Drain Maintenance and Repair: Blocked Drains

It might not be the most glamorous part of property maintenance (if there is one) but taking good care of your drains is an essential task for any building manager’s checklist. Drainage emergencies can be messy and expensive but professional scheduled maintenance can help you avoid urgent repairs. Here are some of the drain maintenance issues it pays to keep an eye on.

Dealing with blocked indoor drains

When you’re responsible for keeping drains clear, having people put the wrong things down the system can be expensive and frustrating. Whether you manage a commercial or residential property, it’s a good idea to try and ensure that tenants know what can and, more importantly, can’t go down sinks and toilets. Common culprits for blocking drains include baby wipes, kitchen roll, food waste, hair, grease, fat, soap and limescale build up and sanitary products.

While prevention is better than cure, inevitably, not everyone will get on board with your sensible suggestions. So, drain maintenance will still be necessary. Using a plunger and flushing pipes with hot water are usually the first port of call with blocked sinks and toilets. And chemical cleaners can help keep things clear, although bear in mind they can be corrosive over time. If it’s a regular occurrence or your initial attempts don’t cut the mustard, get the professionals in to deal with it before the situation gets out of hand.

Outdoor drain maintenance

Obviously your indoor and outdoor systems are linked, so you need to keep both in good working order. External drains may be partly your responsibility and that of the local Water Authority, so make sure you know who deals with what.

Leaves and other outdoor debris can be a problem, particularly in autumn, so lift the covers regularly and clear out any rubbish that has collected. It’s a good idea to check the water flow at the same time to make sure indoor systems are draining properly. If your property is used for a commercial food business, installing a grease trap is a must if you want to try and avoid the dreaded fatberg.

Blockages in outdoor drains can also be due to things like collapsed or cracked pipes or tree root damage. To remedy that, you’ll need to get drainage experts to take a look.

Professional drain maintenance engineers

There are several unblocking techniques used by drain maintenance engineers to get things moving again.

CCTV surveys are an effective way of checking out the entire system and identifying where blockages lie. The camera will also flag up any damaged or broken areas that need to be repaired. Drain rods or more flexible drain ‘snakes’ can also be fed into the system to power through debris and clear a blocked drain. Jet hoses are another method used, forcing water under high pressure through the pipes to push through blockages. A professional drainage engineer will be able to advise you on the best course of action for your particular drain problem.

As commercial drainage contractors, we know that scheduled maintenance can help prevent sudden emergencies. But we’re also here to come to the rescue when a sudden drain disaster takes you by surprise. If you need professional help with the maintenance or repairs of your property’s drainage system, get in touch with our team. Our drain engineers are on call 24/7 and cover the M4 corridor from West Wales to London, including the West Country and as far north as Oxford.