Blocked Drain? Here’s What Might Be Hiding in Your Pipe

It usually starts small.

The drain might be just a little bit slower. At first, it’s easy to ignore. 

But eventually, the water stops draining altogether. Then, you find yourself in a house without a working drain.

So what’s actually going on down there? What exactly is hiding in your pipes?

Let’s take a look at a few possible suspects.

1. Hair 

Hair is one thing that you can always count on to block your bathroom drain. When you’re having a shower, hair naturally falls out and makes its way down the drain.

A few strands here and there can build up over time, especially when they mix with soap scum.

What makes hair especially annoying is that it forms almost a kind of net inside the pipe. Over time, that net catches whatever else rinses off in the shower. And soon, you’ve got a whole wig of goodies in your plumbing.

If you’ve got long hair (or live with someone who does), and your shower drain is blocked – this could be the culprit.

2. Grease and Fat 

You’ve probably heard your grandma warn you about pouring oil down the sink. And there’s a reason for that.

Oil goes down the sink as a liquid. Yet, it stays there as a solid.

If you’ve ever left a really greasy pan to wash the next morning, you will find that all the grease has solidified. That’s exactly what’s happening in your pipes.

Over time, layers of fat can coat the inside of your pipes, narrowing the space water has to move through. This happens in too many Australian homes… and they can smell the difference.

3. Food Scraps

If you’ve got kids, you’ll be pretty impressed when they eat most of their food. Sure, a few bits of pasta here and there are left but it’s better than last time.

It can be tempting just to turn the water on, rather than walk to the bin for a few bits and pieces. They look pretty small, what damage can be done?

Foods like rice, pasta, and coffee grounds, might seem small and harmless, but they don’t break down quickly.

Some of them actually swell up in water, especially starchy foods like pasta or rice. That makes them perfect for taking up even more space and creating a blockage that water struggles to get past.

And even worse, the food waste and blockage can attract cockroaches to come! 

4. Soap Scum and Product Buildup

When most people think of soap, it’s the solution and not the problem.

Yet, to most people’s surprise, soap scum can actually be a contributor to your blocked pipes.

This one’s a little sneaky. Every time you wash your hands, shower, or clean with detergent, a little bit of residue sticks to the inside of your plumbing. In hard water areas (like a lot of Queensland), this builds up even faster, because the minerals in hard water react with soap to create a sticky film.

And when you add hair to that too, you’ve got a blockage developing.

5. Wipes, Cotton Buds, and “Flushable” Things That Aren’t

There are a few things that should never go down the toilet, even if they’re called “flushable.”

Never flush wipes, tissues, cotton buds, sanitary products, or paper towels. These don’t break down the way toilet paper does. Instead, they sit there, soak up water, and form giant clumps.

Even “flushable” wipes often don’t fully dissolve. They might make it past the U-bend, but they can get caught in further down pipes or the main sewer. Then everything else you flush gets stuck behind them.

6. Tree Roots

Now this one is a bit different.

Most people probably don’t flush trees down their toilets… I hope

But if there’s even a tiny crack or weak spot in your underground pipe, tree roots can find it. They’re naturally drawn to water, and they can squeeze through the smallest gaps. Once inside, they grow, and grow, and grow… And they grow.

They’ll fill the pipe, breaking it even more, and eventually cause serious blockages.

7. Broken Pipes

Sometimes pipes can slowly develop cracks in them.

Yet, it’s not just tree roots that enter. Debris like dirt can enter the pipe and create a muddy blockage. The dirt can continually be washed down this crack. 

Leaves also enjoy occupying cracked pipes. It’s almost like a garden… just in the wrong place.

8. Children’s Toys, Rings, and… just about everything else

Every plumber has stories.

A little toy car. A wedding ring. A spoon. Even a mobile phone. You name it, it’s probably been down the drain before.

Sometimes blockages happen because someone, like a curious toddler, decides to send something down the ‘blackhole’. Other times, it’s just an accident and we don’t realise it. 

Either way, it means that something solid is blocking a lot of water down our pipe. And that can inconveniently cause a blockage.

Blocked drains are annoying. But more than that, they’re usually a sign of something over time going wrong.

Whether it’s hair, food scraps, grease, or something more unexpected, the best thing you can do is catch it early, before it turns into a full-blown plumbing disaster.

And if you’re not sure what’s going on, or you’re tired of playing plumber every other weekend, we’d love to help you out. We’re happy to take a look, give you an honest answer, and get things flowing again. You can get a free quote today.

After all, what’s hiding in your pipes shouldn’t be your problem. That’s what we’re here for.