One of the major problems we face in plumbing, is draining issues. More often than not, this is caused by blockages. Sometimes it’s from faulty pipes, however a lot of the time it is due to blocked drains, perhaps where things that shouldn’t go down the drain, have done. This can be easily done sometimes, especially with things like washing up in the sink, however there are precautions and extra care you can take to try and avoid blocking your drains, and not putting anything down there that you shouldn’t.

As we are experts in plumbing and therefore blocked drainage, we thought we’d tell you about a few things you should avoid putting down your drain…

 

1. Fruit and veg

Although it is advised that you don’t put any food down your drain, fruit and veg is one of the most troublesome things you can put down there, and one that leaves pretty bad consequences. As some fruit and veg is made up with lots of seeds inside, this can cause havoc inside your drains. It will impact your disposal blades and make them go blunt. As a result, this will stop the blades from being effective and doing their job, as when they are blunt, they won’t be able to chop things down. 

 

2. Fats and grease

Sometimes it is easy to let fats and grease get down our drains when we are washing up, however, this is something that should be avoided. One of the main problems with this, is that fats can build up quite a lot inside the drain, and eventually cause a blockage within the system. This will be problematic as it means it won’t drain properly, and you will have to get a plumber to come out and clear it up.

 

3. Coffee grounds

Although coffee grounds may be small, the impact they can have on your drains is big. They are in fact one of the things that are most likely to cause blockage and clog up your drains. As coffee grounds are a powder-like substance, they often stick to the inside of your drains, which will eventually cause a build up and block it up.

 

4. Paint

Washing paint down the drain can actually be quite dangerous, and it is something that you should never do. No matter what type of paint it is, there are regulations on how you dispose of paint, as it can be harmful if washed down the drains. Whilst this isn’t a direct problem for your drains, it is potentially dangerous as it can contaminate the water supply. Paint contains chemicals and toxins, and if you wash it down the drain, it is at risk of getting into the water supply. Therefore, we advise that you never wash away paint and research on the safest ways to dispose of it. 

 

For more information and advice or if you have any plumbing problems, simply get in touch with us via our contact page and we will be more than happy to help.