Based in or around London and got a blocked drain on your hands? Actually, no one wants that on their hands, do they?! Not literally, anyway. Which is why expert teams like ours here at London Drainage Services are here to help – wading in to sort out the issue when you don’t want to.
Before you call out the professionals though, why not see if you can first save yourself some money – and maybe even a bit of time?
In this helpful guide, we’re rounding up some of the drain cleaning London options available to you before you pick up the phone and admit defeat. This includes everything from DIY solutions you can make or try at home, to heavy-duty machinery you can get your hands on for tougher jobs. Read on…
There are a few tell-tale signs that your drains are blocked, so look out for these before you start to panic:
All of these are sure-fire ways of a blockage – and it comes down to three factors: sights, smells, and sounds. If any of the three seem out of the ordinary, then you may have a drainage problem to consider.
Again, this could be due to several reasons. Here, we look at just a small list of factors which could be to blame:
First things first…if you don’t want to call up a drain cleaning London professional or two, try some DIY solutions. Here are just a few you can try before you reach for your wallet:
The Green Living Ideas site has a great homemade drain cleaning solution you can try, which utilises baking soda and vinegar for a DIY solution like no other. Since the recipe features US measurements, it’s important that you first convert cups into grams, but a quick Google search will help you on that front! Why not bulk-make this solution, so that you always have some to hand if you need it?
Want to go even more basic? All you need is an old mop and an equally old plastic bag. Beautiful Plumbing over on YouTube have filmed this handy video to help take the legwork out of drain unblocking. And it really is as simple as heading to your utility room, grabbing that old mop and keeping a plastic bag or two to hand. Who knew you were a drain unblocking pro at heart?!
While drain rods may help you dislodge a blockage, electric drain snakes will see to the problem in much less time – and minus plenty of hassle, too! Most often used for sink and shower taps, these heavy-duty machines are extremely versatile. They can even be used on smaller sectional pipe work, and they offer the added benefit that is the ability to change the thickness of cable, as well as the cable head.
If you want something even more heavy-duty, sectional drain clearing machines can clear large sewer sections and down pipes. Cutting through even the toughest and largest of blockages, they’re cleverly built with motors featuring more torque than your standard drain unblocking machine. So, you see, the possibilities for clearing your own drains really are endless, despite it not being the most glam of jobs!
If you’d like to try a slightly more aggressive but still relatively ‘natural’ way of unblocking your drains, all you need is a drain rod and a little bit of patience. The HSS site has a convenient guide to help you sort out the problem without having to call out the experts. You’re welcome!
A cheap option to unblocking your drain in London, a drainage rod is a handy tool to have around in general. Buy one and keep it in your shed or garage – you never know when you might need it.
If your drains are constantly getting blocked, have you considered drain cleaning machines? They don’t always offer the same industrial strength our methods are known for, but they can do the job when DIY methods fail.
The best cure when it comes to domestic issues like this is always ‘prevention’. And if you’d like to save yourself some money, there really is no better way to do so than simply being vigilant when it comes to going about your day-to-day tasks.
If you’re going to be careless and let baby wipes slip into the toilet, or let children play unsupervised in the bathroom, toys and other small objects are inevitably going to end up blocking the drains – there’s no doubt about it. Here’s what you can do to minimise the risk of your drains blocking in future, then:
In the bathroom:
In the kitchen:
Outside the house:
Tried the usual DIY drain unblocking methods but nothing’s working? It’s time to enlist our help! We can be at your domestic property or business premises in no time at all, seeing to the blockage and ensuring your drains are back in full working order. So, if you’ve tried everything else and the problem persists, don’t delay – just give our team a call.
There really is no need to panic; our experts will see to the problem in no time and they may even save you some money in the process, too. After all, you may find that you do more harm than good to your drains if you have too many attempts at trying to unblock them.
