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Drains are hidden underground, which is fine when they are working, but inconvenient when they are not. If we need to discover the source of a drainage problem, we have to first be sure where the pipes are located, and what path they take.

This is where drain tracing is such a valuable asset.

What Direction Do Your Drains Take?

Sometimes the existing drainage network plans fail to provide a complete picture. Some drains are old, dating to Victorian times, and over time there have been additions made but not accurately recorded.

This means the plans are not reliable. This doesn’t just affect when we need to identify problems. If there’s going to be building work over existing utilities, it’s vital to know where drainage and sewer pipes are located.

Builders and developers need this information, otherwise they can risk costly and disruptive mistakes that will set their projects back thousands of pounds.

It’s best to be prepared. Using sonar technology, we can trace the pathways of drains and discover where areas of disturbance, damage and deterioration are.

Using Sonar

Sonar is essentially about building up a picture from the use of sound. Using state-of-the-art equipment, we send a transmitter into the drain. This will read the inside of the drain using electronic pulses, or pings.

Above ground, we have a receiver to read the pings. Here we are making the use of echo as a way of locating features inside the drain.

Typically, we will have CCTV footage of the drain to give us an idea about its overall condition. Now the sonar lets us accurately pinpoint the location of trouble spots, hidden chambers and manhole covers.

Using this data, in conjunction with the video record, we can build a more detailed picture of the drainage network without having to conduct any exploratory excavations.

We may also use dye testing to confirm or clarify the route that liquid is taking once in the system.

All this enables us to prepare remedial work without having to factor in potentially expensive exploratory work. This makes drain tracing a cost effective means of drainage diagnosis and knowledge-gathering.
If you need your drains inspecting, contact Drainage Consultants and we’ll talk you through what we can do for you.

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What goes down your drains as waste is not something you probably want to spend much, or any, time thinking about. But disposing of waste is a fact of modern life, and even though it seems distant from how we live, it is important how we manage it.
All new properties, and some refurbished or rebuilt ones, will require a public sewer connection.

An Integrated Approach
The UK water industry has an integrated approach to sewer system performance, which means being aware at all times of how individual elements interact with one another.
The relationship of a sewer system with its surrounding environment, and how the two interact, is vital, as is its relationship with the local wastewater treatment centre.

The sewer system must be serviceable and provide a cost-effective service, and work effectively with integrated urban drainage systems.
Risk management of sewer systems is complex because of the numerous interactions the system has with waste, and with receiving water bodies such as rivers.
Water and sewerage companies (WASCs) across the UK have the duty to provide and extend the system of public sewers, while cleaning and effectively maintaining them. They are also responsible for emptying sewers and treating the waste that comes out of them.
Sewer system performance is, therefore, complex, crucial and sensitive. This is why there is a set procedure for connecting to the public sewer.

Public Sewer Connections
You can only connect foul water from a property to a public sewer if you follow the application process. This means submitting a location plan and a site drainage plan, showing the point at which you want to connect.
This must accompany a completed application form, which will also include a fee. You will also need to include a planning decision notice, unless exempt.
Normally you would expect a qualified contractor to do this on your behalf, since the connection will require proof of the necessary training and of manhole locations, together with public liability insurance.
The good news is, that as specialists in public sewer connections, we can undertake this work for you.
We’ll deal with the application side, ensure you’re fully compliant, and complete the work on your behalf.

Public sewer connections are important, and controlled. Let us take care of the detail for you. Contact Drainage Consultants today, to arrange your connection.

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What will give you peace of mind about your drains? A faulty drain if untreated is trouble waiting to happen. In the home or workplace, blocked drains are smelly, and a health hazard.
They can cause prolonged disruption if they are not fixed, and if you’re an employer, you might find that you cannot have your staff working in an area with a blocked drain if the risk is severe enough.

Poking about with wire will not resolve the issue. The answer is to get the professionals in to have a good look around, and the best way of doing this is with a CCTV drain survey.

The Eyes and Brain
A CCTV drain survey involves us sending a camera into the drainage network to record the condition inside it. The camera becomes our eyes, allowing us access into parts of the system we would otherwise not be able to see.
At the same time, the camera footage is relayed back to our portable computer where we can record it, while assessing what’s down there as we see it.
This comprehensive analysis of your drainage network gives us the information we need to compile a full report and come up with a recommended course of action.
Along with blockages and drain deterioration and damage, the CCTV drain survey will be able to spot if you have rats in your drains. Drains are the most common means of rodent access to a property, so this can be an essential piece of information.

What Happens Next?
The CCTV drain survey is a vital stage in the process of detecting, diagnosing and then fixing drains.
The data from the survey gives us the level of information for a comprehensive drainage report. This includes items such as: where drainage runs are; what the internal conditions of the pipework is like; the size of the pipework and what it is made of; any defects in the pipework, and any hidden connections.
This essential information will help us create a schematic plan, and give an accurate quote for the work involved in repairing the drain.
A drain survey is an efficient, economic means of detecting drainage issues, and preparing for remedial drainage work.

Don’t put off fixing your drains. Contact Drainage Consultants to get a CCTV drain survey.

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Black mould looks bad, and it can contain fungi that cause health problems such as asthma and allergies. In some cases, black mould may produce toxins that cause reactions in people.
Mould it can appear as the result of water ingress from faulty drainage. When this is the case, a CCTV drain survey is key in discovering the source of the problem.

Damp Issues
Who do people call when they have issues with damp and mould? You might turn to a builder for recommendations about fitting a damp proof course. But if the cause of the damp is persistent leakage from faulty or broken drains, then this will not necessarily give you a long-term solution
Here’s a recent case from Drainage Solutions, all about damp. We’d been called to various properties next to one another because the landlord had numerous complaints from the tenants regarding damp issues.
This included tenants having to regularly scrape black mould off the walls. The smell of damp was also persistent in many of the properties, with tenants having to keep their windows open to alleviate the odour.

A Broken Gully and Drain Defects
We conducted a comprehensive drain surveys at the properties, and found a common fault affecting all of them.
The main drain line running beneath them was full of defects, which meant water was leaking out into the ground and causing the damp issues the tenants were experiencing.
We also discovered a broken drain gully, which was also the source of water escaping to cause damp in the properties.
From our CCTV drain survey, we put together a comprehensive report for the landlord. From this we could then proceed with fixing the cause of the damp problem.
We applied patch liners along the length of main pipe where there was deterioration, damage and defects. We also replaced the old, damaged gully.
The drainage repair and replacement work solved the damp problem in the properties.
If you have damp issues, or black mould, the fault may lie with your drainage system. Before you commit to the expense of a damp proof course, consider a CCTV drain survey – it might just provide you with the answers you need, and us with the solution to your damp problems.
Contact Drainage Consultants today.

