Your drains are an essential part of your property. It’s easy to forget how much we rely on them, and how important both internal and external drains are.
Hidden away, they work constantly to keep water and waste clear from your home, keeping things functional and clean, as well as safe and sanitary.
With all this constant work that they do, it’s important to keep a good routine of care for them, addressing regular maintenance and perhaps changing some habits…
Doing so has its rewards, as it will prevent time consuming and costly repairs later down the line – though sometimes these things do happen and needing emergency or preventative repair is inevitable.
In this article, we’ll be taking a deeper look into drains and how you can keep yours from getting blocked or damaged. Remember, you can always call your local drain cleaners if you do encounter a problem, don’t put it off! They’ll be armed with equipment such as CCTV drain surveying tools to properly identify and fix the problem.
How Do I Know if My Drain Has a Problem?
There are common signs, as well as some early warning signs that signify you may have a drain problem of some sort.
Drain blockages don’t tend to just happen overnight, they are often a gradual problem that builds up. Which means you can spot if your drain is starting to encounter a problem.
Signs to look out for include:
Slow drainage
This could mean water pools around external drains or your sink or bath takes a longer time to fully drain and clear. The cause of this is probably a buildup of grease, hair, soap residue, etc. in sinks and fallen leaves, debris, and more formed into one big block in outer drains.
Unpleasant Smells
This is especially noticeable indoors, as rotting food particles and other organic waste, as well as stale soap will accumulate in pipes, causing odours that will back up into your home.
Gurgling Sounds
There will be gaps in the blockages that create air pockets, which then creates gurgling sounds when water (or sometimes wind if your windows are open) passes through.
Water Backups in Other Areas
A blockage could be quite deep in your pipe system, which means it may cause water to flow up through other drains whilst rinsing water down another. For example, you might flush the toilet, and some water rises up the sink hole in the kitchen.
Taking Care of Your Drains
The above signs can range from mild to severe, there are several things that you can do to address the problem, but if the issue keeps recurring or is especially severe and affecting your life – then it might be time to search for a drain unblocker near me.
But, before you need to do that, here’s some things you can do to prevent and take care of drain clogs…
Do’s and Don’ts
Sinks
One of the most frequently clogged drain is the one in your kitchen sink. It takes a lot of abuse, so be mindful of this and instead dispose of food debris down sinks sparingly, and only if you have to.
Use food waste bins to dispose of as much of this leftover debris as possible rather than letting your sink do all the work.
You should also avoid pouring any grease, fat, and oils down your sink, as this can do some severe damage.
Regularly use drain cleaner and pour boiling hot water from a kettle down your sink to make sure things are kept clear.
You should also take care when using hand soap in your bathroom sink, gel soap may be a better option, but regular cleaning and use of hot water can help.
Showers and Bathtubs
Showers also get a lot of use, so consider using a drain protector or plug in order to catch some hairs and soap scum.
Toilets
Only flush items marked flushable own your toilet, so unless a wet wipe is biodegradable, put it in the bin. The same goes with condoms, tampons, and even things as small as contact lenses. Don’t use too much toilet paper in one go either, flush multiple times if you have to!
Final Thoughts
Being aware of bad habits and keeping things clean can go a long way in protecting the health of your drains.
But you can still run into problems out of your control, like severe weather complications and tree root issues underground.
If you notice your drains overflowing and nothing you try is working, contact a professional drain cleaner as soon as you can. It could save you and your property from some serious flooding and water damage.
