Two of the main causes of drain / pipe obstructions or blockages are misuse and lack of maintenance. Misuse, for example grease, fat or wipe material disposal through a drainage system, can be prevented at source and the condition of a drainage system can be monitored and maintained by regular service visits and cleaning.

Fats and grease, also referred to as FOG, is a very real problem for small private systems and the main public sewers. We are all familiar with the term ‘Fat Berg’ as these are regularly reported in the main news when Water Authorities have to act to remove them. They are caused usually in small doses during cooking processes, either by fat/grease being poured through kitchen sink wastes or as a residue from washing and rinsing plates and cooking trays etc. This hot or warm fat and grease will solidify once in pipework and once formed will quickly build up to create obstructions and hard crusts can then form.

This is a particular concern with restaurants and fast food outlets, where the load increases and as such Grease Traps are now required by law for each catering facility. However, they are only operational providing they are regularly cleaned and maintained, which is usually weekly.

The use of ‘wipe’ material in its many forms is also now becoming a routine problem for us to remove. It is produced in wipe form for such items as baby, make-up, sanitary, cleaning and toilet training. This material is not designed to disintegrate and despite what the manufacturers may claim it will not flow through a drainage system. Single wipes will stall and eventually build up along with sewage and can cause a mass obstruction. The problems will also not stop even if you are fortunate enough to have wipes flow through and leave your system. Once they enter the main sewer they can then build up in the same way to cause larger obstructions or obstruct the filters and gates at the sewage works.

Routine cleaning and inspection helps to prevent the build-up of grease, wipes, scale / sewage, silt and debris and allows us to ensure that a drainage system is working efficiently. An efficient system is no cause for concern, a drainage system that is left forgotten about can deteriorate and will only be noticeable once a problem has occurred, which will usually cause inconvenience, possible damage and can affect trade if in a working environment. Consideration should be given to the fact that the cost of regular maintenance (preventative) far outweighs the results of a problem that requires emergency clearance (reactive) when you are least expecting it, and let’s face it, that inconvenience is going to have a detrimental effect at any time.

Another main cause of problems is poorly designed or installed systems. Above and below ground drainage systems must be correctly sized, laid to the correct gradients and access and clearing points must be left accessible for maintenance when needed.

We carry out maintenance contracts ranging from servicing entire below ground drainage systems for industrial or retail parks to urinal bowls in office accommodation or sinks and showers in domestic properties. Each of our contracts is individually assessed for the requirements and to suit each site, based on load, installation design and likelihood of misuse.

For below ground drainage we commonly attend every six months although some properties can be left to annual visits. Our tasks include below ground drainage, internal stacks, roof and box gutters, surface water gullies and petrol interceptors, urinal bowls, basins, grease traps, anti-flood valves and bin room disinfecting / cleaning.

In the case of restaurants, food outlets or car parks we can arrange for attendances out of hours or at weekends.