Imagine if your outside drain was blocked, overflowing onto your driveway and causing an unpleasant smell in and outside your home. Who would you call? Does a plumber deal with overflowing drains? If it was your sink or shower that was overflowing then maybe it would be a more obvious choice.
If your drain is blocked, you should absolutely call an emergency plumber or your local drainage expert. Although you may think this is a job you can tackle on your own, we would never recommend it. You never know what is lurking beneath the surface.
How to Unblock a Drain
You can attempt to unblock your drains yourself. We’ve been called out to loads of jobs that had a simple solution or would have been sorted with our miracle caustic soda recipe. As long as you’re not using chemical drain unblockers, you shouldn’t do any harm.
Promising to be the miracle product you need, often chemical drain unblockers are strong enough to cut through grease, hair and other blockages. However, if you’re working with a chemical as strong as that… imagine what it’s doing to your pipes.
The drainage system in your house was put in place back when your property was built. The pipework is older and often hasn’t been well looked after over the years.
If you’re using chemical drain unblockers that are strong enough to burn through hair and grease, they’re definitely strong enough to cause damage to your pipes. Continuous use of these kinds of products may lead to long-term damage. Once the pipes have corroded, or cracks have started to appear, there really is only one thing you can do – call a drainage expert near you!
What Should I Use to Unblock my Drains?
So you definitely should avoid chemical drain unblockers. We’ve explained the effect that the strong chemicals can have on your pipes, especially if your house was built a long time ago. Not only that, chemical drain cleaners are bad for the environment. You can pollute large areas at a time as they enter the public water system.
But what should you do if your drains are blocked?
If you’re convinced it’s a small blockage and you don’t need a drainage expert to take a look, then we’ve got a simple solution. Have you tried to unblock your drains with baking soda before?
Really. It’s that easy.
All you have to do is put half a cup of baking soda down your drain and leave it to sit for a couple of minutes. Mix boiling water with vinegar to make a reactive solution. Pour your warm vinegar mix down the drain and watch as it bubbles and foams.
If you’re dealing with a small domestic blockage, this baking soda tip should do the trick. If baking soda can’t tackle whatever it is that is blocking your drains, the best thing to do is contact your local drainage company. The problem might be more serious than you think!
What’s the Difference Between a Plumber and a Drainage Specialist?
If your drain is blocked and water isn’t flowing away from your property, you need to contact a drainage specialist. The difference between a plumber and a drainage expert is that a plumbers manages water flowing in and out of your property, whereas drainage specialists deal with water and waste leaving your property.
Basically, if you need a bathroom installed or a new appliance plumbed in, call your local plumber. If there is a problem with any of your appliances, or you notice standing water or smelly drains, call your local drainage expert.
While there are many plumbers that know how to manage drains and drainage experts that know how to manage plumbing, your safest bet is always choosing an individual or company that are guaranteed to solve your problem.
When to Call a Drainage Expert
When should you call a drain expert? You don’t want to wait until it’s too late. The longer you leave your drains blocked, the worse the problem will get. Waiting could result in more costly repairs, as well as bigger disruptions to your home or business.
As your drainage system runs deep underground, repair work can be tricky. If it’s a big problem, you might be left without water in your home or business while your garden is excavated. Obviously, the aim is to unblock and repair your drains with as minimal disruption to your day-to-day life as possible. The longer you wait, the harder it is to fix the problem from above ground.
Maintain Drains will always try to attend to any drainage emergencies as quickly as possible. We offer 24/7 callouts and free, no obligation quotes. Our drain unblocking services start from as little as £75.
If we identify any problems with the pipes running beneath your property, we’ll always try to repair the damage from above ground. Our team are experts at pitch fibre pipe repair which means we won’t need to dig up your home.
If you’re looking for a drainage expert to unblock your drains or check your system for rats, tree root ingress, cracks or damaged pipes then give us a call today.
