We’ve all dealt with a hairball in the drain that was both amazing in how disgusting it was and impressive in how it built up like that in the first place. You can’t stop food, hair, and other debris from falling into your pipes from time to time, even if you do try and do your best to prevent it from happening. Even with all of that effort, it’s bound to happen one way or another.
The problem isn’t that it keeps happening, it’s that you don’t do anything once it does. Being a homeowner is being on cleaning duty all the time when you’re home, for better or for worse. This applies to your drains because if you don’t see it, it’s not there, right? Incorrect, because you are likely letting an ever bigger problem build-up through sheer lack of awareness.
We’re not blaming you for not noticing the drain getting clogged, what you should be worried about is when the blocked drain gets to a point of no return. It might not be that dramatic, but not addressing the blocked drain issue can have serious consequences. Here are some of the reasons why you need to deal with this problem urgently.
Risk the Pipes Bursting
The most concerning thing that could happen involving a blocked drain is that the pipes will eventually induce too much pressure from their water source and burst. It’s not unusual for pipes to burst for various reasons, but clearing blocked drains is at least one solution to help mitigate this risk. Reducing the water pressure that builds up in your home’s plumbing is tantamount to keeping your home safe from water damage from leaks or a full-on burst. It becomes a matter of cost and damage when pipes burst so it’s best to just avoid it altogether by keeping up on your plumbing maintenance.
May Require You to Replace Plumbing
Even worse so is that you’d need to replace pipes and plumbing in your home. It’s not unusual for blocked drains to cause widespread issues, especially if there are more blocked drains than just the one, so it’s something to keep an eye on. You likely wouldn’t need to replace the entire plumbing system unless something truly catastrophic happened, but you can’t leave out all of the possibilities that it could either.
Flooding Season is Approaching
As spring starts to come around the corner, we’re reminded of warmer times and more hours spent outdoors, but spring also brings with it some unique challenges. The most significant problem is that snow and ice start to melt, rains are more frequent, and moisture starts to accumulate. This can eventually lead to flooding, which by itself is bad, but is even worse if your drains are perpetually blocked. Blocked drains can become susceptible to the issues of water pressure as flooding results in massive quantities of cubic water displacement in your home, and likewise, it provides little drainage to at least stave off some of the floods. It’s important to unblock those drains thoroughly if you fear flooding season could affect your area.
Build Up of Residue Can Stick to the Pipes
The build-up of certain debris in blocked drains and pipes can be removed with simple drain cleaner products, and sometimes, with simple homemade remedies. It’s not hard to keep the drains clear, even if you let them get a little backed up, but over time, the residue can start to build and build and build. What happens is a slow issue that accumulates over time, one that you probably won’t notice at first. It will lead to a serious blockage because you weren’t paying attention as the water drains slowly and it’s harder to get pressure going. When it sticks to pipes, it can cause issues that would require you to snake the drain, and at worst, replace it, as mentioned earlier.
Blocked Drains Can Cause Foul Odors
Aside from all of the damage that can be caused and all of the sweat-inducing labor required to clear out the drains, another issue can rear its ugly head – foul odors. The things that go down the pipes and drains of our homes can be rather gross, so imagine the smell if it sits in there, lingering, coating to the pipe walls? Bacon grease, globs of hair, body waste, and much more can start to emanate out of the drains and waft throughout the home which is a good enough reason to deal with it urgently.
Blockages Can Expell from Different Drains
Even more disgusting than foul smells coming from your drains are blockages and waste coming out the wrong holes. In some homes, depending on the plumbing system, it happens where a blockage can cause pressure to build and shoot water out of the wrong pipes in the home. Imagine a hairball from a shower drain coming back out of your sink. It’s gross to think about so the best solution is to deal with it promptly to avoid this minor, albeit disgusting situation.
Longer It Remains Blocked the Harder It Is to Clear
In a similar manner to the issue of blockages building up on the inside of the pipe and drain walls, the issue can be a long-term problem for the very reason that the longer the residue remains, the harder it can become to clean. Bacon grease was mentioned because it’s something you’ve been taught not to pour down a pipe. The reason is that it hardens when it cools down, and if it sticks to the pipes, over time it clogs it like an artery in the body. The longer it goes without being cleaned, the more solid it becomes and the more difficult it is to remove so cleaning it pronto is key.
We don’t expect you to be thinking about your plumbing, your pipes, or your drains, but consider how clean they might be and the problems that can occur when blockages happen. If you can for a moment, you should understand why you should be more urgent to make sure your home’s plumbing is running as smoothly as possible to avoid these problems.
