Happy New Year From Drain Clear UK – Your Blocked Drain Specialists

From everyone at Drain Clear UK – your blocked drain specialist, we wish you a happy New Year. The question is though – what will be your 2013 New Year’s resolution? Losing weight? Stopping Smoking? Seeing your family more? More Holidays? The list is endless really – but there are some issues that could be right underneath your nose that should be a part of your new year’s resolution – for example – not abusing your drainage system!

Because your drains are underneath the ground – and you can’t see how dirty they get – you tend not to ever clean them. You wouldn’t leave your carpet a mess if there were crumbs everywhere, or leave your bed un-made after you have slept in it, or even let your grass grow like a jungle – this because you can see the mess. If you leave any of the above to get more and more worse – they may cause you a problem – and it is exactly the same with your drainage pipes. Over time build-ups of all sorts of things that you put down your drain pipes form, but the real problem lies in the fact that you can always hoover your carpet yourself, cut your grass yourself (albeit a monster job) but what you can rarely do – is unblock your own drain if you have left it long enough.

Let’s consider this scenario. Over the festive period – you have had more people in your property than you would usually have and you have done more cooking than you usually would. This means more bath’s/shower’s, more toilets being flushed and more waste food and cooking oil/fat disposed of down the kitchen sink – putting an excessive amount of stress on your drain pipes. This means much more toilet paper, and unfortunately baby wipes in some occasions down the toilet, getting stuck in your pipes, more oil getting stuck in the drain pipes after being put down the sink – causing a sticky and leaner drain pipe than it would usually be. Maybe you can see now how over just a small amount of time – a build-up and blocked drain could be inevitable.

Fear not – you can do your best to flush your drains out by simply leaving your hot tap running for 10/15 minutes – something which can break down anything which is blocked in your drain.

Make ‘A clean drainage system’ one of your New Year’s Resolutions now! Or we may be meeting you sooner than you would have liked to…

Happy New Year

Drain Clear UK

Have Very Merry Christmas From Your Blocked Drain Experts

Drain Clear UK would like to wish everyone a very merry christmas, and give some valuable advice as to how you can avoid having a blocked drain in this festive period.

Firstly, do NOT put anything down the drains that shouldn’t go down there, for example, any cooking oil/fat, as this can solidify in your drain and lead to a build up.

Ensure that excessive toilet paper is not used when using the toilet, or even worse, avoid using baby wipes which you may put down the toilet, as they are not designed to disperse down your toilet and can get stuck there & cause a blocked drain.

Keep children away from toilets, the last thing you need is their new christmas present to find its way down the toilet.

Ensure that if family/friends are using the bath, then they pick any hair that has malted – out of the plug hole, because hair is a well known causer of blocked drains.

Why don’t you give your drains a flush out before all of the festivities start? Buy some drain cleaner and follow the instructions – or if you don’t have the time to get to the shops, simply run your hot tap for 10/15 minutes at a time, followed by vinegar and baking soda, followed by more water, this will help you to break down any blockages which have started in the drain.

If however you do find yourself with a blocked drain, then give us a call on 0800 980 7282 and we will be with you within the hour, no matter what day it is.

Our coverage over the bank holiday period will be

blocked drains basildon

blocked drains southend on sea

blocked drains grays

blocked drains chelmsford

blocked drains colchester

For any more information visit the website at http://www.drainclearuk.co.uk

The Safe Use Of Chemical Drain Cleaners

Drain cleaners which are biochemical often use bacteria to clear drains, and can normally be used by the everyday man or women. Even though these are generally not caustic, they still need to be observed carefully. These sorts of cleaners can often cause irritations to skin and eyes, so must be used with the utmost care.

As above, the chemicals which are available on the market to clean your drains can often be extremely effective, but along with the chemical, comes a few reasons for caution. You must ALWAYS read the instructions and cautions on the label of the bottle, including any other instructions that come with the product. 9 times out of 10 the cleaner will come with some further instructions, however, if it doesn’t, then you can usually find these listed on the manufacturer’s website on the internet, or perhaps on a relevant forum. As with any product, some are mostly safe, but some can be quite dangerous if misused. Some can react with water and give off poisonous fumes, which if inhaled, can cause serious injury, so please be careful. There are other reasons as to why you need to be careful in your choice of drain cleaner; For example, if you call a drainage company out to unblock your drain and you have already used chemical cleaners to clear the blockage yourself, the cleaner could in fact damage the drainage engineer’s equipment. Not only could it damage the engineer’s equipment, it could also cause injury to the engineer himself! If you do not advise the engineer of the chemicals you have used, and the engineer becomes ill from the chemicals you have used, then you may in fact be held responsible.

