Take On your blocked sewers with these indispensable tips
Take On your blocked sewers with these indispensable tips
Drains when clogged, serve to be the most difficult problem of all the household emergencies. The worst thing is that they come without any notice. Unpleasant odors, flooding of your house and loss of power are the worst aspects of a blocked drain. 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.
There are some simple preventative measures that you can take to reduce the likelihood of a blocked drain whether it is through structural defects or foreign objects and they are listed below.
Remove hair clumps that collect in the waste plug hole on a regular basis.
Keep small objects such as combs, medicine bottles and toilet rolls away from places where they could accidentally fall into the toilet.
To avoid build-up of soap matter and other material over time, put disinfectant and hot water through the pipes of the washbasin and bath or shower every so often.
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.
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.
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.
The chance of a drainage problem can also be reduced by carrying out some regular maintenance measures.
You should have a check at the house roof gutters and downpipes at least twice a year.
Be careful while you are working at a height and use a trowel to remove the waste products from the pipes.
Keep a regular check on the drains so that they allow free-flow of materials by a periodic check of the inspection covers, also ensure that these have easy accessibility.
To expel out the fallen leaves, autumn moss and other garden materials one should keep the external drain grids clean.
External drains, like internal drains, should be cleaned on a regular basis with disinfectant and hot water.
Technology like a CCTV drain inspection service can be implemented, especially if you are running a business, to monitor the drainage systems on a regular basis ensuring complete freedom from worries. 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.