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Whose drain is causing the leak? This is a question we are often called in to answer, when neighbours are in dispute over damp issues.
We were called in recently over a dispute between commercial properties over a continuous flood into a basement, where our client was being held responsible.
Drainage networks are often complex, and old, making it difficult determine from the surface, exactly whose drain is at fault, depending on where in the system a fault is located.

The Drain Survey Solution
When it becomes a matter for both Environmental Health and solicitors, then a drainage problem quickly escalates, with blame and counter-blame.
We see it as our job to bypass all this and get to the heart of the matter: what is causing drainage problems.
As drainage professionals, there are different ways for us to approach this. We can use sonar drain tracing, we can use dye testing, and we can use a CCTV drain survey.
In many situations, we need to employ a combination of all these techniques to detect and diagnose a drainage problem.
In this case, we first carried out a CCTV drain survey on our client’s drainage system.
The survey revealed a defect in the drain, but not necessarily the cause of the continuous leaking of water into the neighbouring property’s basement.
The defect was from a joint in the network which was damaged and now open. We fixed this by applying a patch. The patch liner repair is what it sounds like, a patch of material, impregnated with epoxy resin, inserted into the point of the drain with a packer where there is damage. Once in position, the packer inflates, fixing the patch to the inside of the drain, and patching over the damage.

Further Investigations
We needed to be sure that our client’s drains were not the source of the leak into the neighbour’s basement. For this reason, we then used dye testing. We filled the client’s entire drainage system with bright green dye, keeping it in the place for 30 minutes.
This would tell us if any of the water from our client’s drainage system was escaping next door, as it would be the same, dyed colour if it was.
We checked the neighbouring basement, but the water leaking into it was clear, and therefore not from our client’s drainage network.
Drainage investigations are not always just to solve a drainage problem – they can also resolve issues around responsibility for drainage and leaks.

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Schools can be complex buildings, which require a high degree of maintenance. During term time, anything disrupting the smooth running of a school, such as a blocked drain, can have an impact on both pupils and staff.
Therefore, it is often in a school’s best interests to undertake preventative maintenance during school holidays, to minimise the risk of disruption during term time.
For this reason, Drainage Consultants undertakes preventative maintenance, including a drain survey, for schools in the Stockport area.

Potential Drainage Issues for Schools
Not all school buildings are modern, which makes regular maintenance a must for drains. Old drainage systems often end up with root infestation and cracked pipes.
With the amount of use drains in schools typically get, foul and blocked drains are also an all-too common occurrence, as are blocked downpipes and guttering.
Emergency drainage issues and the need for on the spot repairs are likely to be disruptive during term time, and while these situations may be unavoidable in some instances, taking preventative measures will help lessen the chances of this happening.
Regular maintenance during school holidays is, therefore, key. Schools should always ensure their drainage systems are prepared for the new school year.

How We Help Stockport Schools
As part of a preventative drain maintenance programme, we visit the majority of schools in the Stockport area and conduct a thorough drain survey of each.
For below ground drainage checks, we schedule visits during the summer holidays or half-term break so that we do not disrupt the daily running of the school when pupils are in attendance.
A drain survey will reveal any weaknesses in the school’s drainage network, including damaged pipes and blockages. We can then schedule in remedial work during the school holiday period
We also check gutters and carry out high level gutter cleaning. This is a vital job after the autumn, when leaf fall can easily block gutters and, if left, cause blockages to drains.
If schools have clean and efficient drainage systems after regular, preventative maintenance, this can save on repairs, and disturbance, at a later date.

Not Just for Schools
All buildings can benefit from preventative drain maintenance, whether commercial or people’s homes.
Drains can become less efficient over time with a build-up of materials blocking them; or they can be damaged below ground without you knowing, leading to leaks that can undermine a building’s foundations.
If you think your drains aren’t at their best, or you have an old drainage network you’d like checking out, give Drainage Consultants a call.

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Culverts maintain water flow beneath or around such infrastructure as bridges, roads or access to properties. They are an essential part of the drainage network, helping to maintain water flow.
They are usually made from reinforced concrete, steel or plastic, but regardless of what material they are made from, they require regular maintenance.
As part of our drainage work, we investigate culverts, using CCTV drain survey techniques to detect and diagnose drainage problems.

Confined Space Experience
When culverts require investigation, it means working in a confined space to get a clear picture of what condition the drain is in. This involves us using a variety of drainage detection techniques, including drain surveys, drain tracing and drain mapping.
These specialist techniques, together with our professional experience working in confined spaces, have ideally equipped us for a variety of situations and circumstances.
Therefore, when West Mercia Police approached us to for assistance in looking inside a culvert as a part of a crime investigation, we were more than willing to help.
This culvert had a large diameter but the police were uncertain what kind of condition it was in underground. We could supply this information with our use of ATEX-certified camera equipment, which allowed us to explore the culvert remotely and gather detailed data about its condition.

What Can Go Wrong with Culverts?
As engineered channels, culverts can play an essential part in water flow, drainage and regulation, but this also means they are prone to deterioration and decay through wear and tear over time.
With age, culverts can erode and decompose, resulting in flooding through overspill, if water can no longer pass through them effectively.
As they can increase the flood risk if not adequately maintained, many authorities now discourage the use of culverts, opting instead for other water management and drainage methods such as sustainable drainage systems (SuDS).
For the police, in this case, searching a culvert without first knowing its condition could pose a risk, with the potential for the inside being unstable, or even flooded.
Using our CCTV drain survey technology we gave the West Mercia Police the detail they needed so that they could continue with their investigation.

Do You Have a Culvert?
People who have a culvert on their property or land are responsible for maintaining it to ensure it allows the free flow of water.
If you have a culvert, you must ensure you maintain it. Contact Drainage Consultants today for culvert inspection and cleaning – this should be something we do for you routinely, to guard against flooding.

Published on Leave a comment on Does Your Lifestyle Mean Your Drains are Blocked?

We think of CCTV used for keeping tabs on people, providing protection and surveillance. But what would a CCTV drain survey tell you about your lifestyle? What is going down your drain, should it be there, and what might you do about it?

Do You Think Before You Flush?

Your drains are something you probably take for granted. Pretty much anything can be washed down the sink or flushed down the toilet, right? It’s a kind of magic, where waste simply disappears.

Except, that sometimes it won’t. Drains cannot deal with all waste. They are simply not designed for this purpose. There are lots of things that, if you flush or drain them away, will end up clogging your drains. This may not happen immediately, but, over time, your drains will get less and less efficient, taking longer for water to drain out of sinks, for example.

Then the day will come when you flush the loo and the water backs up and you have various floating surprises. Not pleasant.

What Blocks Drains?

