The comfort and livability of any home anywhere, including in Reading, UK, hinge on the state of its drainage systems. Blocked drains can ruin this comfort, creating a mess that results in a day of headache and acquired expenses. Hence, knowing how to prevent blocked drains becomes an essentiality, alongside understanding how to unblock them.
As a homeowner in Reading, how can you prevent blocked drains in your premises to ensure a smooth drainage system and maintain a comfortable, messy-free home? In this article, we are going to share some useful tips to help you achieve that.
1. Be Careful What You Pour Down The Drain
The drain isn’t an all-purpose trash bin and must be treated with respect. Do not pour greasy substances or cooking grease down the drains. These substances harden as they cool, resulting in clogs. Non-food items and heavy food particles should also never go down the drain.
Even though some items like coffee grains and tea leaves may seem innocent, with time, they accumulate and can contribute majorly to drainage blockages.
Ensure that you dispose of such items appropriately and educate everyone in the home on what should not be put down the drain.
2. Regular Drain Cleaning
One great habit to cultivate as a homeowner in Reading is regular drain cleaning. Even while ensuring that no undesired substances go into your drains, mineral build-up, small debris and soap scum can still accumulate over time and gradually compromise your drainage system.
Perform a routine blocked drains reading cleaning every month using a mixture of vinegar and hot water for your bathtub, shower, and sink drains. This mixture is a non-corrosive cleanser that helps free your drainage of minor clogs and keeps it in top shape.
3. Install Drain Screens
Another tip for preventing blocked drains is the installation of drain screens. Drain screens are handy tools that help catch large and medium-sized particles that might block the drains like hair, soap residues, and food particles. If you already have screens installed, ensure to clean them regularly to maintain their effectiveness.
4. Be Mindful of Your Toilet Disposal
Just like your kitchen sink, a toilet isn’t a universal disposal unit. Only human waste and toilet paper should go into the toilet. Avoid flushing down diapers, sanitary products, baby wipes, and similar items as they aren’t designed to dissolve in water and can easily lead to toilet clogs.
5. Use bacterial drain cleaners
Bacterial drain cleaners are eco-friendly and non-corrosive options for maintaining clear drains. They make use of bacteria or enzymes to break down the clog with no threat to your pipes.
6. Regular Professional Checks
Despite all your efforts, some potential problems may be beyond your reach, and you may not notice them until they develop into something critical. For this, it is advisable to have a professional drainage services contractor inspect your drain system periodically to catch any potential problem in due time.
7. Protecting External Pipes
Finally, for Reading homeowners, with the UK’s propensity for cold weather spells, it is important to protect external pipes. Frozen water can block your pipes. Insulate external pipes and regularly check for any sign of damages.
By adhering to these tips, homeowners in Reading can ensure better health for their drainage systems. However, remember that factors beyond your control can sometimes lead to drain blockages. In such scenarios, don’t hesitate to seek professional help to solve the problem as quickly as possible.