Tips to Clean and Maintain Blocked Drains During Winters

Comprehensive Guide on Blocked Drains Especially During Winters and Tips to Clean Them?

Plumber - Nov, 22, 2024

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Every homeowner deserves to feel and live comfortably, not in the chaos, so, don't let minor issues like clogged drains ruin your peace of mind. Whether you have noticed a pungent odour coming out from a plughole or experienced the slow-draining sink, it can seem like a nightmare to everyone sometimes. 

There’s absolutely no sugar coating the situation that clogged drains seem a small issue at first but can quickly become a huge problem if not caught on time. However, swift action needs to be taken as soon as possible if you notice any leakages or staining marks, not only to restore your peace but also to save costly drain repairs in the future.

Importance of Cleaning and Maintaining your Drain

Our homes are connected to drainage and sewage systems, which function efficiently to carry away all the wastewater out from the pipes, and if these pipes get blocked it can create a massive nuisance to the homeowners and can result in flocking of bacteria that induces a nasty odour for everyone.

Moreover, if you accidentally drop certain foreign objects down the drain such as hair, and grease that gets accumulated or other causes like cracks, or misconnected pipes can be the reasons of your household experiencing blocked drains.

However, you must adequately clean and maintain your drains. While cleaning or maintaining your private drain, you should look for blocked drainage related signs. You may or may not notice completely damaged or deteriorated pipes such as cracked, leaked, or eroded pipes. If you have a blockage, you may also detect some foul smell arousing or slow draining of wastewater. Nevertheless, it is preferable to spot such problems at the earliest before they get worse and use some DIY methods or hire a drain blockage repair specialist to solve it.

Causes of Clogged Drains


We need to take certain required steps to fix the issue of clogged drains and to prevent ongoing problems: 

  • Due to Hair and Toiletries: Building up of hair and other materials like Nappies and baby wipes is a common problem for many households and can be the common cause of blocked sinks and drains. It is suggestable to regularly remove the hair from the sinks and proper disposal of toiletries in bins. However, you can also reach out to a drain blockage repair expert to get relief from such blockages.
  • Due to Plants and Dirt: Regular maintenance of your outdoor area is necessary to prevent the accumulation of leaves, and debris from blocking the drains and keeping the water pipes cleaned. If accumulated dirt is left for too long, it will cause your drains to become severely blocked.
  • Due to Grease Build-up and Accumulation of Foreign Objects: Any grease waste or building up of soap and electronic items stick to the inside of the pipes while washed down the sink. Therefore, a smart way is to put waste in some containers to discard with your garbage.
  • Impact of Weather (Especially During Winters): In cold weather season, freezing temperatures, and heavy rainfall can contribute to several drainage issues, like water build-up which can be a common problem in many households. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure your gutters and outdoor drains are cleaned to prevent a leaves build-up which will cause a bigger blockage. 
  • Due to Broken Pipes: Water pipes breakage can be due to general wear and tear. Hence, check the pipes if you find any visible leaks or water staining marks on the ceiling of your home. Unfortunately, if you couldn’t locate any broken pipe except the leakages, it is better to hire a professional for this to diagnose.
  • Due to Poor Water Flow: Low water pressure can be a sign of minerals and sediment build-up on the parts of the taps or showerheads, and gets clogged thus reducing the water pressure. You can clean the deposits from them or it is best to have a licensed specialist to diagnose the issue.
  • Due to Bad Pipe Installation: We always recommend hiring a skilled drain blockage services expert to install your pipe and drainage system. Therefore, to reduce blockages, and promote a healthy water flow, a professional plumber will ensure that everything has been installed correctly at underground and in walls.

Tips to Unblock the Drains


Below are a few listed DIY methods that you can try it at home during your clogged drains:

  • Boil some water and pour it down the drain!
  • Try using a plunger
  • Use a hook – or even make your own!
  • Use a Plumbers’ Snake (also known as a Toilet Jack or Electric Eel)
  • Clear it by hand
  • Use chemical drain cleaners
  • Try using baking soda & vinegar
Else you can approach a plumber who offers professional drain blockage services for unclogging your drains.

2024 Rough Cost Estimation for Unblocking a Drain

We have outlined the approximate average cost for unblocking a drain, including affordable drain blockage services

Here are some average costs for different drain unblocking services:

Drain Unblocking Methods

2024 Estimated Rate 

Call-out charge (standard call-out)

£50

Emergency

£150

Rodding

£70–£150 

Jetting

£65–£185 

Drain System Scrubbing

£120–£250

Drain CCTV Surveying

£120 - £250

Drain Relining

£85 - £110


It is very annoying to know that every homeowner experiences such issues at least once in their life and if this doesn't get sorted, then it can bring some health issues along with it too. Therefore, understanding exactly how blocked drains can bring a huge inconvenience to the homeowners, you can hire a drain cleaning specialist from Urban Gaffa as it is very necessary to clean it at the earliest.