There’s something brilliant about a World Cup Summer.
Flags appear in windows. Spirits are high, people who haven’t watched a full match in four years are shouting tactical advice at the telly like an assistant manager. The whole country gets swept up in it, and yes, at Happy Drains we love a bit of footy too!
So, Hydration Breaks – as the temperature rises even the best players need an opportunity to re-hydrate. A quick pause, a quick drink, a reset… And that brings us quite neatly and rather seamlessly on to ….. YOUR DRAINS!
Because during hot weather, your drains may need a hydration break too. Not with orange slices and an isotonic sports drink, (obviously).
But a little fresh water in the right places can make a big difference, especially in guest bathrooms, spare showers, downstairs toilets and other fixtures that don’t get much game time. It might sound strange, but sometimes the best thing you can do for your drains is simply… flush the loo.
Every sink, shower, bath and toilet has a water trap (often called a U-bend or P-trap). That small amount of water sits there for an important reason, it creates a seal that stops unpleasant sewer gases travelling back into your home.
During prolonged hot weather, especially if a bathroom isn’t being used regularly, that water slowly evaporates.
Once the trap dries out, the seal disappears.
That’s when homeowners suddenly notice unpleasant smells coming from plug holes, shower drains or toilets that haven’t been used for a while. It’s not always a blocked drain. Sometimes it’s simply a thirsty one.
Many homes have rooms that sit unused for weeks at a time.
- Guest en-suites.
- Downstairs cloakrooms.
- Utility room sinks.
- Garden room toilets.
- Holiday homes.
During a heatwave, these are usually the first places where traps dry out.
The result?
• Bad smells
• Sewer odours indoors
• Gurgling noises
Homeowners thinking they have a drainage problem when they actually just need to top the traps back up.
Give your drains a hydration break
Fortunately, it’s one of the easiest bits of Summer maintenance you can do.
Every week during hot weather:
• Flush every toilet.
• Run every tap for 20-30 seconds.
• Let the shower run for half a minute.
• Pour a jug of water into any floor drains or rarely used gullies.
Think of it as giving your drainage system a quick drink before it gets dehydrated.
Still smelling something?
If you’ve topped up all the traps and the smell is still hanging around, there may be something else going on. Blocked drains, broken pipes or cracked underground drains can all cause unpleasant odours.
That’s where a professional CCTV drain survey can quickly identify the real cause.
The final whistle
Footballers can’t perform without staying hydrated.
Neither can your drains.
A quick weekly hydration break could save you from unpleasant smells, unnecessary call-outs and a lot of head scratching (and nose holding) this Summer.
So while you’re reaching for another glass of water, (or a celebratory beer) spare a thought for your drains too.
They’ll thank you for it.
Best,
David & Will