How to Prevent Blocked Drains at Home

Most blocked drains build up slowly, over weeks or months, from small habits rather than one dramatic event. The good news is that a handful of simple changes prevent many of the blockages that plumbers are called out to clear. Here's what actually works.

Keep fat and oil out of the sink

Cooking fat is liquid when hot and solid once it cools — which is exactly what happens as it travels through your pipes. It coats the inside of the pipe, catches other debris, and narrows the passage until eventually nothing can get through. Let fat cool in a container and bin it instead of rinsing it down the sink.

Fit a hair catcher in the shower

Hair is the single biggest cause of shower and bath drain blockages. A cheap mesh hair catcher over the plughole, emptied weekly, prevents almost all of it from reaching the pipe in the first place — far easier than clearing a blockage later.

Only flush what's meant to be flushed

"Flushable" wipes, cotton buds, sanitary items and even excessive toilet paper don't break down the way toilet paper is designed to, and are a leading cause of blocked toilets and, further down the line, main sewer blockages. If it isn't human waste or toilet paper, it belongs in the bin.

Don't ignore a slow drain

A sink or shower that drains slowly is an early warning, not a minor inconvenience. It means something is already partially blocking the pipe. Dealing with it at the "slow" stage is a quick job; waiting until it's fully blocked — or backing up — usually means more time and a higher call-out cost.

Know when it's a bigger issue

If a drain keeps blocking in the same spot despite regular clearing, or if the smell or gurgling involves more than one fixture at once, the cause is often outside the house — tree roots or a damaged section of pipe on the main line, which is common in Johannesburg's older, tree-lined suburbs. That's a job for a sewer line inspection, not another round of drain cleaner.