There are a few sure-fire signs you have problems with your drains. Drains that emit an eggy or other smells on a regular basis should be dealt with ASAP, as well as toilets that run empty or take longer to drain away than usual. Read on for some handy hints and tips for simple drain maintenance to wash all your worries away
Gutter talk
Gutters need be firmly secured and sealed at joins and downspouts to efficiently carry rainwater far from foundations so as not to promote damp through walls and floors or damage to foundations.
Now that the rainwater is on the ground, it needs somewhere to go. Therefore it is key that you have a slope or gradient away from your home and rainwater can run off into a storm drain in the road.
Drain cleaning checklist
Get into the habit of checking your drains every few weeks. A little care now will go a long way in the future.
Here is a small checklist of things to consider:
- Drains in the kitchen can be fitted with plugs to stop any food debris from clogging the pipes
- It is also handy to plug the shower and bath with catchers to stop soap from building up, as well as the dreaded hair monster
- Ensure you don’t put any items down the toilet which could cause blockages, including sanitary products
- Brave the wet weather and look upwards on your roof to check if gutters are overflowing. It might need a quick clean to help stop any overrun
- It goes without saying that during windy and wet weather, especially in autumn and winter, check more often to ensure your drains do not become clogged with leaves and other debris – we have found all sorts in drains over the years!
- It is worth every now and then pouring an unblocking product, bleach or vinegar down the drain to help dislodge and move anything stuck to the sides of the piping
Things to consider
It is worth checking your property’s type of drainage system, either combined or separate. Combined drainage works by connecting all waste and rainwater to one single sewer. Separate drainage works by collecting waste and rainwater into one drain that leads to the sewer. In some cases, connecting pipes may have been installed incorrectly to surface water drains so this needs to be monitored.
If your property has undergone any sort of alteration, sinks, baths and toilets may have been installed incorrectly to surface water drains. As with all plumbing issues, it is not just in the home that you have to look, but outside as well. Washing machines or toilets that are located outside, in the garden or shed, for example, may have faulty connections and causing overflow or pollution to the drainage system.
Call Sydney Emergency Plumbing your Blocked Drain specialist 1800 862 565
We have all the following equipment to best tackle your drain problem:
- Water jetter
- Hot water jetter equipment – great for use on Grease traps and Restaurants, pubs and clubs
- Electric eel
- Pipe locating equipment
- Rootx tree root inhibitor
- Specialist Reline Solutions so your drains never get tree roots again
- Vaporooter is a herbicide-fumigant developed specifically to control tree root regrowth in sewer lines and drains
- CCTV services that we provide you with camera footage of the condition of your clay pipes and provide you with details on how we can fix your blocked drain
There is nothing worse than the smell of a blocked drain and at Sydney Emergency Plumbing we can provide longterm solutions to your drain cleaning needs. If you are having trouble with getting your drains cleared and cleaned in Sydney we can fix, unclog and provide relining solutions to your drain and tree root problems.
