Winter will soon be upon us, so now is the time to make sure your drainage system is in tip-top condition to see you through these colder months. Freezing temperatures wind, ice and snow can wreak havoc with drainage system. To help you combat any plumbing or drainage emergencies at this chilly time of year, we’ve put together five tips to help you keep your drainage system in peak condition during the winter.
1. Conduct a thorough inspection of your drainage system
Check your drainage network to make sure the whole system is free from any debris and ready to handle whatever the elements might throw at it.
Blocked gutters and downpipes can cause flooding and moisture build-up in or around the property. Over time, this build-up of moisture has the potential to cause some serious structural issues, especially during the months where frosts are common – so get rid of mud, leaves, and other waste now to save a potential headache in the future.
We’d also recommend inspecting your pipes for blockages, leakages and damage that might need repairing. Again, the expansion and contraction caused by freezing temperatures can easily make a small problem much worse. Remember, prevention is always better than cure! If you suspect your drains are blocked, please call our team for fast and friendly adivce or to arrange a free site visit.
2. Maintain your surface water drains
During period of heavy rainfall (which seems more common these days), surface water drains are placed under a lot of strain, as the soakaways that service them are contending with rising water tables and struggling to redistribute any excess moisture.
Whilst you can’t control the weather – you can make sure your connecting drains are strong, sturdy, and free from blockages that could otherwise lead to surface flooding.
If you’re concerned that your soakaways are not functioning correctly, it could be time to replace them. Contact Flo-Well to arrange a complimentary site visit and see if your property could benefit from a new soakaway installation.
3. Carry out repairs as soon as possible
Whether it’s a dripping tap or a blocked drainpipe. If you have an issue with any part of your drainage system, we’d recommend you get it fixed as soon as possible. Drainage problems rarely fix themselves and will only get worse as time goes on – possibly with catastrophic results, resulting in a costly repair.
4. Turn down the thermostat
Whilst it’s tempting to crank up the temperature at this time of year to give your home a quick blast of heat. Large fluctuations in temperature will cause your pipework to expand and contract, even more so during the freezing cold temperatures of winter.
This can place a lot of pressure on the pipe’s structure. Any fast change in temperature could prove too much and lead to bursts and breakages.
We’d recommend keeping your central heating at a consistent temperature to help minimise the risk of frozen pipes. We’d also recommend running the taps every so often to help keep the water flowing through your system. Standing water in pipes will freeze, whereas moving water typically will not.
If you suspect that your pipes have already frozen, soak a tea towel in warm water and carefully wrap it around your structures to gently thaw them out. Gentle is the key here, as we mentioned before, a rapid increase in temperature could cause the pipes to burst.
And it goes without saying, make sure all your pipes are insulated wherever possible to help prevent unnecessary heat loss and stop them from contracting, expanding, and bursting in line with changing temperatures.
5. Check your stopcock
You do know where your stopcock is located right? Whilst you typically only need to reach for the stopcock during an emergency, stopcocks can, and often do corrode over time.
This corrosion can often stop the stopcock from turning preventing you from turning off the water in case of an emergency. Open and close it a few times every couple of months to make sure it’s still working properly and help prevent future troubles.
We hope you found the advice abover useful and that it helps you take active steps to ensure your drainage system remains in full-working order during these colder months. Don’t forget, if you suspect you have a problem with your drainage system, now is most certainly the best time to fix it. For fast and friendly drainage services in London and the surrounding areas, don’t hesistate to give our team a call!