Who Is Responsible for Blocked Drain Clearance?
In the vast majority of cases, you as the property owner are responsible for blocked drain clearance. This is because where the maintenance or repair of a drain is required inside the boundaries of your property, then they are regarded as being your private drain system.
If there are blocked lateral drains which you share with a neighbour (e.g. in a block of flats) then it is likely that you are not considered responsible for these. In these circumstances, the water company itself will likely be responsible for sorting out the drain clearance. Therefore if you are a landlord then you will also be responsible for making sure drains are maintained and repaired properly.
Drain clearance is not free and therefore you will have to pay for any blocked private drains which need to be restored. MZR Plumbing and Drainage provide a cost-efficient and effective service to ensure that any problems encountered with your drains are cleared up as quickly as possible.
If you are not sure whether or not you are responsible for your blocked drain then it is important that you inform an authority figure of the problem straight away. If you own private property then we suggest getting in contact with blocked drain specialists as soon as possible. The longer you wait the worse the problem could get and it could even begin causing larger structural damage to your home.
There are a number of reasons why drains can become blocked. This is a common problem which can seem daunting at first because most people associate drain repairs with excavations.
However, in the majority of cases, excavations are not needed when working with experienced drain clearance specialists. This means you can carry on with your daily activities with minimal disturbance and keep calm in the knowledge that your drain is being repaired by fully qualified professionals.
This page will explain the different types of blocked drains, their causes and who is ultimately responsible for fixing them.
Why Do Drains Get Blocked?
It is absolutely vital when a drain becomes blocked that you contact drain clearance professionals as soon as possible to stop the situation from getting worse. Knowing why drains get blocked can also help you to take preventative measures to stop them from getting further blocked in the future.
There are a wide array of reasons why drains can become broken, damaged and blocked. Sometimes it will even be a combination of factors or even “wear and tear” for those who have had the same drain system for many years. Some of the most common causes of blocked drains that MZR Plumbing & Drainage professionals see on the regular include:
- Hair: This has the potential to affect all of our bathroom drains. Regardless of whether you wash your hair in the shower or the bath, after multiple years it will build up and inevitably find its way down the sick. Those people with a lot of hair are even more likely to be a victim to drain blockage, in which hair can become caught on other debris within the drain and get tangled up, eventually causing a clog.
- Grease: Grease and fat build-up in kitchen sinks are one of the most common causes of drain blockage. You should refrain from pouring pan oil down the sink as it will most likely form into a solid within the drain system, which can congeal and eventually cause blockages.
- Leaves and debris: This one is often a seasonal problem which is seen more during the Autumn. Falling leaves and other outside plant debris is a big cause of blocked guttering drains. Fallen leaves can easily find their way into drains, especially on a windy day. After a time, they’ll become mushy, resulting in a blockage.
- Foreign objects: This one is more common than you might think. Whilst the idea of someone dropping something like a watch down the toilet and accidentally flushing may seem humorous, this is a guaranteed means of blocking your pipes. As a result, you will require help from a drain clearance service as the system is not built to handle solid miscellaneous objects.
How Does Drain Clearance and Repair Work?
Depending on the specific problem, there is a range of different methods and tools that can be used to carry out successful drain clearance or repair. MZR Drainage has an arsenal of equipment and experience that the professional team will draw upon to get to the bottom of any drain blockage.
Birmingham homeowners have nothing to fear when it comes to any and all types of blocked drains, as we can tackle even the trickiest drain repair tasks. The most common method of drain repair is the ‘Silicate Repair Liner’.
This method involves mixing two chemicals together and spreading them over a fibreglass liner. The liner is then rolled over an inner tube and placed into position. Once the liner is in position, the inner tube is blown up using a compressor to the size of the pipe. The liner is then left to cure for an hour. Once cured, the inner tube is removed and the repair area is surveyed using CCTV to ensure the liner has been correctly installed.
There are certain blockage situations in which a ‘Silicate Repair Liner’ cannot be installed and will not be the appropriate means of drain clearance. In this case, excavation will be necessary. Whilst this is a more time-consuming process, it is not outside the remit of our drain blockage specialists. The repair team have experience in reinstating all types of surfaces including tarmac, concrete, reinforced concrete and paved drives.
We Are Here to Help
No job is too big or too small for MZR Plumbing and Drainage. Our team of experienced drain repair experts and highly technical equipment allows us to repair drains all across Birmingham and the West Midlands.
We operate a 24/7 Emergency Service within the Birmingham area, often being able to get to you within 1 hour. Our pricing is honest and transparent, Our services are fixed-priced and we have many recommendations from satisfied customers.
If you have a blocked drain then don’t hesitate to call our office on 0121 663 1060 or 07967835427. Get in touch with us for more information.