In the bathroom, it might be your hair, which is a common culprit. Hair sheds in the shower and bath and, if left untreated, it will clog drains.

If you use cotton wool balls, pads and swabs then putting these down the drain can spell trouble. Yes, they are disposable, but no, not down the toilet.

In the kitchen, public enemy number one for causing drain blockages is cooking fat. Yes, grease from cooking food is not pleasant, but while it appears to easily flow away as you run the tap over it, in fact it is doing nothing of the sort.

Fat will coat the inside of your drains, making them narrower, and therefore less able to work efficiently. Eventually it can congeal into large fatbergs which clog up the drain entirely.

Other food waste and leftovers, such as pasta, can expand in water and start to build up obstacles in the drain. Coffee grounds can form a thick sludge that blocks kitchen sinks.

Other items such as toilet wipes, and even luxury thickness toilet paper, are not always as disposable as they say they are – how disposable also depends on the state of your drains.

Always check before you flush. And if your drains are sluggish or simply not working as well as they should, contact us and we can arrange a CCTV drain survey. This is a cost-effective means of diagnosing drainage issues and discovering what is blocking your drains.

Published on Leave a comment on Why Professionals Perform Public Sewer Connections

The public sewer carries wastewater, which is foul or surface water, away from properties and into the main sewerage system, maintained by your local utilities company. If your property requires connecting to this network through the public sewer, you must arrange for this to happen. Public sewer connections are the responsibility of individual property owners.

The connection work, however, can be done on your behalf by professionals.

What Work Must You Do?

Specialist contractors carry out public sewer connections, ascertaining what kind of connection you will require. Your chosen contractor will carry out the work and methods can vary, depending on how your property sits in relation to the public sewer.

If the sewer runs beneath a road, or nearby land, you may require an extra section of pipe to make this connection – this is known as a lateral connection.

Contractors sometimes need to use a special Y-shaped junction called a saddle so that they can connect you to a curved section of sewer pipe.

To apply for a public sewer connection, you must first submit the details of your chosen contractor to the water authority, along with a location plan. You should expect your contractor to be able to help you do this, to make sure you have included the correct details.

You must then wait for an approval letter from the water authority before you can allow the work to commence.

What Happens Afterwards?

Before your chosen contractor completes the work, the water authority will inspect it, usually on the day of the connection.

Once approved, you will receive official paperwork confirming that the water authority has taken back control of the sewer after your public sewer connection.

This level of control and procedure is necessary to safeguard the integrity of the public sewer. All wastewater must be carried, treated and processed, and therefore any connection to the sewerage network must be made in such a way that it cannot damage it.

On the one hand, you have responsibility for your own connection; but on the other, the main public sewer is a much bigger responsibility, controlled by utilities companies and the water authority.

Drainage Consultants Ltd can make this whole process simple for you. We’re experienced contractors in public sewer connections. Contact us and we can sort it all out for you.

Published on Leave a comment on How Sonar Helps Us in the Process of Drainage Work

Sorting out a drain problem is a process, because issues around damaged and blocked drains can be complex, especially as much of what goes on is normally unseen. One part of this process involves conducting a drain survey using CCTV.

This tells us a certain amount about a drainage network. The next thing we must do is get a more detailed picture of the functioning state of the drains. This is where we can use sonar drain tracing.

Precise Knowledge    

Using sonar is all about getting a very clear picture about what we’re dealing with. Essentially, we build a picture from sound; from the pings of the sonar transmitted back to us telling us precise distances and allowing us to understand exactly what the drainage layout is.

Preparing for work on drains requires gathering as much detailed knowledge in advance as possible. Guesswork is not enough, because once we start excavating, we don’t want to encounter any unwelcome surprises.

The precise knowledge drain tracing gives us means we can work more efficiently and effectively, because we are much less likely to have to modify our own plans because of what we discover once we start work.

Where there are plans available of drainage networks, these can frequently prove to be out of date – drains get built over, networks get added to, details get omitted or missed. Drain tracing means we can build our own detailed information about drainage networks, and we can ensure that this means any existing plans can be properly updated.

 

When Not to Dig        

Repairing drains does require digging, and it can be disruptive. But it is considerably less disruptive if the digging is limited to the work required to fix the problem, rather than to discover where, and what, the problem is in the first place.

Ultimately, drain tracing can take away some of the pain of drainage work, and it helps ensure that we are fully prepared for whatever measures we then take to fix your drains.

To find out more about how we can use our modern drainage detection techniques to help you, please contact Drainage Consultants Ltd.

Published on Leave a comment on What Technology Does for Drain Detective Work

Before the modern drain survey, tackling drainage problems involved more digging around and excavation before any problems could be even begun to be dealt with. Now using CCTV cameras, a drain survey can uncover valuable information about otherwise hidden conditions.

How to Find Drain Faults

The outward symptoms of problem drains are often easy to spot – from sluggish drainage to blocked toilets and bad smells – but with many problems, getting to the real reason why they occur is the key to prevent them happening again.

Pinpointing problem areas and deterioration means your drainage specialists can then address the underlying issues as well as solve immediate crises.

This is the value of the CCTV drain survey. Sending a camera down your drainage network means making visible otherwise hidden issues. The cameras we use for our drain surveys are remote-controlled, and versatile – they need to be so that they can penetrate even more complex drainage systems and record images.

We send the cameras in and we can immediately see what they are picking up on our screens above ground.

 

Things We See

The camera never lies, as the saying goes. What the CCTV drain survey does is discover details we would otherwise not be aware of. These could be problem areas where drains connect, or difficult-to-reach parts of the network.

It’s unfortunate that drains are a favourite spot for rats, but the good news is that a drain survey will reveal whether rats are using the drains as an access point.

Drains can collapse over time, and this can happen in ways which don’t immediately affect you, allowing water to seep into the ground unnoticed. The long-term effects can be serious, undermining a building’s foundations with subsidence.

Again, the drain survey will expose this.

Once we’ve detected problems and faults we can then recommend a course of action to fix them. And as part of our full report, we’ll give you your own DVD of the footage we’ve taken as part of the survey, so you can see exactly what it is we’re talking about.

Drain surveys offer clarity, and they’re a very cost-effective means of detecting drain faults, so that when we need to carry out remedial work, we’re not wasting time and resources getting to the bottom of the problem.

We can help with any drainage issues you have. Contact Drainage Consultants today and let us find what’s causing your problem drains.

Published on Leave a comment on Why Professionals Perform Public Sewer Connections

The public sewer carries wastewater, which is foul or surface water, away from properties and into the main sewerage system, maintained by your local utilities company. If your property requires connecting to this network through the public sewer, you must arrange for this to happen. Public sewer connections are the responsibility of individual property owners.

The connection work, however, can be done on your behalf by professionals

What Work Must You Do?