What is more worrying is that some chemicals produce colour and odourless fumes, such as Sodium Hydroxide, which can be harmful to human beings. As well as fumes, heat can be produced from some drain cleaning products, which can again cause injury to humans, and can even melt plastic drain pipes.

If the drain cleaner that you have used doesn’t clear the blockage, then a drain jetting machine may be required to blast the blockage away. If the chemical is still active when water is blasted into the drain, then this may cause a further reaction and could unearth further problems, these could include the following:

• The drain cable could be covered with water containing acid from the chemical, causing damage.
• Fumes and liquid containing acid could retract back through the household drainage system, through bathtubs and sinks.
• Heat could form from the chemical and melt or severely damage the drain pipe.

It is worth mentioning that some of the gases that are produced from these chemicals can cause death, not just to humans, but more easily to small animals. It is essential that the area where the chemical is added to, is adequately ventilated e.g. not in confined spaces. A good idea would be to ensure that the person who administers the chemical does so without an audience, reducing the risk of multiple problems.

Burns can be caused in some cases if chemicals are misused, as drain cleaners are manufactured to work on organic material to break it down, and your skin being organic material, would be easily broken down by the chemical causing burns to your skin.

Let’s bear in mind that most drain cleaners have little dangers, and even chemical cleaners you would use to unblock your drain which are dangerous can be safe, if used correctly.

Find more information such as how to unblock your drains and toilets, including how to prevent a blockage in the first place, at http://www.drainclearuk.co.uk

Knowing What You Can And Can’t Put Down Your Drain Pipes – Causing Blocked Drains

Everyone has the problem of a blocked drain at least once in their lifetime, and usually at the most inconvenient of times. Blockages can be slow moving, but if the water isn’t moving in your toilet, sink or bath at all, this would mean that the drain is completely blocked. If the blockage is letting through slowly, then there may be a chance that they would be able to clear the blockage on their own. However, if the drain is completely blocked, then the property owner would more likely than not, not be able to clear the blockage on their own. The next step would be to call a professional drainage company in, usually incurring a cost. The cost is usually dependent upon how long the company is at your property, and the more stubborn the blockage is, the higher the cost will usually be. You can help to prevent your drains from becoming completely blocked by taking care of them in the first instance.
Blocked drains are usually caused by carelessness in the home. Toilets can be blocked very easily, from something even as simple as flushing too much paper down the toilet in one go. The main reason though, is for using the toilet for anything other than what its main purposes are – e.g. putting anything other than waste or toilet paper down the drain. These would include baby wipes, sanitary ware and even nappies. Nappies would cause a blockage quite quickly, however, the other items build up over time, slowing the water flow down, eventually blocking the drain. Kitchen sinks can become blocked when there is no guard around the plug hole, allowing particles of food and other articles to enter the drain. Bathtubs and shower can end up blocked when items such as hair and soap aren’t caught by the drain hole protector.
You can be as careful as you like, but sometimes, you cannot avoid your drain becoming blocked. Other issue such as broken/cracked pipes cause by subsidence in land, or a tree root infiltrating the walls of the pipe can cause blockages. These however, require immediate attention, as the damage would need to be repaired by a professional only.
If you do come across a blocked pipe/drain within your property, you can try to clear it yourself using purchasable products including chemicals or acids, however, these can often do more damage than good. Some chemicals do damage to the actual pipes, while others can even harm yourself if they come into contact with your eyes. There are some old traditional remedies for cleaning your drains. They start by simply running hot water through your drains on a regular basis. This can help clear any buildup of fat or grease, because as we know, fats and greases become more fluid when warmed up, helping them to move down the drain. If you see the start of a small clog in the drain, you could also pour vinegar & baking soda down the sink, leaving it for a short while, before flushing it down with hot water. On many occasions, this will clear a small blockage, however, you may need to seek further advice if the problem remains.
You should look at your house drainage and plumbing system as you do your car. You wouldn’t keep on driving your car for an endless amount of miles without having it serviced, or in fact putting it through and MOT to ensure it is still safe. This should be the same as your drainage system. Regular maintenance should be carried out, to ensure that you don’t ever need to find yourself in the position of having to call a professional out, incurring yourself high drainage fees. You can start by understanding what is, and what is not meant to be flushed down the toilet or put down the sinks. If you are not familiar with what you can and can’t put down the drain, then take a look online, just so that you are sure. You could, as a preventative measure, have a drainage company take an inside look of your drains every 12 months, to ensure that there are no unwanted articles in your drain, including tree roots.
If you don’t follow any of the above advice, then you may just end up with a severely blocked/broken drain which requires excavation to reach the drain, and this could be very costly, so please – give it a go, all you have to do is leave the hot tap running.
I hope this article helps, you can find more at plumbdrainuk

