The drainage system in your home helps to transport wastewater from the sinks, toilets, baths and showers in your home. If the drains in your home become blocked, this can lead to a situation in which wastewater backs up into your home or floods your property. If this occurs, it can cause a number of serious problems.
Bad smells and stains
Wastewater which travels through your drains is dirty and will often give off a bad smell. If the pipes in your home become blocked, the first problem you will have is a bad smell coming from the plug holes in your home. If the water backs up and spills into your home, it could damage and stain any nearby furnishings.
Illness
Wastewater can also contain a high number of harmful bacteria, which means that a blocked drain presents a real health hazard. Bacteria in waste water can cause the following health problems:
Peptic ulcer: The bacteria Helicobacter pylori is often found in wastewater and sewage. If this bacteria is ingested, it can cause peptic ulcers to form in the bowel, leading to symptoms such as bloody stools, stomach pain, dizziness and breathing difficulties.
Typhoid: Salmonella typhi bacteria can be harboured in wastewater. The symptoms of typhoid include constipation, fever, skin rashes and headaches.
Campylobacteriosis: This bacteria lives on human waste and is usually found in the sewage system. Those who are infected will display symptoms such as fever, extreme tiredness, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and nausea.
If you suspect you may have contracted any of these conditions, you should contact a doctor immediately.
Structural Damage
If you do not realise that the drains in your home are blocked, you may continue to run your taps, flush your toilet and use your shower. All of this will generate water which will enter your plumbing system even though it has nowhere to go. The build up of water may create sufficient pressure to burst the wastewater pipe. If the pipe burst, waste water may begin to flood the foundations of your home. As the water flows into the foundations, it can damage and weaken their structural integrity and place your property at risk. Repairing the foundations of your home will prove much more costly that having your waste water pipe inspected and repaired, so you should take action as soon as you detect a blockage in a drainage pipe.
If suspect you have a blocked drain, you should contact a plumber today.
