Don’t forget home drains when spring cleaning

Wednesday, 14 March 2012 11:30 AM

Maintaining home drains is important as you can face costly insurance claims if you leave them unattended.

Wear and tear, build-up of litter and blockages can all cause damage to your drains which basic maintenance could help you avoid.

Company Drain Claim is urging property owners to take the right steps to ensure future damage does not occur.

“It is all too easy to poke or flush something down a drain in a hurry only to discover a major blockage has been caused a few weeks later,” Drain Claim CEO David Hayes said.

“We’ve created some simple tips for property owners to help them give their drains a little TLC during Spring Cleaning Week and beyond.”

In the kitchen Drain Claim encourages people to stop washing cooking oil, fat and food debris down the sink.

It can lead to clogging and cause a nasty odour.

This is the same in the utility area or laundry where people often put chemical-filled liquids down the drain which can cause damage to pipes and the environment.

According to Drain Claim hundreds of toilet blockages each year are caused by nappies or wet wipes being inappropriately flushed down the toilet rather than the user putting them in the bin.

In terms of maintenance homeowners should be regularly cleaning their outside drains and guttering of leaf and other debris.

Ensure any open gullies have a well-fitting grate and clear grate obstructions regularly.

Inside the home boil the kettle and pour the hot water down all drains on a weekly basis.

Clean out drain holes, plug stoppers and drain screens each week also.

“Property owners should always maintain a close watch on their drains and ensure they have the correct level of insurance should the worst happen,” Mr Hayes said.

“The cost of rectifying broken drains, due to their location underground can run into thousands of pounds, therefore having the correct level of accidental damage cover is absolutely essential.”