Free Up Spare Time With These Helpful Blocked Drain Tips

Knowing that your drains and plumbing are functioning properly gives you peace of mind so that you can spend your time doing something more beneficial in your spare time! There really isn’t any need at all for you to wait, over and over, for slow draining baths and sinks to empty. You will find within this information, some helpful long term steps that will help your drains run freely. This will mean that you won’t need to come into contact with any dangerous drain cleaning products, or the dreaded plunger!

To start, being careful in what you put down your drain pipes matters most. The number one problem in drain blockages is cooking grease. You must always dispose of grease in your household bins, in a suitable container so it doesn’t leak. Some other articles which are well known for causing blocked drains are soap, hair, and even coffee grounds. Hair most commonly, because of the nature of what hair is, snags on the drain pipes, catching other elements in it – causing build ups.

A slow draining sink could possible hair a hair ball in its tailpiece, which lies just under the sink where the stopper link operates. If you remove the stopped, there is a good chance you will find a clump of hair. If the stopped is locked into the drain, then unscrew the lift arm retaining nut, removing the lifter arm altogether, then remove the stopper. You could even use an old toothbrush to clear out any remaining hair or obstructions. Similarly, a slow draining bath could have hair in the strainer.

Some simple and more traditional techniques to keep the drain free flowing are dropping a large pinch of baking soda down there, washed out with hot water. And also you could pour a cup of household vinegar down the drain, and then let it stand for a short period, once again to be flushed out with hot water.
If from the above you are unsuccessful, you could try the following. Try putting, half a cup of salt, and half a cup of baking soda, followed by half a cup of vinegar down the drain, once again washed down with hot water, followed by a quick use of the good old plunger.

These are simple old traditional maintenance steps. If you still have drain problems after carrying out the above, then you will most likely need to take further action. You would hope that all drainage systems are installed to only the highest of standards when they are first built, but unfortunately, our experience has shown us that this is not always the case. We find all too often, in removing old sinks and related plumbing, that many drain P-trap arms are actually sloped backwards, not allowing water to flow away properly.

Neglect in the installation process can also being within the houses plumbing system. A slope of a quarter of an inch should be allowed per foot of run to allow water flow to carry itself and any debris away from the property, but unfortunately we have come across many improperly installed drain pipes behind walls where there is in fact NO slope. These sorts of occurrences are due to inexperienced and unqualified plumbers carrying out work.

This same rule applies to drain wall trap arms to keep the water running freely. The gooseneck curve of pipe under your sink is what is knows at the P-Trap. This is design to hold water to provide a barrier from unpleasant smells and gasses arising from down below. When added water from the sink rises in the P-trap, it will drain out of a properly sloped wall trap arm to the drain plumbing in the wall.

To gain the correct slow and to inspect the P-Trap, it will need to be removed. You should position a small bucket under the trap to collect any water. An old towel would come into use well here to wipe your hands; including rubber gloves to try and keep your hands clean as best as you can, and also another towel or old rag on the floor to catch any excess water. This is quite a difficult thing to do, so make sure you are comfortable as you may need to squeeze yourself into a small area to manipulate this as best as you can. Using a pipe spanner, remove the two washers which attached the P-Trap to the sink and wall arm. After you have done this, you will be able to identify if the tailpiece is too long, preventing the P-Trap from being installed a high enough point to allow a proper slope. You should, if this is the case, cut the tailpiece to the correct size. Then piece it all back together, ensuring that you don’t tie the nuts to loose, or in fact too tight.

