Problems with your drains don’t happen overnight. Drain blockages can take many years to build up but once you spot some of the tell-tale signs that all is not well in your drains, you need to take action and get the blocked drain cleared as soon as possible. So let’s look at the main signs of blocked drains that you need to look out for.
Water draining away slowly in the kitchen or bathroom
If water is draining more slowly from your toilet, sink, bath or shower than it usually does, there may be a problem with your drains. If water is draining slowly from just one fixture (eg the shower), the problem may be in the pipework connected to the shower but if the water is slow to drain from your toilet, sink, bath and shower, then it sounds like there could be a problem in your drains.
Raised water levels in the toilet
When you flush the toilet, does the water level rise higher than normal? Also if you run water in a sink, does the water level in the toilet rise? These are symptoms of a blocked drain and if the water is not draining away at all in the kitchen and bathroom, then you definitely have a big problem in your drains.
Water lying on an external manhole cover
Take a look at the manhole covers outside your house. Is there water lying on them even though the weather has been dry in recent days? This may indicate that the drains are all blocked up and that liquid is squeezing out through the tiny gaps around the manhole covering.
Bad smells
Perhaps you can smell a whiff of sewage inside the house or outside at the manhole cover? If something is blocked in your drains and has started to rot, you will definitely be able to smell it and it won’t smell of roses! By the way, the smell may actually be obvious before you realise that water is slow to drain in your kitchen or bathroom.
A gurgling sound from the pipes
Are the pipes in your home making a different sound than usual? Listen carefully to see if there are gurgling sounds when you flush the toilet as these sounds are created when air is trapped in the pipes as a result of the blocked drain.
So what's the next step if you have signs of blocked drains?
Perhaps you have spotted some of these signs in your home and you aren’t sure what to do next. Well a blocked drain won’t magically disappear. If there is a blockage there, it is better to get it unblocked as soon as possible. Otherwise you may run the risk of more serious damage and even overflowing sewage as the blockage gets bigger.
Please call D&J Drain Services on 07925 153826 as soon as you suspect a problem with your drains.
There may be some simple steps you can take yourself to help sort out the problem (eg using a plunger in the shower) and we will advise you about what you could do. Sometimes it may be necessary for us to visit your property. With high pressure water jetting, we will be able to clear the blockage quickly and safely as well as carrying out a CCTV survey to see if there are any other problems in your drains. If you live in the country, your septic tank may need emptied too and we can help with that too.