Specialist contractors carry out public sewer connections, ascertaining what kind of connection you will require. Your chosen contractor will carry out the work and methods can vary, depending on how your property sits in relation to the public sewer.

If the sewer runs beneath a road, or nearby land, you may require an extra section of pipe to make this connection – this is known as a lateral connection.

Contractors sometimes need to use a special Y-shaped junction called a saddle so that they can connect you to a curved section of sewer pipe.

To apply for a public sewer connection, you must first submit the details of your chosen contractor to the water authority, along with a location plan. You should expect your contractor to be able to help you do this, to make sure you have included the correct details.

You must then wait for an approval letter from the water authority before you can allow the work to commence.

 

What Happens Afterwards?

Before your chosen contractor completes the work, the water authority will inspect it, usually on the day of the connection.

Once approved, you will receive official paperwork confirming that the water authority has taken back control of the sewer after your public sewer connection.

This level of control and procedure is necessary to safeguard the integrity of the public sewer. All wastewater must be carried, treated and processed, and therefore any connection to the sewerage network must be made in such a way that it cannot damage it.

On the one hand, you have responsibility for your own connection; but on the other, the main public sewer is a much bigger responsibility, controlled by utilities companies and the water authority.

Drainage Consultants Ltd can make this whole process simple for you. We’re experienced contractors in public sewer connections. Contact us and we can sort it all out for you.

Published on Leave a comment on Does Your Lifestyle Mean Your Drains are Blocked?

We think of CCTV used for keeping tabs on people, providing protection and surveillance. But what would a CCTV drain survey tell you about your lifestyle? What is going down your drain, should it be there, and what might you do about it?

Do You Think Before You Flush?

Your drains are something you probably take for granted. Pretty much anything can be washed down the sink or flushed down the toilet, right? It’s a kind of magic, where waste simply disappears.

Except, that sometimes it won’t. Drains cannot deal with all waste. They are simply not designed for this purpose. There are lots of things that, if you flush or drain them away, will end up clogging your drains. This may not happen immediately, but, over time, your drains will get less and less efficient, taking longer for water to drain out of sinks, for example.

Then the day will come when you flush the loo and the water backs up and you have various floating surprises. Not pleasant.

What Blocks Drains?

In the bathroom, it might be your hair, which is a common culprit. Hair sheds in the shower and bath and, if left untreated, it will clog drains.

If you use cotton wool balls, pads and swabs then putting these down the drain can spell trouble. Yes, they are disposable, but no, not down the toilet.

In the kitchen, public enemy number one for causing drain blockages is cooking fat. Yes, grease from cooking food is not pleasant, but while it appears to easily flow away as you run the tap over it, in fact it is doing nothing of the sort.

Fat will coat the inside of your drains, making them narrower, and therefore less able to work efficiently. Eventually it can congeal into large fatbergs which clog up the drain entirely.

Other food waste and leftovers, such as pasta, can expand in water and start to build up obstacles in the drain. Coffee grounds can form a thick sludge that blocks kitchen sinks.

Other items such as toilet wipes, and even luxury thickness toilet paper, are not always as disposable as they say they are – how disposable also depends on the state of your drains.

Always check before you flush. And if your drains are sluggish or simply not working as well as they should, contact us and we can arrange a CCTV drain survey. This is a cost-effective means of diagnosing drainage issues and discovering what is blocking your drains.

Published on Leave a comment on Can Drain Tracing Help Rescue Lost Pipework?

Locating drains can be a problem. Obviously, they are not normally visible, running underground. In addition, drainage networks have changed over time, with new parts being added, or partly replacing old, Victorian drains. These changes are not always accurately updated on records, which means there can be “lost” pipework as certain parts of a local drainage network end up, effectively, off-plan.

Problem Solving and Proper Planning

If there are drainage issues, such as a collapsed drain, then locating the problem area, if not the drain itself, is crucial. Where excavation is required, then pinpointing the damage will save on a lot of time and effort, and disruption. Otherwise there is an element of digging as exploration.

Not only will drain tracing save on excavation time, but it will also save on time per se, and where there is a serious issue, this can help forestall any further disturbance caused by the damaged drain.

Drain tracing is also a valuable planning tool. Where building work is planned to take place over existing utilities, and where the drainage plans are thought to be incomplete, or inaccurate, drain tracing provides an excellent means of getting the right degree of accurate information about the drainage network.

Over years many properties become over-developed, where alongside a lack of regular maintenance is an inaccurate picture of the utilities they depend on, or are built alongside. Drain tracing provides greater clarity.

A State of the Art Drainage Device      

Sonar drain tracing uses the transmission of electrical pulses to “read” drain underground. With an above-ground receiver tuned in to read the signals sent back, we can then get an accurate reading of the depth and position of drainpipes and features of the local drainage network.

We can trace our sonar device, once we have sent it underground, over a range of different surfaces, including tarmac, soil and concrete.

We also use drain tracing in conjunction with other methods such as dye testing and CCTV drain surveys, where we need to build up an accurate picture of a network and its failings.

Efficient, accurate drainage diagnosis and repair requires modern techniques that bring a cost-effective approach to drainage solutions. That’s why you should choose Drainage Consultants.

Published on Leave a comment on Should Homebuyers Have a CCTV Drain Survey?

Drain surveys for homebuyers are becoming increasingly commonplace. This is because the condition of its drains can affect the long-term condition of a property. Knowing exactly what you’re getting when you buy a property is crucial, especially at a time of rocketing house prices.

What You Need to Know

You can see the outward condition of a house with your own eyes and, similarly, you can gauge the state of its interior by having a good look around. But the state of its drainage is something you simply cannot know just by looking at a property.

There can be various concealed drainage problems that if left can cause problems and disruption to you later.

Firstly, there is the condition of the drains. You could have a collapsed drain on the property and be unaware of it. There may be misconnections in the drainage network which, over time, will cause leaks. Drains can suffer damage from tree roots growing into them, along with general deterioration and blockages.

A CCTV drain survey will forewarn you of any problems and expose issues you can then address before going ahead with your property purchase, so that you can avoid inheriting any nasty surprises.

Secondly, there is the question of ownership and responsibility. If there are issues with drains, it can raise the question of where the problem lies, and therefore if it is yours or the water company’s responsibility. A CCTV drain survey can help resolve this.

Mortgage lenders and insurance companies may require a drain survey before signing off on anything. As the buyer of a property, you shouldn’t be left in any doubt about the condition of the drains; and insurance companies do not want to be covering defective drainage.

For homebuyers, a drain survey should take place before the exchange of contracts, to avoid slowing down the process at a later stage.

At Drainage Consultants, our CCTV drain surveys provide a full picture of your drainage network, combining a clear report with a DVD of the CCTV footage we have taken.

