don’t let a blockage be a drain on your
finances
Andy Brewer is the owner of Drain Care SW, a family run firm since 1984 which specialises in all types of repair and maintenance for blocked, broken and leaking drains.
Andy’s team of engineers covers Plymouth, South West Devon and Cornwall, using the latest technology to fix a wide variety of problems.
Gone are the days of a man turning up to clear your drains with a rod and a plunger – the equipment used by Drain Care includes high pressure water jetting, electro mechanical spring machines and kinetic air guns, as well as sonar tracing equipment to minimise excavation work.
Bearing in mind that most of us would prefer to prevent serious and expensive problems arising in our properties, the plymouth magazine caught up with Andy to ask his advice for householders on how to look after our drains:
• Fats, oils and greases (F.O.G.s) are the cause of most kitchen drain blockages. People sometimes have an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ attitude towards their kitchen drainage system, even going so far as disposing the used contents of cooking oils and grease down their kitchen sink. Grease cools quickly in the underground environment of the drains, and as it cools it solidifies, catching on joints and forming around the pipe reducing its flow characteristics. Wherever possible, dispose of these things without putting them down your plug-hole.
• You may have a waste disposal unit fitted by your sink, and many people throw just about everything in there – don’t! There are some common foodstuffs that should not be disposed of this way, including bones, egg shells, grease and stringy vegetables like celery. If you’re unsure, check your manufacturer’s instructions.
• A word of warning for owners of pre-war properties in Plymouth – most of these houses have Buchan or Interceptor traps in their drainage system, which will block easily if the wrong materials go into the drains. We see a lot of problems caused by wet-wipes being flushed down the loo. Only toilet paper should be flushed away, not kitchen paper, sanitary products and certainly not wet-wipes.
• Check the drain gullies, for instance where your rainwater and waste pipes discharge into around the outside of your property. They can become cracked, forming gaps which allow waste water to seep around the pipework, eroding the supporting soil. This can lead to breakages and leaks in your pipes and cause damp problems inside the house. Better to check regularly and get it fixed before it becomes a problem.
• Leaves and garden debris can block your drains leading to problems, but this is easily avoided. Regularly check all your visible drains and
52 the plymouth magazine
Hi-tech cameras are used to locate problems in drains
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