If you have noticed your sinks are draining slower than usual, you probably have a blocked drain. Grease, hair and detergents are always flowing through your drains and a build-up of these particles can cause a clog. The most obvious and cost-effective solution is to buy chemical drain cleaners and flush out your drainage. These drain unblocker chemicals aren’t quite as magical as they seem, in fact, plumbers and drain specialists are constantly dealing with the repercussions of chemical drain damage.

Chemical Drain Cleaners are not effective

Drain cleaning chemicals can provide a fast, easy solution to your drainage problems. However, this solution is only short-term! To really notice some of the major signs of a blocked drain, the blockage would have to be fairly substantial. Drain cleaning solutions won’t have much of an effect on large clogs, sewer problems or broken pipes.

Drain Unblocker Chemicals are toxic

The chemicals used in drain unblockers, especially the cheaper ranges, are highly toxic and bad for the environment. Inhaling the fumes is unhealthy and cause irritation to your nose, eyes or throat. The fumes will stick around a lot longer than you expect, long after the substance has been flushed away. This will continue to cause irritations and unpleasant smells. If you choose to use a chemical drain cleaner, follow the usage instructions very carefully.

Chemical Drain Cleaners cause damage

Because the chemicals used in drain unblockers are so strong, these cleaners can actually cause damage to your drainage system. Chemical drain damage is caused by acids from drain unblocker chemicals eroding the finish drain pipe. Chemical drain damage will start a process that can weaken your drainage, which could lead to drain fractures or collapsed pipes.

How to unblock your drains

If you believe your drain is blocked you should invest in a plumbers snake to rod out your drains. If this fails, you should contact your local drainage experts. Maintain Drains are based in Poole and our expert team offer 24-hour service to Dorset and the surrounding area. Contact the team for your free, no-obligation quote.

Our drain rodding service is a fast and effective method to reach and unblock your drains. Maintain Drains use drain rods to dislodge debris that has built up over time in your drainage system. While rodding is one of the easy methods to unblock drains, we still recommend contacting a local drainage expert. This will ensure that the entire drainage system has been reached, fully flushed and no extra damage is caused. We offer drain rodding services across and around Dorset. Call us today for a free, no-obligation quote on 01202 300040.

How does drain rodding work?

The rodding process involves attaching multiple rods to one another and pushing them down your drainage system to remove blockages. After rodding, the drains can then be blasted and flushed with a jet to fully clear any debris. It can be hard to locate blockages in underground drainage systems and so Maintain Drains use a variety of strong and flexible tools to reach and dislodge any clogs.

How effective are drain rods at unblocking drains?

There are many different causes of drain blockages, including a build-up of fats, pipe damage, animal infestation or tree root ingress. Drain rodding is one of the most commonly used drain clearance methods, as different drain rods and unblocking tools can be used to clear your drains. For instance, special rods can be used to ‘wind up’ tree roots which are causing issues.

Do I need drain clearance?

There are several clear signs that your drains are blocked. Contact a drain specialist if you notice any of the following:

Water will begin to drain slower than usual.
An unpleasant odour may begin to come from your drains.
An unusual noise when you pull the plug.

You should contact a drainage specialist as they can diagnose the problem and locate the clog within your drain’s infrastructure. Our fully-trained experts can reach underground drainpipes from manhole covers. Maintain Drains offer a wide range of drain clearance services for domestic and commercial customers.

How to retrieve stuck drain rods?

At Maintain Drains we get a lot of calls asking the team to come and retrieve stuck drain rods. This is one of our most common jobs because the rods can become detached during the drain clearing process. All the thrashing about can often cause the rods to unscrew and fall into the drainage system. We have several methods in place to retrieve stuck drain rods. Contact Maintain Drains for your rod retrieval.

Drain Rodding Dorset

Maintain Drains are your local experts for drain clearance and repairs. Call our team of drainage professionals today for your free, no-obligation quote. Based in Poole, Maintain Drains offer a fast, expert, 24-hour service accross the Dorset area.

Is your bath taking longer to drain? You might have noticed the water is staying in your bath for much longer than usual after you have pulled the plug. This is a fairly common problem for households but you should take quick action to prevent major damage to your drainage system. In this blog, we will explain why your bathtub is draining slower than usual and give you some top tips to prevent getting a clogged bathtub.

