Quite often, when a drainage system is blocked, there can be a faint or sometimes overwhelming foul odour either inside or outside the property, sometimes both. This is an indication that the odours are venting from either the internal plumbing or the external drainage system.

Visible signs may also include water rising within the toilet pan, bath waste or shower waste. Water could also be found rising and flooding from an external gully drain. Depending on the condition of the drainage system, foul water may sometimes be seen leaking or rising from the ground at the base of a soil vent pipe. Conversely, you could also see water siphoning from internal toilet and waste traps or external gully traps, therefore allowing foul odours to vent from the external drainage system.

There are many signs that could indicate a drainage system, or part of a drainage system has become blocked, but on most occasions the signs that something is wrong should be clear. Although not always conclusive, if Inspection Chambers of Manholes are available around the property, lifting their covers, depending on the location of the blockage, may confirm a problem.

Regular, frequent or repeat blockages may simply be in indication that certain items are being introduced into the drainage system that shouldn't be. For example, toilet wipes, sanitary towels, hand towels or wet wipes should never be flushed down the toilet. Unable to break down, these can build up and compact within the drainage system, eventually causing a blockage.

If rainwater and combined water gullies are not cleaned out on a regular basis, this can result in silt and debris from surface areas and roofs, entering the drainage system, again building up within the drain, resulting in repeat blockages. For example, a drain receiving waste from a disposal unit could, if not maintained, block up on a regular basis.

More important reasons causing repeat blockages could include fractured, root-damaged or collapsed drains. And if known to be any of the aforementioned reasons, the matter should of course be treated with some urgency.

If a damaged drain is suspected, or the drainage system continues to block up on a regular basis without a known cause, it would be wise to investigate. In the first instance, it would be necessary to identify the cause of the problem and pinpoint the location. Therefore an underground Drain Survey, optionally carried out in conjunction with sonar-location work, should be implemented. Not only should surveillance work discover the defect, sonar-location equipment would also give the correct depth and location of the defect. Armed with this information, accurate quoting is possible before any remedial works are undertaken.

Depending on the nature of the blocked drain and the severity of the resulting consequences, dealing with a blockage is often very unpleasant and certainly not for the faint-hearted. However, that said, simple blockages can sometimes be cleared by the inexperienced hand or even prevented in some cases. On the other hand, if possessing a strong constitution and an understanding of the working drainage system and if able to access the right equipment, some of the more difficult blockages could also be tackled.

More difficult blockages should be left to a competent drainage engineer, where knowledge of a working drainage system is a must. And of course, by employing a reputable drainage contractor, the necessary and required equipment for clearing the blockage should be on board their vehicle.

For those home owners wishing to have a go themselves, most Builders Merchants should stock simple blockage clearing equipment.

If at all uncertain, leave it to the experienced drainage engineer. The last thing you want is to lose drainage rods within your drainage system while attempting to clear a blockage!

From a complete novice to the D.I.Y. enthusiast, if you are not worried about getting your hands dirty, general maintenance around the property can easily be carried out and may help or even possibly prevent a future blockage. This may simply involve clearing away leaves from drainage covers, cleaning out debris from external gullies or removing debris from gutters. Whatever the circumstances may be, a knowledge and understanding of a working drainage system helps.

If easily accessible, internal sink, bath and shower traps inside the property can be removed for maintenance. Being careful with what is allowed down the Kitchen sink trap is also helpful. For example, scraping and cleaning plates prior to washing or placing in a dishwasher. Not confusing your Kitchen sink for a Waste Disposal Unit!

More importantly, ensuring that if hand towels, hand wipes, sanitary towels and nappies are used within the household, these items are bagged and disposed of accordingly, rather than flushed into the drainage system. A blockage caused by a build up of disposable wipes can be problematic.

The simple application of a little common sense and the implementation of some preventative maintenance can prove to be very effective in saving costs.

NB: Ask about Preventative maintenance Contracts and Blockage Cover Insurance.

Put simply, yes, why not? Just because a property is new, does not mean all will be right.

Also don't be fooled into thinking that all eventualities will be covered through an NHBC warranty. If you have ever tried to claim using the National House-Building Council warranty you will know why.

