Here at Metro Rod Nottingham and Derby we see blocked drains everyday and are experts at unblocking them which means we know what the main culprits are and how to prevent a blocked drain.

Blocked drains can really be a pain, one minute everything is fine and the next you have water overflowing onto your floors. So it is important that you know there are things you should avoid putting down the drain to limit the possibility of you having a blocked drain. 

Here are some of the top causes of a blocked drain:

• Fats, Oil and Grease (FOG) - Fatbergs are a large clump of fat mainly from cooking which become lodged in your pipes. When oil and grease is poured down the drain they are liquid and may not seem like a problem but as they cool down they solidify and cling to the walls of your pipes meaning they cant just be washed away. So you should always make sure you scrap as much fat off plates and pans before washing them up.
• Wet Wipes - these make up the majority of blockages in homes these days, wet wipes are not able to disintegrate which mean they stay in the pipes collecting dirt and fats which all build up creating a blocked drain over time. The BBC investigation found that even though wet wipes are being sold as flushable across supermarkets and shops in the UK, there aren’t actually any wipes that fully meet the water industry’s disintegration test. 
• Cotton wool - cotton wool, cotton bud and similar products expand when in water which means if you flush them down the toilet they will block the pipes, so it is always best to simply throw them in the bin instead.
• Food waste - people will often wash food waste down the sink when washing up dishes, however a lot of the time food is porous so will soak up the water and expand in the pipes and drains, this is especially true for carbs like rice and pasta. 
• Hair - hair is a huge problem in bathroom drains, while it may not seem like a lot during each shower, hair soon builds up and blocks pipes as it also collects dirt. Shower drain Hair Catchers are great to have in place as they collect the hair and are easy to pull out yourself.

Should you ever find yourself with a blocked drain there are a number of things you can do yourself, such as 

• Down the drain chemicals followed by hot water, 
• Using a plunger for the toilet  
• Pouring baking soda and salt down the drain followed by hot water will cause a reaction that can help unblock drains.

However if you try any of these and you still have a blocked drain, or your drain is continually blocking up, then you should call us at Metro Rod as it might be a more complex problem like a tree root blocking your drains. 

Metro Rod Nottingham & Derby offer services from dealing with blocked drains, drain repair, CCTV surveys and septic tank maintenance. We believe in simple things and make sure we follow them through; available 24/7, professional, value for money service during and after the job and peace of mind in the fact that all our engineers are highly trained, DBS checked and fully insured.

Make sure you get in touch with us through any of the following:

Enquire through our website: click here

Get in touch with us via email: [email protected]

Call us on 0808 208 2649

We any drainage needs, we are the drainage experts. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

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We are always happy to arrange a free site assessment and no obligation quotations for any work you might need. Alternatively, you can call our emergency hotline number on 0800 66 88 00

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