Why is your bath taking longer to drain?

All the toilets, sinks, baths and showers in your home empty into the same drainage system. Day in and day out, drains do a lot of work for us but sometimes a build-up of debris can cause clogged drains. Your clogged bath or shower drain is most likely caused by a build-up of soap, shampoos and hair. The build-up can develop slowly over a period of time and may not be identified until the issue has become serious.

Once you spot the signs of a clogged bathtub (slow-draining water or unpleasant odours) you should take immediate action. As more soap and hair enter the drainage system, the clog will continue to grow. You may then have a serious issue on your hands. The sooner you deal with the problem, the easier it will be to resolve.

How can you prevent a clogged bathtub?

There are several steps that you can take to prevent drain clogs. Firstly, remove and clean your plugs. Pop-up plugs, in particular, can trap debris so be sure to give them a good clean. Secondly, use a drain protector to collect debris while draining water efficiently. Finally, you should clean your drains and sink overflow to remove any small blockages. We would recommend using baking powder and boiling water or white vinegar to give your drains the best clean!

When should you call a drainage engineer?

While home remedies and chemicals can also help to unclog your drains, you may wish to call out for an engineer to completely resolve the drainage issues. Our friendly engineers can relieve these problems by manual rodding or using high pressured water to blast the blockage. A clogged bathtub can be stressful and difficult to combat. Maintain Drains can take the stress away and fix your drainage issues quickly and cost-effectively. We operate a 24-hour call-out service so we are always on hand.

Our dedicated team of engineers can help to solve any problems you may have with your domestic drains. If you are worried about your drainage get in touch with Maintain Drains for your free quote today.

Sometimes, it’s hard to work out if your drains are blocked. Drainage issues are a common problem with pipes and there are a number of reasons why this happens. Finding the common indications to a blocked drain can help to find out what to do next.

1. Unusual noise coming from the drains

There are many signs to warn you if your drains are blocked, noises coming from your drain are a big giveaway. If you can hear gurgling noises coming from your drain, it could mean there is air trapped in the pipes. When the water runs through the drains, it will try to flow around the blockage. This pushed the water and the air, causing a gurgling noise.

The trapped air could be because of the build-up of rubbish in the drains. This can be grease, soap, oil and food. Because of the build-up, it can then affect how quickly your water can drain.

2. Water draining slowly

If there is any blockage in your pipes, your water will drain slower than usual. You can test this by how slowly the water drains from your bath, sink, shower or toilet. If you think it is slower than usual, it could be one of the first signs that your drains are blocked.

This happens because the blockage is stopping the water flowing through the pipes as normal. Depending on what is blocked in the pipes, the water has to filter through the blockage. This can take significantly longer, affect how quickly your pipes can drain.

3. Bad smell coming from the drains

Another sign of a blocked drain can be a bad odour coming from your bath, sink, shower or toilet. This smell may even appear even worse when the taps are turned on.

This commonly happens because food debris has gathered and are now stuck in the pipes. As the food decomposes, it can create an unpleasant smell.

Are your drains blocked or is it the sewers?

You will probably be able to tell by now if your drains are blocked. In more dramatic cases, water will not be able to flow down the drain and even overflow in your sink, bath or toilet. There will probably also be a bad odour around your drains and inspection chambers.

One of the best ways to tell where the problem lies is to see if your neighbours also having issues with their pipes. If not, it is likely that your drain is blocked. If others are having a problem then it is more likely to be the sewers.

What to do next

Finding and clearing the drains blockage can be easily resolved with Maintain Drains. Blocked drains can commonly be flushed through with drain jetting. This is a simple process of firing high-pressure water down your drains and pipes to clear the blockages. We can provide a quick and sensibly priced service aimed at resolving your blocked drains problems.

A blocked drain is a common problem, and at Maintain Drains, it’s something we can easily help with.

Is my drain blocked?

