Few things are more disturbing than going to the toilet, trying to flush the waste and realizing that the waste is not moving down and out of the house. What many homeowners do not realise is that before the blockage becomes completely apparent, a lot of silent damage will have taken place beforehand. 

The best way to handle drain blockages in the home is by making yourself aware of the early signs that a blockage is forming somewhere in your plumbing. Here are three simple ways to tell when this is happening.

Funny Smells Inside the House

One of the earliest ways you can tell that a blockage is developing is the presence of unpleasant smells inside the house. If, for instance, the kitchen drain is blocking, the speed at which the dirty water flows down the sink will slow down. As solid food particles start getting collected by the growing plug, the smell of spoilt or rotten food becomes apparent in the kitchen. The common smells that you will experience in a house with blocked drains are ammonia and methane. 

The same thing happens when the blockage is inside the bathroom or any other part of the home. Call in a professional plumber as soon as you notice unusual smells coming from any part of your house.

Funny Sounds Inside the Pipes

Another way you can tell that your plumbing is not working as it should is the occasional occurrence of unusual sounds inside the plumbing system. Gurgling noises inside the drains, plugs and toilets are a sign that the water is struggling to flush down a restricted passage. 

The air trapped in the pipe as a result of the blockage is what usually causes these unusual sounds as it tries to escape. 

Unusual Water Movement

When you take a bath, the water is supposed to move to the drainage hole of the bathtub or the shower and out of the house. Similarly, when you wash tomatoes at the kitchen sink, the water is supposed to move down and away. Water backing up into the house from inside the sewer pipes and kitchen drainage pipes is an indication that a blockage has been forming for a while, and the water can no longer move at all.

These are the common signs that your drain is blocked. It is advisable to call in a professional plumber as soon as you notice the smells, sights and sounds that indicate a drain could be blocking. 

Share