Slowly flowing or stagnant water, audible gurgling and sometimes even an unpleasant odour coming from the sewer pipes are all signs of clogged pipes. In this situation we should unblock the sewer pipes as quickly as possible. This can lead to a complete blockage of the pipes. This can lead to a complete blockage of the pipes, which can result in water leaking and backflowing into the room. You don't have to call a plumber - you can carry out the unblocking yourself. We tell you what and how to professionally unblock your sewer pipes and what you can do to prevent clogged pipes in the future.

What causes sewer pipe blockages?

Sewer pipes in houses and flats are in most cases clogged by objects or substances that back up in the drains:

• in the case of the bathroom, this is most often the case: soap deposits, laundry detergent deposited over the years in the pipes, fingernails or hair.
• in the case of the kitchen, on the other hand: food leftovers, grease or accumulated packaging scraps of various materials.

Sewer pipe blockages can also be caused by dirty water. That is, one that has previously been used for cleaning the floor or during construction work. This is because it is contaminated with, for example, sand, glue or mortar.

Usually the traps from sinks, baths or shower trays, floor drains or sewer pipes, connectors and fittings that make up the internal sanitary installation systems designed to carry wastewater from the building to the external sewer network are clogged. Sometimes, however, the problem can lie much deeper - the external sewage pipes may be blocked, e.g. connection to a septic tank for single-family houses that do not have a connection to the general sewage system or a connection to the municipal water and sewage system.

Methods for unblocking pipes in the home

For unblocking, unblocking of pipes, the most commonly used is spring (spiral). It is a coiled steel wire that has a sharp tip at one end and a crank at the other. The principle of this device is very simple. The spiral is inserted into the clogged sanitary installation while turning the crank. When the wire encounters an obstacle - the blockage breaks it up. Ideally, two people operate the spiral. One introduces the spiral into the sanitary system and the other spins the crank until it is pushed through, clearing the blockage. The springs are available in different lengths - they also work well for blockages that develop deep in the pipes. You can also find spirals in electric versions.

An ad hoc solution for clogged toilets, drains, traps or pipes in a flat, house is the standard pusherwhich most of us have at home. When we want to do this block the pipes from the double sink, the second drain should be blocked with a plug.

In multi-family housing, wastewater from individual flats is discharged into riser pipes. This is then discharged to the basement and then to the external network. The following are used to clean and check the patency of vertical pipe sections cleaners (revisions).

For cleaning external drainage networkswhose diameter is over 100 mm, the intervention of a specialised vehicle is required. combined pressure car.

How to prevent sewer pipe blockages?

We cannot always completely prevent obstructions in sewer pipes. In many situations we are able to deal with this ourselves, all we need is the right tools (about which we have previously written). In addition, if we take care of proper prophylaxis we should avoid unpleasant surprises. A simple and very helpful solution is the use of strainers in the bathtub or sink drain. Older buildings used cast iron pipes, which are prone to clogging. Nowadays, they are being replaced by plastic pipes, such as the following. External PVC sewage pipe 110×3.2×500 SN8 ML, whether PP internal sewage pipe HT 110.