Drain blockage issues often worsen quickly and therefore show signs fast. Some tell-tale signs of a blocked drain include:

A foul smell coming from drain – Smells are one of the earliest sign of a drain issue. If you notice an unusual odour coming from your drain, toilet, sink, shower or bath, don’t ignore it; smells often appear before visual signs of a blocked drain.
Sounds coming from drain – Noticing a strange sound from your drains or pipes is another early warning sign of a potential issue. Gurgling noises occur when air is trapped and pushed through your drainage system. Noises may occur when flushing toilets, draining baths or showers or sinks.
Sinks, toilets, showers and baths draining slower than normal – This sign is another common warning of a blocked drain. If after washing up, showering or bathing your drains are slow, there may be an obstruction stopping the water flowing as normal.
Overflowing of drains – While this may seem obvious, it’s important to notice if there is any excess water flowing from your toilet, sink, bath, shower or outside drain, it could be caused by a blockage. In this case, it is important to seek advice from a drainage expert as soon as possible to resolve the issue and prevent your home or business being flooded.

Why are my drains blocked?

Drains can be blocked due to a huge range of issues, and it is often difficult to determine the reason for a blocked drain without investigating and resolving the issue. Drains could be blocked due to a simple blockage of hair, dirt and grease, or there could be a greater issue such as root ingress. If your home drainage system has pitch fibre pipes, you could be experiencing damaged pipes which could be deteriorating and causing a blockage. There could also be damage to the pipes or drains due to other factors such as animals in drains or damage and wear over time.

How to fix and prevent blocked drains

There are a few methods you can use to investigate and potentially fix a blocked drain. These include:

Drain Rodding – This involves inserting a drain rod into the drain to disrupt and dislodge any dirt, hair or grease which may be causing an issue. This is a common and simple fix for bath and sink drainage issues, such as slow drainage or noises coming from these drains.
CCTV Drain Surveys – CCTV Drainage surveys can give a clear image and view of anything that may be blocking your drains. If there is a fatberg, root ingress or damaged pipes, our high-quality CCTV cameras can quickly identify drain blockages.
Drain Jetting – Drain Jetting involves using high-pressure water to unblock drains. Drain Jetting is ideal for blockages further down the pipe which rods may not be able to reach.
Maintaining your drains – One easy way to prevent blocked drains is to care for and clean your drains regularly. Avoid putting grease or fats down your drains as these can build up and clog drains. You could also use a screen to ensure debris does not enter the drain. Contact a drainage specialist for advice on how to clean and maintain your drains.

When looking for a quick fix for a blocked drain, it’s important to remember that harsh abrasive cleaners can damage your drains and pipes, and potentially cause further issues. Chemical drain cleaners can be problematic, and home solutions such as baking soda and vinegar can be dangerous to both yourself and your drains. It’s always best to contact a plumber to find the best advice.

When to contact a professional

If you have noticed one or more signs your drains are blocked, it’s best to contact a drainage expert immediately. This is because blocked drains can develop quickly and cause further issues fast, including flooding, foul smells or slow drainage. Getting professional advice from the moment you notice a potential problem can help save you both time and money by diagnosing and resolving the issue as quickly as possible. Maintain Drains are happy to offer advice and quotes for any drainage issues you may be experiencing; simply give us a call on 01202 300040.

Blocked Drains Poole & Bournemouth

Maintain Drains are proud to serve Dorset and provide high quality, professional drainage solutions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us on 01202 300040 for a free quote and advice on how to prevent or resolve a blocked drain. All our vans come equipped to deal with any drainage emergency and we will work with you to get your drains flowing normally as quickly as possible.

We offer fixed prices & no call out charges and all our work is fully guaranteed. Unlike some of our competitors, we do not have any hidden charges or try to sell you any other services.

We are a team of professionals who work around the clock to prevent blocked drains from becoming a further issue in your home or business. One of our friendly engineers will simply call and deal with your blocked drains or organise to repair the blockage.

• Call us now 01202 300040
• 24 hour call out – every day
• Fixed prices & no call out charges
• Work fully guaranteed
We offer drainage services in and around Dorset, including Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Blandford, Highcliffe, Bridport and other surrounding areas. Simply call us on 01202 300040 or request a callback to speak to our friendly team.

Category: Drain Unblocking