How to keep your drains clear in the winter weather

The winter brings with it frost, snow and cold weather - all of which can cause damage to your drains and in some cases your property. During the winter pipes and drainage systems are all vunerable - so it's important to keep your drain system working well to ensure no faults occur.

To help you avoid common winter drainage problems we've put together a few handy tips for homeowners and business owners.

Drain Inspection

Autumn and winter bring leaves, rain, frost and in some cases snow. It's the time of year where you're most likely to find leaves, twigs, branches and other debris blocking your drains. Uncleared blockages can result in back-ups in your drain system and result in overflows in or outside your home or business. Things you should do:

• Check that your pipes (including gutterings and downpipes) and drains are not blocked, clearing leaves, twigs and other debris.
• Look out for signs of frozen pipes, if water seems slow flowing or is backing up in the drain it maybe a sign of a frozen blockage

Call in our team of experts to undetake a drain inspection ideally in late autumn before winter sets in, we can make sure you drains are free from blockages this winter.

Insulate Vunerable Pipes

Make sure any pipes that are exposed to the elements are insulated properly - by doing this you can minimise the likelihood of blocked or burst pipes.

Avoid Nasty Blockages

In winter it's even more important to make sure you avoid pouring fats and oils down you sink and into your drain. As the fats and oils cool it can block or coat the inside of the pipes with residue, increasing the likelihood of a blockage. Make sure you:

• Avoid pouring fats and oils down your sink or into your drains
• Leave fats and oils to cool and dispose of them in your bin

Leaks and Drips

Look out for dripping taps and outlets, any water being released slowly is likely to freeze.

If you think you drains maybe blocked take a look at blocked drains services page - this will give you some things you need to look out for.

If you need more advice on blocked drains, give County Drains a call on 01530 510571.

17 Oct 2017

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