There is a general misconception by most people that an NHBC warranty will cover anything that goes wrong with a new build property over a ten year period. This is simply not the case. Any problems discovered within the first two years of the property being built are the responsibility of the builder. The NHBC however does offer a mediation service for this two year period. From the third year to the tenth year the NHBC warranty only covers for structural components of the property.

So whether it is your first home, second home or dream home you are purchasing, do yourself a big favour and have a CCTV camera drain survey implemented prior to purchase. Finding out you have drainage problems after purchasing may be detrimental to your pocket!

See CCTV Drain Camera Surveys

Drains or drainage systems are an important facility for any property or building and should be treated as so. Unlike many other aspects of property maintenance, drainage related issues can often be overlooked, "out of sight, out of mind" so to speak.

Although in the majority of cases it is fair to say a blocked drain would not lead to anything more serious, unless the drain is leaking to ground, it is also fair to say that the odour from a blocked drain can be extremely unpleasant. Even more so when the odour from a foul drain lingers inside a property, for instance a Bathroom.

Rotting Vegetation left within surface water drainage and rainwater gullies can cause strong odours. Grease and dirty water (Grey Water) remaining in foul water gullies can also allow odours to vent from the drainage system. In extreme cases, Drain Fly can also become a problem, breeding within a gully or manhole, all due to a lack of maintenance.

So to ensure your drainage system is in good working order and problem free, maintenance should be seen as important as the next job on your list. For a small or medium sized property, a drainage system should probably be serviced at least once a year. Larger properties may require additional cleaning within the year. Whether private, commercial or industrial, under normal circumstances an initial site visit would be undertaken and then a cleaning contract tailored to suit the needs of that particular property.

Maintenance Contracts and Blockage Cover Contracts are available.

There are a multitude of toilet papers on the market today, some cheap, some more expensive than others and many recycled? It does not always equate that the more expensive the paper is, the thicker the sheets will be and therefore the more problematic it will be when flushed. Whether cheap, expensive or recycled, the crux of the matter is that some toilet papers quite simply do not break down easily.

Toilet tissue which is resilient to the breaking down process can often remain within the drainage system at some point. And although this problem would be made much worse within a drainage system containing faults, this problem can even occur within a new drainage system. You cannot assume a new system has been installed correctly. However, it would also be true to say that a drainage system in disrepair would suffer this problem more so than a system installed correctly and in good working order.

Once flushed, slow degrading toilet paper can remain within the underground drain at some point while the water content will initially drain away. This can then be a repeat process, flush after flush, water draining away and the paper building up and compacting until eventually the drainage system has blocked. Depending on how long this is left before the problem is noticed and how much of the drainage system is filled with toilet paper, clearing the blockage can often take some considerable time to do, especially if the drainage system is in disrepair. A blockage caused by a compaction of toilet paper will generally require a high-pressure water jetting machine to clear and restore flow.

So, go on, test your paper in some water and see how long it takes to break down, or if it breaks down at all. Not a great job I know, but it may ultimately save you some money!

NO!

It is hard to comprehend just how many of these "so called" flushable toilet wipes are actually on the market today. Contrary to popular belief and to the many companies selling these products, as with types of slow degrading toilet paper, toilet wipes should never be flushed into the drainage system. Whereas you may on occasion (depending on the condition of your drainage system) get away with flushing slow degrading toilet paper into the system without problems, flushing wet wipes into the system will almost certainly result in a blockage. And similar to the affect some toilet papers can have, once flushed toilet wipes will build up within the drain and compaction will occur, finally resulting in an extremely difficult blockage to clear.

The difficulty aspect of clearing the blockage caused by wipes can also quite often be compounded if your property does not have any access points to tackle the blockage from; for example inspection chambers, manholes or rodding access points. On these "worst scenario" occasions, an access point may have to be created in order to resolve the problem, resulting in additional work and of course clearance costs.

The simple rule would be to never flush anything down your drainage system that may result in a blockage. Just a simple common sense approach will probably save you the unpleasant experience, the stress and the resulting cost of having a drainage contractor attend site to clear a blockage caused by toilet wipes.

The road gully is there to serve and drain surface water (rainwater) from the road areas. Unless the road is un-adopted and therefore privately owned, all road gullies would come under your local authority jurisdiction. Look at your Local Authorities website for further information and the relevant contact numbers.

