The Complete Guide to Maintaining Your Homes Plumbing
Most of us have experienced the stress and mess caused by a blocked pipe or burst drain, yet many people completely ignore their home plumbing system until a huge issue occurs.
However, a small amount of daily maintenance can drastically decrease the chances of these events arising, reducing the emotional and financial impact on your family.
Why Is a Great Plumbing System Essential?
A well maintained, efficient plumbing system is a crucial element of any modern home.
Of course, access to clean water is essential for health and personal hygiene. A reliable system will also help reduce stress and anxiety, allowing your family to rest assured that the inner workings of their home are functioning flawlessly.
Additionally, a smoothly operating home plumbing system is great for the environment. If your pipes are leaky and inefficient, they will undoubtedly be costing you significantly more money each month, in turn causing a much more substantial environmental impact.
Plus, a well looked after plumbing system will add heaps of value to your home in the event you decide to sell. Buyers love a home that merely requires cosmetic adaptation and are particularly drawn to homes with robust plumbing and electrical systems. If you are in the process of purchasing a new home, a CCTV drain survey is essential for you to fully appreciate the inner workings of the property.
Your Drain Maintenance Schedule
A few simple daily, weekly and seasonal tasks will keep your plumbing system in top condition.
Daily Drain Maintenance
First, we must stress that the key to an excellent home plumbing system is preservation.
Many homeowners are unaware of the significant number of items that cannot be flushed down any drains. In the bathroom, the main culprits tend to be nappies, flushable wipes, and feminine hygiene products.
These can all cause significant issues and in the worst cases, block up the entire home. Those with long hair should brush thoroughly before getting in the shower, which can help preserve the bathroom drains.
Your family should steer clear of flushing items such as coffee grains, eggshells, or flour down the drain in the kitchen. Even the most minuscule amounts will build up over time and can cause serious issues. Additionally, when cooking, ensure that fats, grease and oils are poured into a container and left to harden before disposing of with your household waste.
Finally, use drain covers in the bathroom and kitchen to catch any debris, helping to prevent any blockages from occurring. This is a simple, yet hugely effective preventative measure.
Daily Drain Maintenance
A weekly drain clean should keep your plumbing system sparkling and help prevent any debris build-ups. To do this, pour a small amount of bleach down the kitchen and bathroom sink, and leave to settle for around five minutes. Afterwards, carefully run a kettle full of boiling water down the drain.
This hot water will do an excellent job of removing any dirt or crumbs from the drains. Although it cannot break down large clumps of grease and fat, thorough maintenance should stop the issue from occurring.
However, be careful when pouring boiling water in the winter. Where the pipes are already very cold, this water can instantly freeze, creating an even bigger problem.
Seasonal Drain Cleaning
Both summer and winter present their own challenges and can cause significant problems for our home plumbing systems.
Summer Maintenance
Summer is often the season that most homeowners conduct any maintenance or renovation projects. The pleasant weather and longer days provide us with the much needed time and inspiration to sort our homes.
However, it is often also the time that drainage issues become apparent. The hot weather encourages bacteria growth, which tends to cause unpleasant smells, alerting us to blockages occurring within the pipes.
It may be the case that household cleaning products are robust enough to break down these blockages, but otherwise, professional unblocking or drain jetting may be required.
Winter Drain Upkeep
The cold weather brought by winter presents severe concerns for homeowners. Frozen pipes can cause a colossal headache, and in the worst cases, can even prevent your home from accessing water for multiple days.
- Here are our top tips to avoid frozen pipes in the winter months:
- Allow water to run from every tap each day. A steady stream of warm water through each pipe daily can help prevent freezing.
- Insulate your water pipes. Whilst this can be a time consuming and sometimes expensive task, it can save you a tremendous amount of stress and money later down the line.
If your pipes do freeze, you may be able to melt the ice yourself:
Look for references
Yes, they deal with dirt all the time, but drainage experts and plumbers should be clean, presentable, and considerate. It’s better to look untidy after a well-done job and clean up before they head out to the next job.
- First, where you are confident you have located the frozen pipe, use a hairdryer to melt the ice gently. If you’ve caught the blockage early, this might be enough power to resolve your situation.
- Never use any type of flame to attempt to melt the ice – this can be extremely dangerous.
- If you notice or suspect a cracked or burst pipe, call professional help immediately. Otherwise, you risk the situation becoming much more serious and expensive.
How FS Drainage Can Help
FS Drainage are drainage experts. We are available 24/7, 365 days per year. We have a team of professionals on hand to deal with any emergency or maintenance and pledge to be at every callout within two hours.
Whether you need an emergency unblocking or want to chat about a CCTV drain survey, get in touch with our friendly team on 0800 689 3497 or info@fsdrainage.com.