Preventing drainage disasters is far easier and more cost-effective than dealing with blocked drains, burst pipes, or emergency plumbing call-outs after they occur. With decades of experience in resolving avoidable plumbing issues, weâve compiled our top 7 drain maintenance tips to help you keep your drainage system healthy, extend its lifespan, and steer clear of expensive repairs.
If youâre currently experiencing any problems with your drains, get in touch with our friendly team to see how we can help. We provide free call-outs that come with free, no-obligation quotes on any repair works needed.
How to Maintain Your Drains: 7 Essential Drain Maintenance Tips
1. Learn What Not to Put Down Your Drain to Prevent Blockages
Itâs important to learn what things will be damaging to your drains. The kitchen drain in particular is one of the most commonly clogged. You may have a washing up liquid that boasts grease removal, but this isnât effective for fat. When you pour fat down the kitchen sink, it will cling to the side of your pipes becoming a grease trap that collects bits of food and debris. Eventually, this causes drain clogging.
Use a paper towel to remove fat and oil from pans before washing them. You can also keep an empty can by your sink that you can pour used cooking oil into when youâre done. As well as avoiding pouring fat and grease down your drain, you should also avoid washing food bits and coffee grounds down the plughole as these can compact and build up to cause blockages. Read more about how to fix a smelly drain.
2. Avoid Chemical Drain Cleaning Products for Safer Drain Maintenance
It can sometimes be difficult to find the most effective drain cleaner. Chemical drain cleaning products will boast their superb effects but often donât tell the whole story. Many of these products are actually extremely corrosive due to their harsh chemicals. While theyâre burning away the blockage in your pipes, theyâre also burning away the lining of your pipes. Damaged pipes can result in leaks and even worse: bursts. Learn which are the best drain unblockers for different blockages to prevent this from happening to you.
3. Rinse Your Drains Regularly to Maintain a Healthy Drainage System
Warm soapy water is a good way to rinse out your drains without being too damaging: boiling water can damage weaker pipes so itâs best not to use this. Regular rinsing combined with avoiding pouring anything but non-fatty liquids down your drains will go a long way to prevent blockages and maintain healthy drains.
4. Be Careful What You Flush Down the Toilet to Prevent Drain Problems
Never ever flush nappies or sanitary products down the drain! Even if you think the item has flushed, it will be blocking the pipe somewhere down the line in your plumbing system. Keep a bin in your bathroom for these products. Be wary as well of flushing excessive amounts of toilet paper as this can also build up to cause a troublesome clog.
5.Learn How to Unblock Your Drains Properly with Expert Drain Maintenance Tips
As with heavy chemical cleaners, itâs important to know which drain unblockers or drain cleaning methods are right for you. The famous baking soda and vinegar combination is a good way to help with small blockages and remove bad odours from your sink but not for solid blockages. The acidic nature of the soda can also be corrosive for pipes if overdone, so itâs best not to use this method too often.
For shower drains and bathroom sinks, invest in a drain snake. This is a cheap but specialist tool that can get out those clogs of hair and soap scum easily. To avoid getting too much hair down your shower sink and help with general drain maintenance, try brushing your hair before your shower and investing in some good plug hole protectors.
6. Make Sure You Know Where Your Stopcock Is in Case of a Plumbing Emergency
The stopcock is what turns off your water supply from the mains. In terms of drain maintenance, itâs important to know where this is in case any bursts or leaks happen, so you can immediately stop the water flow and prevent additional damage. Itâs also a good idea to turn your water off at the stopcock if youâre going away from your home during freezing weather, as it can prevent frozen pipes.
7. Get a Free CCTV Drain Survey to Spot Hidden Drainage Issues Early
These drain maintenance tips are great for your day-to-day life and should aid in preventing blockages and drainage issues. However, as experienced experts in all things drainage, we would also recommend getting a yearly drain survey. This is the most effective drain maintenance tip as it identifies problems before they really become problems.
Our CCTV drain surveys are completely free and are a non-invasive method of inspecting your whole drainage system. We push a tiny, high-tech camera through your pipes, effectively mapping the entirety of your system so that we can identify any weaknesses, blockages, or problems. With this information, we can then give free, no-obligation quotes on repairs if needed.
Struggling With Drain Maintenance? Get Our Expert Help
Generally, home drain cleaners and unblockers will only get away half of your blockage. After using these products, it might appear that things are back up and running again, but there will often be leftovers on the sides of your pipes. These just build up again.
If youâre finding your drains are consistently clogging, itâs time to get a professional in. Our expert drainage engineers use high-pressure water jets to obliterate even the toughest of blockages, so your drains are completely clean and free of problems.
Contact the team