Homeowners guidebook to managing blocked drains
Homeowners guidebook to managing blocked drains
Blocked drains can be one of the worst type of household emergencies. Choked drainage can take you by surprise, just as most household emergencies often do. Unpleasant odors, flooding of your house and loss of power are the worst aspects of a blocked drain. A business suffering this disruption may lose customers and thus sales, and this reduction in productivity lowers staff satisfaction.
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.
The hair trapped in the waste plug hole should be regularly removed.
Certain objects like combs, toilet rolls and medicine bottles can also block the drains so you need to keep them away from the toilet.
Flush out the wash basin and bath areas with disinfectant and hot water regularly to prevent soap sludge from lining your pipes.
Do not dispose of bulky waste like sanitary napkins, baby nappies or shopping wraps in the toilet as they are prone to clog the pipework.
It is better to compost food wastes and cuttings as fertilizer rather than flushing them down the sink.
If food matter does fall into the sink, try to carefully pull it from the drain hole as pushing it will only jam the pipe further.
Disposing of cooking fats down the kitchen sink should never be done as the fats can solidify when they come in contact with cold water. In case there is no other way out you should dilute the fats by mixing them with hot water and detergent. To have a clear water flow through the drains after doing this you should keep the water running for about a minute.
Now for some general maintenance tips to cut the risk of blocked drainage:.
Check the house roof gutters and rain downpipes twice a year.
Whilst taking care when working in places at elevation, use a gardening implement to clear any debris or leaves that collect.
Making sure that the drains are free flowing on a regular basis is important and this can be done by lifting the inspection covers and making sure that they are easily accessible.
Remove garden debris from the external drain grids so that rain or garden water does not wash leaves and moss down into the pipework.
As with the internal drains you should regularly wash external drains with hot water and disinfectant.
A business can request that drains are regularly surveyed and the drainage system checked by a CCTV inspection service, to alleviate any anxieties. The CCTV will inform you of any impending blockage and you can also check the condition of the drainage system regularly by using this service.