When the temperature drops and the days darken, the last thing you want to be dealing with is a blocked drain or frozen pipes! During the winter months, it’s important to look after your drains, as they are more likely to encounter problems due to the cold weather and increased use.
Here at Happy Drains, we have gathered some of our best tips and tricks for looking after your drains during the winter months. We hope you find them useful!
1. Our first tip is to find your stop valve, which is usually located under the kitchen sink, and check it regularly during the colder weather. Your stop valve can often corrode over time, therefore it’s best to open and close it a few times every few weeks, just to check it’s still working correctly.
2. Before and after you use your kitchen drain, run some cold water down it, simply to flush away any small particles that might be stuck to pipes. This will prevent a build-up of debris, which could lead to a nasty blockage if left untreated.
3. Another tip for kitchen drains: pour fat and oil into an old drinks carton and throw it away, instead of pouring it down the drain. The cold will make these substances set even faster, increasing the risk of calling out a plumber.
4. To keep the whole family happy during the winter months, avoid washing up when other members of the household are having a shower!
5. Ensure that all storage tanks and pipes are covered and lagged (insulated) – this will keep the heat in and stop them from freezing, which can cause pipes to crack.
6. Your outdoor drains are more likely to block in the winter months, therefore we recommend keeping them free of debris such as leaves and twigs, as you are less likely to have any difficulties if they are kept clear.
7. Here’s an extra tip for your kitchen drain – pour some hot water down the drain every few weeks, as an extra measure to help remove any build-up of grease along the pipes.
8. Be careful not to allow dripping taps; it wastes water, encourages pipes to freeze and can cause lots of damage in the long run.
9. Regularly check your bath or shower plughole for any blockages, and clean with some drain cleaner to keep the water running away smoothly.
10. Finally, in order to make sure your drains are going to survive the winter, you could have your drains inspected by an expert, just to be safe.
At Happy Drains, our experts specialise in drain unblocking and CCTV surveillance – we are more than happy to help if you have any questions about your drains and pipes, so feel free to contact us here!