If the above doesn’t seem to be the cause of the blocked drain, then try using a small drain snake in the pipe outlet after removing the trap assembly. Old homes with iron drains use fittings that have very shape in terms of their bends, which can cause blockages very easily.

Do yourself a favor and make sure that you clean your hands soon after carrying out the above work. Yes, it is all a bit disgusting, but don’t worry, as bacteria will be present in the buildup, it will have helped in breaking down the dirt, but still, make sure you’re clean!

The above is all you can really do yourself. If you get to this point and you still haven’t had any success, then you will have no choice but to call a company who are experts in unblocking drains . The blockage could be too built up to be removed or broken down by hand, it may need blasting away, or there could be a totally different problem, maybe a broken pipe further down the line which you can’t see, this would require a CCTV drain survey.

Find More Helpful Topics at http://www.drainclearuk.co.uk

The Do’s And Don’t Of Blocked Drains

There is always an answer for a drainage problem – but dont you just hate having problems with your drains?? Some drains which are blocked only need attention to the trap itself to remove hair/soap/any other debris that is trapped, but sometimes it takes more than just a little clean to fix the problem. Often you can purchase cleaning aids from your local merchants that will assist you in fighting even the toughest of blocked drain. You can find commercial cleaners liquid form, or indeed granular, or pressurised. Granular and liquid cleaning products rely on lye to dissolve the blockage and pressurized cleaners uses chlorofluorocarbon propellant and pressure to remove the blockage.

Drainage DO’S!

* Clean your drain traps on a regular occasion

* Don’t want until the drain is blocked completely, fix the issue even as soon as when the water starts draining slowly,

* You can help the breakdown of fat and grease by boiling hot water down the drain, followed by baking soda, followed by more hot water.

* Always ensure that you have a plunger to hand

* Don’t be proud, as soon as you come to the conclusion that you cannot fix – call a professional company in before the issue spirals out of control.

* Ensure that extreme care is taken when using commercial drain cleaners – they can be harmful to eyes and skin if come into contact with.

DRAINAGE DON’TS!

* Don’t wait until your drain is COMPLETELY blocked. Seek advice earlier.

* Don’t empty any food down your drain, its meant for water, and water only.

* Again, your drain is meant for water and water only, don’t empty any fats, oils, or greases down your drain.

* Don’t leave any chemical cleaner on the porcelain around the toilet – it will cause eventual damage.

* Dont’ ever mix two types of drain cleaners together.

* Ensure that you completely wash away any old drain cleaner, before you use a second one.

* Come the time that you need to call in a professional – ensure you advise him of any drain cleaner you have used first.

TOP TIP

If you have a drain which is moderately clogged, a great tip would be to pour half of a cup of baking soda, followed by half of a cup of vinagre down the blocked drain. This will cause a reaction which may help relieving the drain of any blockage. Wait about 3 hours then flush the drain with water.

For More Information Contact Drain Clear UK

COMMON CAUSES OF A BLOCKED DRAIN – DRAIN BLOCKAGES – DRAINCLEAR UK

Because drains are under the ground, its often hard to identify the problem without using CCTV to take a look. The usualy causes are issues like a collapsed pipe, tree roots, and broken pipes. It is important that the drain blockage cause is found and itentified immediately – because if a blocked drain is left, it can cause subsidance in local buildings, and will eventually lead to the drain colleapsing altogether.

Other common causes of blocked drains can be – trees and leaves, fats and grease, hair and foreign objects…

Tree roots, on the other hand, crawl underground to find water and more often are found inside the drains. When the tree roots enter the drain, they will cause subsequent repeated blockages.