Don’t be any doubts about your property; contact us to arrange a CCTV drain survey today.

Published on Leave a comment on Drain Survey: Are You Pouring More than Fat Down the Drain?

The aftermath of the festive season might typically lead to spike in gym membership, but it can also spell trouble for drains and sewers. Recent estimates from scientists suggest that removing grease, oil and fat from the drainage network totals around £50m a year on UK household bills.

Another significant figure is the 15 million cups of roast turkey fat we pour down the kitchen sink on Christmas day; and in terms of the cost, you could be pouring a lot more than fat down the drain

What Happens to Fat in Sewers?

The sewer system is designed to transport waste by using water. Adding fat and grease to the system will eventually clog it up, impeding its flow. A blocked sewer, backed up to your drain is more than an inconvenience: it is also a potential health risk.

Your kitchen sink plughole is connected to the sewer, and when you pour oil, fat and grease down it, this forms into a hard, chalky substance which is really difficult to then remove.

Over time, fatty acids transform from an unsaturated to saturated form, and this is one of the ways scientists think this hard substance forms.

 

Diagnosing Drainage Problems

If fat and grease starts to coat the internal walls of pipes, it can start to affect how well a drainage network performs, as it cools, hardens and reduces the diameter of the pipework.

For domestic drains, fat tends to gather and solidify in the area beneath the sink, which can then make a difference to how efficiently water drains out of the sink.

For this kind of persistently sluggish drainage, or where there are frequent blockages, a drain survey is the ideal method for diagnosing the problem. Using CCTV cameras and sonar drain tracing, we can develop a clear idea of the state of your drains. If there are blockages, we will pinpoint exactly where they are; and if there are weaknesses in the system, our survey will expose these.

A drain survey is a cost effective way of professionally diagnosing drainage problems, and provides the necessary information for us to take effective remedial action.

If you’re experiencing blocked or slow drains, limit how much oil, fat and grease you’re putting down them and give us a call.

Published on Leave a comment on Public Sewer Connections: Are You Properly Connected for Waste?

Most of us are fortunate not to have to rely on a latrine pit to dispose of our waste. It has, however, taken many years for the UK to have a safe, reliable sewerage system, and even know many drains still date from the Victorian era.

As recently as the late 19th century, sewerage systems in the UK could still harbour water-borne diseases such as typhoid and cholera.

Now we have modern sewerage treatment centres and we happily rely on a nationwide drainage network. However, connecting a property to the public sewerage system requires permission, to be able to maintain its security and integrity.

Getting Approval

You must obtain official permission from your local water company to connect to the public sewer. This is because the water company must assess whether the public sewer has the capacity. Also, it is to ensure that any private connection to the public sewer system is safe and won’t damage or contaminate it.

Once you have this written approval you can proceed with the work. But whoever you get to carry out this work must also apply for permission to carry out the connection work. This ensures that they are sufficiently qualified for the task.

Remember, you cannot have this work carried out until you receive official permission to do so.

How to Get the Job Done

It’s important that you get the right people for the job, because a public sewer connection needs to be officially signed off after the work is completed.

The work can vary depending on your location. In some situations, it will require specially shaped fittings, or an adoptable, lateral connection, if the public sewer runs underneath a road or land next to your property.

If this all sounds complicated, there’s no need for you to worry – our expert team is very experienced in public sewer connections. We’ll carry out the work quickly and efficiently and ensure that it meets the stringent standards of the water company.

Don’t waste time with your waste, contact Drainage Consultants today to get properly connected.

Published on Leave a comment on Is a CCTV Drain Survey the Solution to Repeat Blockages?

It may feel unfortunate to suffer a blocked drain once, but if this keeps happening, then it probably indicates a more serious drainage problem. Clearly, if you first experience a blocked drain, it’s important to get it fixed, and we can accomplish this swiftly and efficiently. But if you suffer repeat blockages, then the best thing for us to do is to thoroughly investigate your drains, and we can do this with a CCTV drain survey.

What are the Signs and Symptoms?   

One of the worse things to happen is an overflowing toilet – and obviously when this occurs you know something has gone badly wrong with your drains. However, there are other signs that your drains are not up to scratch which may, thankfully, be less dramatic.

These include a lingering bad smell of sulphur, which would mean you have trapped, rotting items in your drains. You might also have slow draining sinks, baths or showers; or gurgling noises coming from them.

What are you putting down your drains? It may seem convenient, but simply dumping anything down there is more than likely going to lead to problems later on. Don’t put things like cotton wool buds down the drain; and while many wipes are now supposedly flushable, it’s better to be careful and dispose of them in the bin.

Similarly, food waste and cooking grease and fat are all best disposed of in the bin rather than down the sinkhole, because over time they can build up in your drains and cause blockages.


How Do We Find Out What’s Wrong?

It’s important to know what’s going on that’s normally hidden from view. Persistent drainage problems aren’t going to be solved by simply repeatedly unblocking the drains. And if you have a collapsed drain, then the long-term effects can be serious, causing damage to your property.

Fortunately, we have modern technology at our disposal, which makes drain detection work easier, and more detailed. A CCTV drain survey involves us sending a camera down your drainage network to record exactly what is going on.

This is an efficient, cost-effective means of diagnosing drainage problems, and ensuring that we find the right solution for your drains, giving you peace of mind for the future.

If you’ve got any doubts about your drains, whether the symptoms seem serious, or persistent, then contact Drainage Consultants today.

Published on Leave a comment on Drain Tracing: How Sonar Helps Us Diagnose Drainage Problems

Sometimes it’s not just about unblocking a drain; it’s to do with us finding out exactly what is wrong, and building up a comprehensive, accurate picture of a drain network. This requires us using modern, state-of-the-art diagnostic tools and methods, and one such method is sonar drain tracing.

The Power of Sonar

With active sonar, there is a sound transmitter and a receiver. The ping it creates is a pulse which then listens for echoes. These echoes measure the distance to an object. In drain tracing, these electrical pulses help us identify the features in drain networks

Sonar drain tracing has two main functions: gathering information and diagnosing drainage problems.

We can get a clear idea of the details of a drain network and these details are essential in building up a comprehensive picture of what drains are like, including any issues or problems, such as blocked or collapsed drains.

Pre-planning and Problem-solving

When it comes to construction work and building projects, drain tracing is a valuable part of pre-planning, particularly if work involves building over existing utilities.

Many of the UK’s drains date back to the Victorian era, and consequently the available data on them is out of date. Coupled with this is the sheer age of many of the drains, making them susceptible to damage and deterioration over time.

Building work becomes costly if it slips behind schedule, and this is more likely to happen if unforeseen obstacles and difficulties crop up.

Drain tracing helps ensure that the unexpected isn’t a big factor, ensuring that a proper picture of the existing drainage system is available.

