From nasty smells to backed up water and overflowing toilets, blocked pipes can be an absolute nightmare.
A way of preventing full blockages from forming, or any damage being caused to your plumbing system, is to take care to maintain clean, fully-flowing drains. There are a few signs that indicate your drains are becoming blocked and could do with some TLC. Some preliminary clues that the drains and pipes are getting clogged include:
- Slow draining water. If the water is taking slower than usual to drain from a bath or sink, it is a sign that the pipes are obstructed. This can be caused by hair, soap build up, grease, or general waste and debris constricting water flow. This will inevitably lead to a full blockage, and a much more serious problem, so it is important to clear the drains before this happens.
- Poor water flow If the water is trickling out of your taps, or flowing much less forcefully than usual, this means that water pressure is low, which can be caused by scale build up in the pipes. Particularly in hard water areas, the water passing through the pipes deposits minerals and sediment on the pipe walls, which builds up over time to form a scale that constricts water flow, leading to decreased water pressure, and eventually a blockage.
Drainage Plus carry out drain cleaning (internal & external) — call us on 01243 282 818
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One of the most serious blockages that can occur is a blocked sewer drain, because this carries with it health risks, and the potential of serious damage to your plumbing system and home if the toilet overflows, not to mention the cost involved with carrying out extensive repairs and pipe replacements. Two main ways to detect that your sewer drain is blocked or clogged are:
- A gurgling sound or backed up water coming out of a drain when you flush the toilet. If the sewer pipe is clogged, the waste water cannot leave the sewer drain, so it flows back up the pipes and comes out at the lowest point, which is normally the bath or shower drain.
We can carry out drain cleaning to both internal and external drains.
We can use electro mechanical machines for smaller diameter pipework, which chips away at scale build up and uses water to flush the debris out safely, ensuring optimum water flow. We can use high pressure water jetting to descale clay and plastic pipework, removing years of scale build up or fat.
We can also carry out drain cleaning and maintenance outside the home, such as urinals in offices, etc., where uric scale often builds up when urine mixes with water and crystallises. We can descale the uric scale to ensure full flow.
How often should I clean my drain?
Most of the time, it should be enough to clean your drains as and when they need it. Paying attention to the signs and clues mentioned above and taking immediate action if any occur should mean that drain cleaning is carried out soon enough to avoid full blockages and the severe damage that comes with them.
Of course, it is always better to be on the safe side, and regular drain maintenance and clearing will help to prevent and avoid most of the more serious problems that can occur. If you’re not sure about whether your drains need cleaning or not, then we are also able to provide a drain inspection service, which is an exhaustive inspection we do to determine the state of your pipes and drains, and assess whether they need any attention.
