Drains are great until they go wrong. They sit, seemingly undisturbed for years until something goes wrong and then look out. If the flow of fluid through a pipe is obstructed by grease, food, silt, muck, dirt, etc. then look out. The obvious result is a slow moving or, worse still, blocked drain. Periodic maintenance is the answer, better still, not putting anything down them that shouldn’t be there is the answer to the problem

If the drain or sewer itself is damaged, problems naturally occur. Tree roots can be a major problem, planting a tree too near a drain is a problem waiting to happen. Drains can be broken by other means- for example, ground movement. Earth and soil can and do move all the time. The sheer weight and forces that are exerted on a pipe will eventually break it, the result, blockage

Corrosion can also be a reason for your drainage problems. Old drains were made from all manner of metals, some of which are prone to corrosion. It stands to reason that if a metal can corrode, eventually it will wear out and the obvious result is a blocked drain

Preventing a blockage from happening is usually far batter than dealing with the inevitable smelly consequences that arise from a blocked drain. Fat, grease and hair are far better composted than allowed to be put down the drain. Peas and sweetcorn are amongst the other items found in blocked drains. Do yourself a favour, whilst it may be unsavoury, fish them out before they disappear from view down the plug hole

Buying a set of drainage rods from a DIY store and then blasting away at the problem may be an answer. Hold on tiger! More damage can be caused to the drains if you aren’t very careful. Clearly prevention in the first place is a good thing but not all drainage problems are preventable. Tricky things, drains, hiding underneath the ground as they do

Jetting (using water under high pressure) can be used to unblock some drains. This is a job best left to the professionals. Please avoid the temptation to have a go at this with the pressure washer- you could seriously harm yourself as well as damaging the drains. Please call in someone professional- it will save money in the long run

Considering construction on your land or changing your property? Commission a drainage survey to solve any issues you may have. Lee Davidson owns a drainage services business in South Wales Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service