Collapsed drains can happen because of tree roots growing into the drain network, or from ground movement. This damage can lie unseen and not be immediately detectable from how utilities are performing – it may be the result of gradual changes rather than a specific incident.

If not attended to, a collapsed drain can lead to serious, long-term building damage, undermining foundations and causing subsistence.

Sonar drain tracing will help identify collapsed drains, for us to then prevent this kind of long term damage occurring, or for an identified problem to turn into something more serious.

For sound planning, and detailed diagnosis, choose drain tracing, and choose Drainage Consultants.

Published on Leave a comment on Public Sewer Connections: Lateral Thinking – Who’s Responsible for Sewer Pipes?

Do you assume that your property is automatically connected to the public sewer system? You probably imagine that public sewer connections are the responsibility of utilities companies – large scale work that is not to do with you and your home.

Have you heard of a lateral drain? This is the drain outside your property boundary, connecting it to the public sewer network. At one time, lateral drains were the responsibility of property owners, which led to many complex ownership issues when problems occurred, as more than one property would feed into the lateral drain.

Since 2011, sewerage companies took on responsibility for these lateral drains, and other private sewers.

However, the last piece of the puzzle is your own connection to the public sewer, within your property boundary. This bit is your responsibility.

Your Public Sewer Connection

If you own a recently built property, or one that has been redeveloped, you may need to arrange to have it connected to the public sewer network.

Drains and sewers carrying your household waste are your responsibility, either as a homeowner or landlord. This involves you applying for a connection, to comply with Section 106 of the Water Industry Act.

What should you do to get this work carried out? The simplest way is to use a qualified contractor to do the work. Once the work is complete, the Water Authority will issue you with a Certificate of Satisfactory Inspection – all the more reason to ensure that whoever carries out the work is fully qualified and experienced to do so.

Drainage Consultants specialises in all aspects of drainage work, including public sewer connections. This can involve a variety of methods, such as adding an extra section of drain to connect your property to the public sewer; we might need to use a y-piece junction to connect to a curved pipe. Whatever the job demands, we have the professional means to tackle it efficiently and thoroughly.

You’re responsible for your property’s sewer connection but we can complete the work on your behalf, ensuring that your connection is fully compliant with the Water Authority’s conditions.

Contact Drainage Consultants today for more details about public sewer connections – what your responsibilities are and how we can help you.

Published on Leave a comment on Drain Survey: Are You Pouring More than Fat Down the Drain?

Are You Pouring More than Fat Down the Drain?

The aftermath of the festive season might typically lead to spike in gym membership, but it can also spell trouble for drains and sewers. Recent estimates from scientists suggest that removing grease, oil and fat from the drainage network totals around £50m a year on UK household bills.

Another significant figure is the 15 million cups of roast turkey fat we pour down the kitchen sink on Christmas day; and in terms of the cost, you could be pouring a lot more than fat down the drain.

 

What Happens to Fat in Sewers?

The sewer system is designed to transport waste by using water. Adding fat and grease to the system will eventually clog it up, impeding its flow. A blocked sewer, backed up to your drain is more than an inconvenience: it is also a potential health risk.

Your kitchen sink plughole is connected to the sewer, and when you pour oil, fat and grease down it, this forms into a hard, chalky substance which is really difficult to then remove.

Over time, fatty acids transform from an unsaturated to saturated form, and this is one of the ways scientists think this hard substance forms.

 

Diagnosing Drainage Problems

 

If fat and grease starts to coat the internal walls of pipes, it can start to affect how well a drainage network performs, as it cools, hardens and reduces the diameter of the pipework.

For domestic drains, fat tends to gather and solidify in the area beneath the sink, which can then make a difference to how efficiently water drains out of the sink.

For this kind of persistently sluggish drainage, or where there are frequent blockages, a drain survey is the ideal method for diagnosing the problem. Using CCTV cameras and sonar drain tracing, we can develop a clear idea of the state of your drains. If there are blockages, we will pinpoint exactly where they are; and if there are weaknesses in the system, our survey will expose these.

A drain survey is a cost effective way of professionally diagnosing drainage problems, and provides the necessary information for us to take effective remedial action.

If you’re experiencing blocked or slow drains, limit how much oil, fat and grease you’re putting down them and give us a call.

Published on Leave a comment on CCTV Drain Survey: Don’t Fall Out with Your Neighbours Over Drains

We all like to get on with our neighbours, but sometimes the unexpected can throw up obstacles to good relations. Drains can be a problem in this regard, when it comes to working out who is responsible for drainage.

Keeping the peace may require keeping a cool head, but it also may mean finding out more, which is where a drain survey comes in handy.

Whose Blocked Drain is it Anyway?

This all depends on where the blockage occurs, but clearly if it’s affecting both you and your neighbours then it’s going to be a potential source of conflict.

The first thing to think about is where the drain is actually situated, which will then determine whether it’s a public or private sewer. A drain is the pipe leaving your house, but when it joins with another property’s drain it becomes a sewer. Sewers can be public or private, depending on whether they’ve been adopted by a water authority.

So, if your private drain is blocked, the responsibility it yours. If a shared sewer is blocked but it’s private, then the responsibility is shared between you and your neighbours whose drains connect to it.

If there’s a dispute, then the local Environmental Health Officer (EHO) can, if needs be, serve a notice on you all, giving you 48 hours to have it cleared, which will probably force some kind of agreement.

 

Finding Out More

Regardless of who’s drain or sewer it is, there may well be an urgent need to find out why and where the blockage has occurred. A drain survey is an excellent way of doing this. It involves sending a CCTV camera down the drain to record exactly what’s down there.

This may also be a way of determining exactly who is responsible for the taking care of the blockage, as it will reveal where this is happening, whether in the drain or sewer.

Drainage Consultants are specialists in drain maintenance and repairs, and in detecting and removing blockages.

Don’t fall out with your neighbours over a blocked drain – contact Drainage Consultants today and let us help you sort it out.

Published on Leave a comment on How We Root Out Problems Using a CCTV Drain Survey

Nature can cause significant drainage damage, and this can have serious long-term consequences if not dealt with. One of the biggest causes of blockages to sewage pipes and drainage networks are tree roots. Along with blocked and leaking drains, tree roots can also lead to building subsidence.

 

What Attracts Trees to Drains

It doesn’t sound like a match made in heaven, but the moisture that comes from condensation on drainpipes, or from leaking pipe joints, attracts tree roots, which naturally seek out moisture. When there have been excavations nearby, usually for building purposes or for laying pipework, then it is likely to be easier for tree roots to burrow down into the ground, towards pipes. These roots can end up following the trenches originally cut into the ground for laying pipes.