The answer to this question would depend on the existing problems brought to light, more often than not during or after an underground CCTV camera survey has been implemented.

For instance, a damaged and/or leaking drain, ignored, would in most circumstances deteriorate. Once a drain is leaking to ground, water can wash away the surrounding materials, thus creating a cavity below the drain. The weight of the materials above the drain can then cause the drain to drop or collapse into the cavity, resulting in a blockage, which in most cases cannot be cleared through conventional means. So, a damaged drain should never be left unattended.

If a drain has been determined to be damaged and/or leaking, foul water or surface water can also exit the drain. If the leaking drain is close to the property, damage could occur to the drain in question and the external brick-work. Again, left long enough without attention, leaking water could even enter or flood a sub-floor or basement, probably causing flood damage and creating foul odours within the property. At this stage, a lack of early intervention will have caused additional and subsequent costs.

Conversely, certain drainage defects could be left for a period without attention, but of course, these problems would have to be minor. For example, a crack in a drain, depending on the severity of the break, would not necessarily require immediate attention. Certainly, a drain with minor fractures would generally be deemed as serviceable. Open and displaced pipe joints do not always equate to leaking joints. And, having an older Vitrified Clay drainage system should not necessarily suggest that it is time for a new replacement system, or that renovation work is required.

But of course, after being made aware of any drainage defects, a reputable company should then fully explain all necessary recommendations, giving you the "peace of mind" you also should expect. And if remedial works are not as urgent and therefore can be left to a later date, as requested on occasions, then an honest appraisal should also be expected regarding this.

Beware of scare-mongering, unprofessional contractors!

You may want to replace an existing defective soak-away with a new one. Or you could be thinking of installing a new soak-away. Whatever the reason, there are many important factors to take into consideration prior to the installation of a new and efficient working soak-away.

In general Layman's terms, the standard type soak-away is simply an excavated pit, sometimes filled with large stones (Clinker), usually buried and hidden within the ground, although depending on the construction, some may be built in brick and have a cover slab at surface level. All are however designed to receive and disperse rainwater and/or surface water from around the property. As well as having the capacity to store water during rainfall, the water within the soak-away must also be able to filter through to the existing and surrounding ground materials, hence the name, soak-away.

A soak-away drain is not connected to a sewer.

For example, you will probably have a gully or gullies sited to the front, side or rear elevation of your property, serving rainwater from the roof or ground surface water. Connecting to an underground drain immediately downstream of the gully outlet, the drain should then lead away from the property and eventually connect to the underground soak-away, quite often situated within a garden. The water within the soak-away will then disperse to the ground.

Although there are many different types of construction of soak-away possible, including the modern type pre-fabricated modular crates, all are based on the same principal. All are designed to hold and allow rainwater to filter to the surrounding ground. All are recommended to be constructed and installed no less than 5mtrs away from a building or structure and generally wrapped in a Geo-Textile membrane for extended longevity. All require to be installed above an existing water table, allowing for the rise and fall of the water table. They should also be located within an area of ground lower than the area to be drained.

The most important thing to remember is that a soak-away will only work effectively if the existing and surrounding ground materials are suitable. For instance, a soak-away installed within a clay bed would clearly cause the retention of water rather than allowing the water to permeate to ground and therefore would not work. When this is the case all is not necessarily lost, as it still may be feasible to excavate through the clay bed to a ground material more conducive to a working soak-away. Generally speaking, if replacing an existing soak-away, one that had worked for many years prior to failing, chances are that the ground materials will be suitable.

For a private drain, the responsibility lies with the property owner, except where the problem is sited outside the property boundary line. Once outside of the property boundary line, the drain should then be serviced and maintained by United Utilities.

From April 2011, all shared drains come under United Utilities jurisdiction, generally downstream of the point where the drainage system becomes a share. Upstream of this point is considered to be private drainage. Prior to this, only shared drainage from properties pre-dating 1937 (Ex-Section 24) would have been serviced.

Sewers would always normally come under United Utilities jurisdiction. These are generally situated within roads, pathways, service roads and passageways. However, these can also on occasions be situated within private properties, generally ex-council properties. Sewers can also be situated within un-adopted roads. Where this is the case, these systems are classed as private drains and are generally owned by all those using the drain, each separate property becoming a share at the point of connection to the sewer.

