Having the habit of frequently clearing your outdoor drains is very important, especially if you live on a farm, and here is why.
A lifestyle out on a farm in a remote location is certainly a unique experience that many people would appreciate. There are no nosy or noisy neighbors, you are away from all the smog and toxic fumes from cars, there are no buildings blocking your view of the beautiful sky and you can make parties in your yard all day long without anyone filing a complaint. While there might be some disadvantages to this kind of lifestyle, one of the most annoying ones has to be the fact that outdoor drains can get blocked quite frequently.
If you live on a farm growing crops or raising livestock then you probably have quite a flat land, devoid of any kind of trees or hills. Because of this, the wind and rain can pick up on a lot of dirt, leaves and other bits of debris, enter your outdoor drain and clog it.
Having a blocked drain might not be the end of the world, but if you do not take care of this problem as soon as possible, it might even cause damage to your home. Water can start building up inside of the drain and will soon start to flood and maybe even start leaking through your home. Every material that is not metal might start to rot which can reduce your home’s structural integrity. This can be a danger to you and your family. This is why it is recommended that you frequently clean all of your outdoor drains.
However, if you are already dealing with a blocked one, here is a guide on how to clear it.
Signs that it is clogged
Assuming that you are still not sure if it is blocked, you should first do a close inspection of it. You can notice that a pool of muddy water is starting to form around it and it doesn’t drain. This is the most obvious sign, however, some signs are not as apparent. Sometimes, the water can and will go through the grate, but at a much slower rate. You may also look down the grate, shine a flashlight on it and check whether there are leaves, mud or other materials stuck into it.
If everything looks fine, the last thing you will need to do is to get a hose and leave it right next to it. Once you notice that the water does not have a nice flow then you are definitely dealing with a blocked outdoor drain.
Use your hands
Most of the time, you can deal with this kind of problem by yourself without any kind of tools. Of course, the grate can be filled with all kinds of bacteria and debris that can be dangerous for your skin. So, grab a pair of gloves from your shed and maybe even a face mask if you have one to prevent breathing in any toxic fumes. Get a hose running next to you and start plucking away every single leaf that is stuck around, inside and on the grate. Patches of mud should be easily scraped off with your finger, but if the mud is too hard, spray it with the hose and it will soften up.
Once you are done, let the hose run for a couple of minutes and see how the situation unfolds. If you simply cannot solve the problem by yourself, you should consider hiring professional services that you can find at quickcleardrainage.co.uk.
Take out the grate
Assuming that the first advice didn’t help you solve your problem and if you still do not want to resort to using tools then it is time to get into something more complicated. While still equipped with your mask and gloves, take out the grate if you can. Most of them are usually just held in place by their weight, others may have a latch or screws holding it down. Take it off and then start scraping all of the mud and other materials that you can find inside of the drain. Once you have made a hole big enough for water to flow properly, get the hose running next to you and start scraping away.
A blow bag
If you still do not have luck with the blockage then it is time to equip yourself with something more efficient. The simplest and fastest method is to purchase a couple of blow bags.
The first thing you need to do is take the blow bag and attach it at one end of the hose. Once it is properly secured, start lowering it as much as you can, but make sure that you do not use too much force or it may fall off. Once it is set in place, run water through the hose and wait. The blow bag will start filling with water and forming into a bubble. Once the bubble gets too big it will burst and the high pressure of the “explosion” will unclog the drain. Hopefully.
Drain Auger
If the problem persists and you still do not want to resort to using professional services then your next step would be to get yourself a drain auger. This machine works wonders. Even most professional companies prefer to use this over other tools.
The machine is equipped with a metal hose that you will need to drop down into the grate. Once it is in place, you activate it and the metal hose will start spinning. The fast spins will cause anything that is stuck into the pipes to be broken down. Keep in mind, you will have to consider the size of your pipe and whether the hose will be able to get into it. If the hose is too big, you should probably grab another small one.
Once you have gone through all of these methods, you will definitely unblock your outdoor drain successfully.