Once they’ve burrowed further down into the ground, tree roots may then enter the drainage system through joints in pipework, or through fractured or cracked pipes.

One consequence of tree roots can be displaced or damaged pipe joints. Drainage networks typically use clay pipes with joints comprising sand and cement and when tree roots get into these networks they reduce the effectiveness of the network by narrowing the diameter of the pipes or causing leaks from them.

If a leaking drainage network goes untreated, it can ultimately lead to erosion of the surrounding ground and, ultimately, building subsidence, posing a threat of longstanding damage to structures and buildings.

 

Detecting the Threat from Tree Roots

A CCTV drain survey is a key way of discovering whether tree roots are damaging the drainage network. For properties with trees within their boundary, or even if they are close by to trees, a drain survey can indicate whether there is damage, or the threat of damage.

Here, a CCTV drain survey may be a vital step towards taking preventative measures, or for diagnosing problems, to then remedy them.

It’s also a cost effective means of finding answers without causing major disruption through exploratory excavations.

For many home and business owners, a CCTV drain survey provides a way of ensuring that the future of their property will be trouble-free, safeguarding it against risks arising from damage to drains from tree roots.

 

Contact Drainage Consultants today and find out how we can give you peace of mind about your drainage network and, if there is a problem, get to the root of it.

Published on Leave a comment on How Drain Tracing Turns Us into True Detectives

We detect and diagnose drainage problems and, like detectives doing police work, we have a number of procedures and processes at our disposal to help us get the job done.

Over time, the business of examining and fixing drains has become more efficient, with various technological advances. These include CCTV cameras and sonar drain tracing. The days where we simply relied on drainage rods seem a long way off.

Our detective work is as important as the remedial tasks we carry out, because really understanding what’s going on underground is what enables us to do our work to the highest professional standards.

 

Early Warning

When it comes to being prepared, we like to have all the facts in front of us, including specific locations of faults and defects. Drain networks can have tricky, hard to reach areas, so early warning of things like collapsed pipes or concealed manholes is always going to be useful.

Using our drain tracing equipment, we send electrical pulses along the drain network through a transmitter we’ve placed in the drain. Above ground, a team uses a receiver to follow these pulses. This gives us an accurate reading of what the network is actually like, including any problem spots.

This detective work can be enormously effective in saving us both time and effort when it comes to repairing drains. And we pass these savings on to our customers by providing excellent value, quoting accurately and affordably for our services.

The business of looking after drains isn’t restricted to unblocking them and sorting out problems after they’ve occurred; sometimes the fact-finding we do using drain tracing is used to have advance information about existing drain networks.

For construction projects and renovations in particular, drain tracing can be a real help in gathering the right kind of advance knowledge of how the drains lie, prior to any work commencing.

Again, this is a way of ensuring that the accurate knowledge of the existing network’s layout informs the decisions contractors make later on.

 

To find out how drain tracing and our detective work can help you, contact Drainage Consultants today.

Published on Leave a comment on Avoid Ambushes by Faulty Drains with a CCTV Drain Survey

There are nice surprises and unpleasant surprises. Generally, with drains, any surprises are likely to be unwelcome. We like to know as best we can what’s around the corner, but what about what’s underground and otherwise hidden from view?

A CCTV drain survey will tell you all about your drains, and it’s an effective means of detecting any problems or faults, so that you aren’t suddenly ambushed with a nasty surprise.

 

Being Prepared

People make plans, for business and in their private lives. Think about how people plan their holidays early in the year, or know when they’re going to get the decorators in.

But for many people, in business and at home, certain things are out of sight and out of mind. Until they go wrong, that is.

Drains are such a thing. It’s only when there’s a persistently foul smell and they’re not working that they’re on your radar.

But as with many things, being prepared means acting early to avoid greater problems later. In short, don’t wait until your drains are really not functioning properly before getting them checked.

The costs in terms of inconvenience rise the longer you leave it.

 

Give Your Drains a Health Check

You may have your suspicions, but how do you really know?  Say you have a business, what would the effects of bad drains be on your customers and staff? Are there health implications? Think of the potential cost to you.

The same is true for a household. A blocked drain is likely to occur at a time of maximum inconvenience to you, when you have to take time off work to arrange to get it fixed.

A CCTV drain survey is an efficient and fast way to have your drains checked by professionals.

We film the inside of your drains and, with the help of sonar drain tracing, we can get a very clear picture of exactly what state your drains are in. We give you a DVD of the footage we taken, along with a full report telling you all about your drains, and, where necessary, we recommend the next course of action you need to take.

Don’t be ambushed by your drains. Get a CCTV drain survey and know what’s going on. Contact Drainage Consultants today.

Published on Leave a comment on From Drain Spotting to Drain Inspection

For some people, a drain is a thing of beauty. Sheffield has its own self-confessed drain spotter, who spends his time looking for rare sewer covers.

As part of a local preservation group, he works to retain public heritage features, including covers that date back to Victorian times.

While we can appreciate the detective work and attention to detail, our own work involves a different kind of drain inspection, including drain tracing, CCTV drain surveys and dye testing.

 

What We Need to Know

Admiring and studying drain covers is one thing, knowing where the drains actually run to is quite another. With construction projects, for example, it is often of vital importance to know sewer and drain network locations, because damaging an existing drain can have serious implications in terms of both time and expenditure.

The plans that are available giving details of the drainage network can often be out of date, particularly when you think that some drainage systems date back to Victorian times, hence the vintage drain covers.

It’s important, therefore, to have fully up to date knowledge of the drainage network.

 

Drain Tracing in Action

Finding where drains run to underground requires a degree of professional detection expertise, which is where our drain tracing services come in.

We have a range of drain tracing procedures we can employ, depending on the complexity of the individual situation.

Our main drain tracing technique involves the use of sonar. Here we transmit electronic pulses which enable us to take accurate readings about what kind of condition the drains are in, and where they are located.

Hand in hand with sonar drain tracing is our use of CCTV. We can send cameras down the drainage network in order to record the interior state of the pipework in a drain survey. This can help us identify problem areas and issues prior to undertaking any physical exploration work.

We also use a process known as dye testing for drains. This involves using a non-toxic liquid dye to indicate where there are leaks and blockages in the drain. It’s also useful in situations where we need to test how well the drainage system is connected. We can also use different coloured dyes for different sections of drain.

Drains may be a source of fascination for some, and frustration for others. For us, they’re our speciality, and we’re here to make sure they work properly.

 

If you have a drainage issue, or you need to find out more about your drainage network, don’t hesitate and contact Drainage Consultants today.

Published on Leave a comment on As the Seasons Change, Think of Your Drains

Problems encountered in one part of the year may not occur in another when it comes to your drains. For example, at the end of 2016 the winter was mild, which meant less chance of difficulties associated with frozen pipes, but it was exceptionally wet, leading to flooding and drainage difficulties.

