If you’ve gone outside to discover a blockage in your outside drain, you’re bound to feel nervous! When there’s an issue with your drainage at home, it can be stressful, thinking about how to solve the issue, the costs involved and who to contact for advice and repair. Luckily, if you’ve noticed a problem with your outside drain there are a few things you can try before asking for professional help.
Of course, some drain issue will require a professional however with some minimal effort, tools you may have at home, and some elbow grease, you may be able to sort the issue yourself.
Find the problem
The first thing you need to do is determine the issue and figure out exactly what the problem is so you can plan your next steps.
Get Prepared
If you’re going to do some drain DIY, gather your tools and get everything together before you start tackling the issue. Some items you might find useful are drain rods and rubber gloves!
Get Stuck In
All outside drains will be covered, some of which will be very secure. So, your first step in tackling the problem is to remove this cover, most likely with a screwdriver. Outside drain covers do become stiff and may not come off easily, so be prepared to give them a proper pull.
Look And Feel
Once you’re in the drain, see if you can identify the blockage just by looking. If the drain chamber is full of water, you’re most likely looking at an issue which is after the chamber itself, but if the chamber is empty, the issue is likely to be before the chamber. Use drain rods to get inside the drain and plunge, like you would with a toilet plunger, so get rid of the blockage. You should feel some resistance at first but once the blockage is being broken down, this resistance should decrease. Keep going until you’ve released or broken down the blockage.
Flush Out & Tidy Up
Once you’ve sorted the issue. Tidy up the area and run some fresh water through the drain to make sure that the blockage has gone, and the water can flow freely.
If you’re still struggling with an outside drain blockage, give us a call as we’re always happy to help.