Blocked drain tips and tips
Blocked drain tips and tips
Blocked drains can be one of the worst type of household emergencies. Similar to other household emergencies, they just occur unexpectedly. The worst aspect of a drains problem however is that it can cause unpleasant odours, result in flooding of your home and loss of power. If you run a business, loss of productivity and sales revenue can lead to a loss in customer and staff goodwill especially if your business is impacted by this disruption.
The drains get blocked mostly due to foreign objects or some structural problems, so you can always take certain measures to ensure their proper functioning.
Hairs that accumulate in the waste plug should be removed frequently.
Keep small objects such as combs, medicine bottles and toilet rolls away from places where they could accidentally fall into the toilet.
Regularly flush the wash basin and bath or shower pipework with hot water and a disinfectant to clear soap residue and prevent build up over time.
Do not put away baby’s nappies, commercial wrappings, sanitary towels or similar large items down the drainpipe; they may clog it.
Do not use the kitchen sink for disposing of plant cuttings or food waste material; it is more appropriate to compost them.
In the event of such material falling into the sink, do not push the matter through the plughole as this may impact and worsen the blockage; instead, try to extract the matter.
Cooking fats congeal and solidify when they mix with cold water, so never pour them down the kitchen sink. If there is absolutely no alternative you should dilute and emulsify the fats by mixing them with hot water and of detergent. Having done this, a proper water flow should be maintained by running the water for a short period of time.
Now for some general maintenance tips to cut the risk of blocked drainage:.
Inspect the rain downpipes and house roof gutters for any blocks at least twice annually.
Remove any debris and fallen leaves from the drains with a trowel, but be careful while working on the roof.
Regularly check that your drains are free-flowing by periodically lifting the inspection covers and make sure that these can easily be accessed.
Make sure to brush off the external drains which often get filled up with autumn moss, fallen leaves and garden materials.
External drains, like internal drains, should be cleaned on a regular basis with disinfectant and hot water.
A business house should ideally get a CCTV drain inspection service to survey and check the drainage system periodically. By employing CCTV inspections it gives you enough time to implement precautionary measures against any potential blockages, and by this way you can keep a constant check on the structural condition of the drainage pipe also.