When we’re not faced with troublesome weather we tend to take a step back, and become less concerned with things like drains. But it’s important to be prepared. So, when summer ends, are your drains in good working order for the winter months ahead?

 

The Benefits of a CCTV Drain Survey

There are a number of indicators of drainage problems, from unpleasant smells and persistent odours to backed up toilets and sinks. None of these things is pleasant to live with, which is why drainage problems tend to be treated as an emergency.

However, there may also be times when your drains are smelling or slow to work, but not to the extent that you’re massively inconvenienced. You shouldn’t get lulled into inaction because the problem seems limited. It’s often the case that smaller problems are indicators of worse to come, if you don’t take action.

For example, a leaking drain can lead to subsidence if untreated, which will seriously undermine a property’s foundations.

It’s the familiar stitch in time adage that applies here: having your drains inspected with a CCTV drain survey because you suspect there might be a problem can help prevent drain damage escalating into something far more serious.

What Do You Get from Your CCTV Drain Survey?

You’ll get to see what we see: the CCTV footage of your survey on a DVD, together with a full report about the state of your drains, and a recommended course of action.

Basically, we’re here to make things clearer, for you and for your drains. There’s a lot of old and faulty drainage pipework out there – make sure it isn’t yours.

Don’t get caught out when the seasons change and the weather takes its toll. If you’ve got any suspicion about your drains, book a CCTV survey with Drainage.

 

Consultants today, and take a big step forward to better drains and reassurance for the future.

Published on Leave a comment on Pump it Up! Keeping the Customers Happy

If you run a business you need to have the assurance that all your facilities are working, particularly when it comes to the toilets. Businesses in the hospitality sector are particularly vulnerable if their toilets aren’t in use. It makes the customers unhappy, and it can mean having to close down until the problem is fixed.

 

Whose Pump Is It Anyway?

There is legislation imminently coming into effect that will transfer all pump stations to ownership of the main utilities companies. However, up to this time, there are still properties served by private pump stations, which makes the properties responsible for the pipe network.

In a recent case, we were called out to a pub where the toilets couldn’t be used by the customers because they were backed up. Not pleasant

Obviously this needed fixing urgently, so we set about diagnosing the problem. Public sewer connections can be a bit tricky, and when the drains block, the consequences are all to evident – you can smell the results!

We discovered that the pumps in the pump station serving the pub had overheated, tripping both switches.

This had resulted in the sewer pipe no longer taking the waste away from the pub toilets.

The first thing we needed to do was to reset the pumps. Once we did this and they started to work again, the levels of waste began to drop. After about one hour and 30 minutes, the backup had gone.

We could then check that the pipework was clear, including around the manholes. Once we were sure of this, we could leave the pump station to carry on in auto mode.

In the end the problem didn’t take too long to sort out, but the relative straightforwardness of the solution didn’t subtract from the seriousness of the situation with the pub toilets.

 

Interestingly, the client who called us out had a meeting booked with United Utilities the next day, which was another reason for the urgency of the task.

 

Drainage Consultants Ltd specialises in public sewer connections, along with a whole range of essential drain maintenance and repair services. Whether you’re a business, a homeowner or a landlord, call us for a quick, cost effective solution to your drainage problems.

Published on Leave a comment on Freeing the Prisoner of the Manhole

Drainage issues are commonplace, which is why we work hard to fix them as soon as we can, because we understand that no one likes disruption. However, in some cases, a drainage investigation will be all the more urgent, depending on the location of the problem and who’s involved.

 

Trapped by the Overflow

Imagine being elderly and being trapped inside your own property. We were called to a house where an overflowing manhole was causing serious issues.

In this case, the location of the manhole, close to the front garden of the house, meant that the elderly resident was prevented from leaving by the disruption caused.

Clearly this was causing distress alongside the inconvenience. No one wants to feel besieged in their own home.

We soon worked out that whatever was causing the blockage outside the property was somewhere downstream of it, probably three metres or so. The next step was to locate the source of the problem and from there, work out how to fix it.

 

Wipeout!

Our drainage investigation centred on the drain inspection chamber further downstream. It was clogged up with disposable wipes that had obviously been flushed down the toilet.

The thing with wipes is that some brands clearly state that they can be easily flushed away, but a drainage inspection will tell a very different story.

We cleaned out the inspection chamber and washed it down. And we carried out high pressure water jetting to completely clear the drain leading from the manhole outside the front of the property.

It’s always important to be really sure that the drain is completely clear, so we then tested the gully and pipeline by flushing water through it but at a normal, domestic flow-rate. This was testing the system under normal conditions and it was okay.

 

We can’t tell you how relieved the person in the house was – not only because we’d cleared the blocked manhole, but because they were now once again free to come and go through their own front door.

 

The motto of this story? Don’t take wipes for granted, because whatever convenience they offer might just be offset by the massive inconvenience of a blocked drain.

Published on Leave a comment on How Drain Tracing Helped an Unhappy Landlady

Damp is never a happy outcome. The causes of damp can be varied, but it’s important to know exactly why it’s occurring, because otherwise you can spend large amounts of time and money on the wrong solution.

Drain tracing is a key way of discovering the causes of damp seepage through external walls.

 

The Pub, the Leak and the Unhappy Landlady

Households aren’t the only places to suffer from drainage problems, and with commercial property there can be serious implications in terms of loss of revenue, and even the health and safety of customers and workers.

We were called out to a pub by the brewery that owned it, because there was a very unhappy landlady having to put up with a leak in her laundry room.

It seemed the moisture was coming in through the external walls and, over time, it was causing more and more disruption to the day to day business of running the pub.

Now obviously a leak is distressing for anyone, but for a busy pub it can mean serious inconvenience and, potentially, disaster. Customers can always vote with their feet and go elsewhere. So there was a real need to get to the root of the problem.

 

Dyeing to Find the Source of the Problem

We were on site within 24 hours of the call out. The first thing we discovered was a cracked gully on the external wall of the building.

One of the techniques at our disposal is dye testing, as part of our drain tracing operations. It’s really useful for more complex cases, such as this one involving the leak into the pub laundry room.

Our early investigations revealed that the drain had suffered considerable damage and deterioration over time and was broken in several places. We also discovered a crack in the rest bend of the pipe which was allowing water to leak into the ground.

Finally, we used our dye testing process to confirm exactly where the water was getting in through the external wall of the pub.

 

We excavated, replaced the broken pipework and installed a new gully. Where we couldn’t access the damaged pipe we applied patch liners – these are a great piece of no-dig technology, whereby we can re-line the damaged pipe by creating a lining inside it.

The result: one happy landlady, and one pub ready to dry-out without the customers drying up.