A blocked drain can restrict any of your day-to-day activities, from preparing meals to taking a bath or shower. It can even shut down your entire plumbing system, depending on which drain(s) are blocked.
If only one drain is blocked, it’s coming from the fixture and the plumbing that is attached to it. If more than one drain is blocked, or if all of them are blocked, it’s a bigger problem and is likely to be an issue with the main drain, inside or outside the home or building.
Sometimes there’s a partial block in the drain. Water will be slow to drain away. A smell can also indicate an issue in the drain. A gurgling sound is another indicator.
When a drain blocks, wastewater will back up until it overflows. If the toilet doesn’t flush, for example, water can come out from underneath the fixture onto the floor or out of the toilet bowl.
Why does a drain block?
In a rural area, if you are on a septic system and your sewage pump fails, wastewater will back up. This could also happen if the float is stuck, the pump is worn out, or if it isn’t vented properly.
If you enjoy trees on your property, there is always a risk of the roots growing into your underground sewer pipes. Even if a tree has been cut down, its roots can continue to grow for up to another 10 years.
The roots seek the drain pipe in search of water. Then the main drain will back up until every drain is affected.
Another potential cause of a main drain backup comes from a piece of crushed pipe from the original backfill during construction. If the footings have settled because of the weight of the walls, the drain pipe will form a flat spot, which is an ideal spot for debris to collect. It can create a blockage that won’t flow away with the wastewater.
Perhaps there is insufficient fall in the drain pipe. The drain pipe needs to slope downhill for wastewater to flow.
In addition, older pipes may distort and take on an oval shape. This is particularly true of tarpaper pipes. Common in the late 1940s through the 1950s, tar pipes can be found in older subdivisions and standalone homes. A video camera inspection can identify tarpaper pipes or cast iron drain pipes.
Any kind of obstruction from needles and syringes to wipes, toys from a child or dog, food bits and fats, coffee grounds, sanitary products, dental floss, a buildup of toilet paper, and more will result in a blocked drain. Sludge from a mix of hair, soap, and toothpaste in the bathroom sink can also build up and plug the drain.
Freezing temperatures and ice in the winter will plug a drain that is on an under-insulated exterior wall or crawl space, or not deep enough in the ground, or is subject to wind chill, or is enclosed in a cupboard where the warmth of the room cannot reach it.
How do you fix a blocked drain?
A do-it-yourself approach is not advisable. Call Plumbtech Plumbing. The Barrie-based company can safely inspect the drain, snake it to either clear it completely or until it reaches the point in the pipe where it is blocked. Then, if needed, Plumbtech sends a video camera through the pipe to determine the cause of the blockage in the pipe and where in the pipe it is located.
The camera sends the video to a monitor where it can be observed, diagnosed, and next actions decided. It is also recorded in case it becomes, or is, an ongoing problem. Reoccurrences often happen in the same spot.
Plumbtech offers a preventive drain maintenance program. For more information on how this valuable service can help, call 705-722-7209.
