How to Tell if Your Blocked Drain Pipe is an Emergency

Signs of a Blocked Drain Pipe

To keep your water flowing smoothly through your pipes, it’s essential that you’re aware of the signs. Blocked drains or pipes are generally accompanied by the following signs:

• Slow Drainage: Slowly draining sinks, showers, toilets and plumbing appliances (like dishwashers and washing machines, can indicate a partial blockage caused by grease, hair, food scraps or other debris.
• Gurgling Noises: Any unusual sounds like gurgling or bubbling noises from drains can be indicative of an issue or blockage. These sounds usually occur when air is trapped in the pipes and unable to escape.
• Foul Odours: Bad-smelling drains aren’t something you should or need to live with. They are generally caused by sewage blockages wafting back up the pipes and into your house. Breathing in these fumes also isn’t safe, so should be addressed promptly.
• Water Backup: If water starts to back up in sinks, showers, or toilets, it’s a clear indication that the water is unable to flow away due to a blockage in the main sewer line. A bad backup can lead to flooding and water damage in your home if not addressed promptly.

Temporary DIY Solutions

If you notice any of the above signs, it’s important to act fast to prevent further issues or damages. You can start by attempting DIY tricks, like using a plunger, to unblock your drain pipes. 

You can use a plunger to try and dislodge minor blockages in sinks or shower drains or in toilets. First, ensure there’s a tight seal between the plunger and the fixture and then apply firm pressure in a pumping motion to create suction in the drain. This can help to break up a blockage or move it down the pipes. 

Assessing the Severity of the Blockage

While not all blocked drains are emergencies and can be cleared yourself, others can be more serious and require prompt attention to reduce further damage. To understand the severity of your blocked drain, consider:

• Number of Blockages: A single blocked sink is usually not an emergency and can be cleared with DIY tricks, but if you have multiple blocked drains, it’s likely that the issue is more serious or complex.
• Duration: If you’ve attempted to clear a blockage multiple times with no results, or if your drains are continually clogging then the issue could be further into the pipes and caused by tree roots, for example. 
• Presence of Wastewater: If wastewater is backing up into your internal fixtures, this poses serious health risks and should be treated quickly and professionally.
• Structural Damage: Finally, obviously, if the blockage is leading to serious structural damage from water leaks or backups, it needs to be addressed ASAP by a professional plumber.

When to Call an Emergency Plumber

The last thing to know about blocked pipes is when to put down the plunger and pick up the phone instead. All of the above situations, for example, are indicative of a serious blockage or issue in your pipes that requires immediate attention from a professional plumber.

• Multiple Blocked Fixtures: As mentioned above, if you have multiple fixtures or drains that are continually or consecutively blocking, it can indicate a main sewer line blockage that requires immediate attention.
• Sewage Backup: Don’t risk your health. As soon as you notice any wastewater backing up into your fixtures you need to pick up the phone and call an emergency plumber.
• Flooding: Flooding doesn’t just require lengthy clean-ups but can also cause extensive water damage and encourage mould growth, so it’s essential to call an emergency plumber ASAP to identify the issue and prevent further damage.

Manage Blocked Drain Pipes on Your Property

A blocked drain pipe can start as a minor inconvenience, especially if it’s only a partial blockage, but if it’s left unaddressed the clog can grow and cause more issues. So, you can start with some simple DIY solutions to minimise the blockage and clear it before it gets bad, but if this doesn’t work you need to recognise that it’s time to call in the professionals.

If you experience any of the issues that we discussed today and think you have a serious blockage in your pipes, don’t hesitate to call our experienced emergency plumbers at Essendon Plumbing Services.