CCTV Drainage Survey is the best way to identify the exact issue, see below what happens when the cameras come out…

1. The CCTV camera is placed inside the drain through its opening and pushed slowly through the length of the drain
2. The operator will then monitor and record the images inside the drain which is also shown on a screen. Any problem found inside the drain will be monitored and recorded by the operator taking note of the exact locations of the defects
3. The drainage survey report containing the findings is then provided to the client complete with recommendations for fixing the drain

Not only does a CCTV drainage survey save time, but it also saves, and could save a lot of money in the issue developing further….. So if you find your home with a blocked drain, utilize the CCTV drainage survey to get off this unpleasant situation immediately…

Visit companies like  http://www.drainclearuk.co.uk for further information on CCTV drain surveys – its often best to call in the professionals.

How To Prevent Drain Blockages In The Home – Drain Clear UK

Blocked Drains

Drains can be blocked either by foreign objects within the pipes, or due to a pipe which has dropped causing a block.

Having the correct tools available to us – means Drain Clear UK can usually remove blockages on site every time, using specialist drain rods to clear the blockage. If we struggle to clear the blockage via this route, then we can use high pressure jets to blast the blockage clear

How our Drain Jetter Works to Unblock Drains

Our drain jetters fire upto 46 gallons of water per minute at 3000psi, straight onto the blockage itself. The force of the jet usually can cut through most blockages. The ketting nozzle in the pipe pulls back the article causing the blockage whilst dicing it into smaller manageable pieces.

Our drainage nozzles vary in range to battle with different blockages, even including tree roots.

Unblocking A Pipe

The first port of call would be to dislodge the blockage by using a plunger, by using firm yet gentle pressure to try and move the blockage. Care is needed here, because if too much pressure is applied – it can do damage to the pipes themselves, leading to further repairs being needed.

When it comes to blockages cause by food waste, fats, and hair etc – these can usually be dissolved with the help of bleach – but care must be taken here, using the suitable glove wear, ensuring that the bleach doesnt come into contact with eyes or mouth as it can cause dangerous irritation.

Toilet Blockages

A plunger can be use to unblock a toilet also. If blockages return time and time again – then the problem may lie deeper, so if this is the case, then it may be worthwhile investigating the problem even further. Investigations could mean surveys of the drain via CCTV on drainage rods, or lifting drainage covers to make sure no sewage is backed up in the drain system itself.

Information can be found of a professional drainage company – should the above not work, can be found by clicking here or visiting our blocked drain page, or another credible drainage company.

The above information is advise only.

How To Unblock A Toilet – Drainage/Blocked Drains/Drainage Services

 

Firstly – The tools you will need are as below

• Rubber Gloves
• Toilet Plunger
• Chemical Cleaning Product
• A Bucket
• Some Disinfectant
• A Toilet Auger

You can grab yourself a toilet plunger and auger for under £10, and this process can take upto an hour, but usually between 30/40 minutes. You do not need to be handy andy to unblock your toilet – this is genuinely a job who anyone can tackle.

Step One

Remove as much water from the toilet bowl as you possible can using your bucket, or a jug if you need to use something smaller so that you can use a plunger.

Step Two

Check the drain itself – Lit the lid of the drain cover which is situated nearest your toilet. If this is the case – then the blocked is further along the soil pipe. If the chamber is empty – then the blockage is in the soil pipe from toilet to the chamber or in the toilet pan itself. Use drain cleaning rods or call out a drain cleaning company if the blockage isn’t in the toilet.

Step Three

Use a plunger – Even though toilet plungers look different to sink plungers – they work in exactly the same way. The head is simply modified to fit around a toilet pan.

Step Four

For compacted blocked drains or drainage problems, try using a flexible metal wire with a handle, called a toilet auger (you can get these at plumbers’ merchants). Feed the wire into the pan and wind the handle when the wire meets the obstruction. Pull out the blockage and flush the toilet several times. If the water still doesn’t flush away, call in a professional.

If all else fails – you can call Drain Clear UK – on 0800 980 7282, or alternatively visit a website at www.plumbdrainuk.co.uk for more tips.

More Tips

Chemical cleaners can be more useful in helping move blockages caused by toilet paper. The chemical helps dissolve the toilet paper. Also – try to remove hard physical objects rather than pushing them further down the pipe.

Once again – any problem with blocked sinks, blocked toilets, or blocked drains – call Drain Clear UK.

Hope this helps