Pants, socks and toys blocking pipes

Friday, 5 August 2011 2:13 PM

Drainage engineers recovered over 5,000 pairs of pants, knickers and socks from the nation’s pipes last year, according to new figures released today.

Home emergency specialist HomeServe has today detailed the bizarre list of objects, including garden furniture, fireworks, dog bowls, shuttlecocks and a £10 note, that have been the cause of blocked pipes around the UK.

Household waste (including hair and food) – which was responsible for 71 per cent of blockages – aside, the most common causes of blocked drains were children’s toys (9.7 per cent), food packaging (9.7 per cent) and underwear (7.7 per cent). The results come from a survey of 2,000 of the 65,000 customers whose drainage emergencies were serviced by HomeServe in 2010.

More than one in 20 callouts resulted in the discovery of a dead animal, the U-bend being a favourite for parents looking to avoid uncomfortable questions about the whereabouts of a family pet.

Steve Bailey, a HomeServe engineer from Liverpool, said “You’d be surprised at some of the things I have found whilst servicing blocked pipes and drains over the years. I once discovered a quarter of a chicken stuck in the U-bend of a toilet causing it to overflow.

"The customer had enjoyed a family barbeque the previous day, but was pretty bemused as to how it got there. You find children’s toys all the time – it’s amazing what fun kids can have with toilets.”

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