NB: For further information on private drains and sewers go to the United Utilities website.

Drain Fly can sometimes breed in and around drainage systems, internally or externally. Although not always the case, a Drain Fly infestation could indicate either a damaged or collapsed drain, where foul waste or dirty water has been pooling above or below ground. Drain Fly can even breed in clean water which has become stagnant.

Other possibilities leading to a Drain Fly infestation could include foul waste building up in a drain or inspection chamber, foul waste or dirty stagnant water pooling around a drain or from the foul water sited within a gully trap. In fact, if the conditions are right, Drain Fly can pretty much breed in any moist or wet areas, including plants, ponds, wet areas or even bins.

With so many possibilities that could cause a Drain Fly infestation, eradication is generally seen as quite straightforward; killing the flies at their source, where breeding. The cure may simply be a process of several regular maintenance programs carried out over a certain time period. However, if it is discovered to be a drain at fault, this would have to be located, unearthed and replaced. Simply hiding, filling or closing off an area where the Drain Fly are known, or seen to be escaping from, will not cure the problem.

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Yes, this is true. In fact, this occurrence is not just limited to trees either, if the conditions are right, any plant, bush or shrub can also affect a drain.

Generally, root damage this can occur in two ways, either the actual root of the tree can grow across the drain, eventually fracturing the drain and then entering the drain, or the fibrous type roots can grow through existing fractures or the jointing system of the drain.

The root system of a tree, bush or shrub will normally filter water and moisture from the sub-soil materials. But planted or located in close proximity to a broken or leaking drain, the trees root system will also then seek out water from the damaged area of the drain. Over time, the fibrous roots will grow into and through cracks in the drain, leaking pipe joints, broken gullies or even entering through the brickwork and benching of manholes and inspection chambers. Once inside the drain the root system will continue to grow, usually with the direction of flow, extending the length of the roots but also thickening too. Undetected, roots can eventually fill the drain at the point of ingress and for some considerable distance downstream, causing regular, repeat blockages. So if you have been paying out on a regular basis to have a drain cleared and have a well stocked garden, this may be a good indication that you have tree root problems.

Thankfully, under normal circumstances, there has to be either a fault with the drain or a general deterioration of the drain, for root infiltration to occur. In many instances, but not always, the older the drain is, the more susceptible it is to root infiltration.

The root system is of course different for all trees and shrubs. So from a preventative point of view, if able to predict the depth and spread of a root system, the less likely it is for damage to occur to existing drains when planning to plant new. Bearing this in mind, it is also feasible that root damage may not have been caused by a tree or shrub from within your own boundary. Quite often, although not always easy to prove, roots from trees sited within neighbouring properties of from Council owned land can be to blame.

When in doubt about existing trees roots damaging your drains or if you have been experiencing repeat blockages over a prolonged period, it would probably be wise to have a Drain Survey carried out. Knowing is everything!

Today, it is quite often the case that mortgage providers will recommend that a Drainage Survey is carried out at the prospective property. This may be due to the surveyor recognizing signs of a drainage fault at the surface level. For instance, a damaged manhole cover, a broken or sunken gully, or possibly due to cracked and uneven surface materials sited above the line of a drain. However, even if a survey has not been recommended, independently appointing a Drainage Contractor to implement a Drainage Survey would be highly recommended.

Moving into the new property and finding you have inherited drainage problems can be stressful to say the least. Then finding out that the works required in order to rectify the problem may run into thousands of pounds! Worse still, you are not insured! Well, need we say more?

Appointing a Drainage Contractor to carry out a survey before signing on the dotted line could save you a lot of stress and prove to be cost-effective in the long run. Finding out that there are problems before signing the contract would allow for negotiations with the Vendor. And if so, you could simply ask for the asking price to be dropped accordingly, allowing for monies to be set aside once the contract has been completed. Alternatively, you could ask the Owner to deal with the problems prior to the completion of the purchase. Even in the event that the Vendor is not prepared to do either, at least this gives you the option to continue with the purchase the property knowing that there are drainage problems. Not having a Drainage Survey carried out, then moving in and finding out you have major problems with your drainage system would be the last thing you would want to discover about your new home.

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