Unblocktober

Unblocktober is a month-long campaign running throughout October, aiming to help you improve the health of your plumbing, drains and your sewers as well as helping to save the environment.

According to Unblocktober.org, 48% of the British public have flushed wet wipes and another 48% pour fats, grease and oil down their drains.

As well as being bad for the maintenance of your plumbing and drainage system, it’s also bad for the environment and up to 8 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the ocean each year.

Effects on your plumbing and drainage system

Information from water.org.uk states that there are around 300,000 blockages every year, which costs around £100 million to resolve and results in thousands of properties suffering flooding and expensive bills.

Wet wipes cause around 93% of blockages that occur in the UK each year and less than 1% of all blockages are caused by items designed to be flushed, such as toilet paper.

It’s important to make sure you’re only flushing items designed to be flushed; most packaging should now state whether it can be flushed or not. Most insurance policies – our Plumbing and Drainage policy included – will not cover you for blockages caused by flushing items that shouldn’t be.

You can read our separate blog post for more hints and tips for looking after your plumbing and drainage system.

Signs of a blocked drain

Keep an eye out for the signs that you’ve got a blocked drain to avoid a potentially costly flood.

• Slow draining baths, sinks, toilets or showers

• No draining at all

• Strange gurgling noises

• Waste-water backing up into your bath or shower

• The smell of sewage

The Association of British Insurers estimates that around £1.8 million is paid out every day for ‘escape of water’ claims which include burst pipes and blocked drains. Making sure you have cover in place before problems develop is critical.

By taking out Plumbing and Drainage Cover with Home Emergency Assist, you can make sure you’re not caught out by costly repair bills in the event of a plumbing or drainage emergency.

To find out more about how our plumbing and drainage insurance can help you solve your problems along with our other types of home emergency cover, including boiler and central heating and appliance cover, contact our friendly team on 0330 09 48 301. You can also get a quote online.