Blocked drain hints and faq
Blocked drain hints and faq
A drainage block is considered to be one large problem for the house owner. Similar to other household emergencies, they just occur unexpectedly. Nevertheless, the awful feature of blocked drains is that they can give out foul smells and lead to overflow of waste water into your home. If you are a business that is impacted the disruption can result in loss of customer and staff goodwill with the associated lost productivity and sales revenue.
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.
Remove hair clumps that collect in the waste plug hole on a regular basis.
Hair-combs, toilet rolls, medicinal bottles and other small items should not be kept near the toilet, or they may fall into it.
Flush out the wash basin and bath areas with disinfectant and hot water regularly to prevent soap sludge from lining your pipes.
Large and disposable items such as towels, nappies or product wrappings can clog your drainage pipe and thus should not be flushed down the toilet.
Food leftovers and chopping waste should be composted, not pushed down the kitchen sink drain.
In case any vegetable material does fall into the sink try removing it out of the plug hole and do not poke it down the drain as this could hamper the blockage making it tougher to remove.
You must remember that cooked fats, on exposure to cold water, can thicken and finally solidify, so never dispose them off in the sink. If you have no alternative means of disposal, mix the fats with detergent and hot water to cause their dilution and emulsification. After flushing the drain, run the tap for sometime, at least a minute, to ensure that there are no more blocked materials.
Many regular maintenance activities are available to lower the chances of blocked drains.
Rain downpipes and roof gutters are prone to getting blocked so they should be checked at least two times in a year.
Remove any debris and fallen leaves from the drains with a trowel, but be careful while working on the roof.
The inspection covers should be easily accessible because you can then use them to check the flow of the drains regularly.
Make sure that garden matter, such as leaves or moss, are kept out of the outside drainage grids.
External drains must be flushed with hot water and disinfectant, just as you clean the internal drains.
Getting your drainage system checked regularly by a CCTV drain inspection system is a worry free option especially when you a running a business. Such an inspection will indicate sludge buildup in the pipework if any, and also inform you of the structural condition of the drainage system.