. Spring is a good time to check chambers and the soakaway after a wet winter.
If you are buying a property, get a homebuyer drain survey before exchange. It is the only part of the building not covered by a standard survey and it is one of the most expensive things to discover afterwards.
Still not resolved? CCTV Drain Surveys can help
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