Drains blocked? We’ll clear them quickly

If your blocked drain escalates into an emergency, we strongly recommend calling a professional to minimise the risk to yourself and your home. Overflowing pipes and drainage systems can cause water damage to your property and belongings. Here at Pimlico Plumbers, we understand the importance of acting quickly, so we aim to be with you within one hour.

Although home remedies, such as using a plunger, can be effective, they may not resolve the root cause of the blockage or provide a long-term solution. That’s why it’s important to seek expert advice when managing blocked drains in your home.

If your toilet is seriously blocked and cannot be fixed with a plunger, you should call a professional to diagnose and resolve the issue. Otherwise, you risk causing flooding, further clogging the toilet and damaging your pipes and toilet basin by forcibly trying to tackle the blockage yourself.

If left untreated, the blockage could cause burst pipes or other damage like cracks or splits. It can also lead to sewage backing up and re-entering your property and flood damage. Often, there will be signs that your drainage system is blocked before it becomes a problem, and treating it early will not only save you money but prevent damage.

Some of the warning signs that you may have a blocked drain include:

• Slow drainage: If water takes a long time to drain or doesn’t drain at all, it could be due to a blockage.
• Bad smells: Sewage smells and smells of stagnant water can be a sign that water isn’t flowing through the system properly.
• Overflowing water: Flooding or overflowing water means that the water is unable to escape through the drainage system.
• Damp: Damp patches near your drain or pipes can be a sign of waste being unable to move through the drainage system.

Leaves, dirt and debris can cause blockages in outdoor drains, which can result in flooding and water damage.

If you cannot manually remove the leaves, dirt and debris covering the drain, it’s time to call the professionals. At Pimlico Plumbers, we are quick on the scene, with a 1 hour response time across London. Call us now or book a plumber.

Every plumber will agree that even wipes labelled as flushable or biodegradable should not be put down a drain or flushed down the toilet. Similarly, you should never flush sanitary products, nappies or anything other than paper down the toilet.

When cooking, hot oil and grease can also damage your pipes, as once cooled, they create a hard blockage of fat in the pipes. Coffee grounds and other food waste should also be disposed of in the bin rather than down the drain, as they too, can cause blockages.

The main causes of drain blockages are waste products that build up in your pipes over time, such as hair, grease and soap residue. However, other external factors such as tree roots, mineral build-up and ageing pipes can all result in blockages too.