Autumn is when drains struggle most. A little preparation now saves you a nasty surprise in December. Here is how to get your drains ready for the colder months.
Autumn is when drains struggle most. Leaves pile up over outside gratings, the rain comes heavier, and once the cold sets in, fat and grease harden in the pipes far faster than they do in summer. Put all that together, and a drain that coped fine through August can block just as the weather turns. A little preparation now saves you a nasty surprise in December.
The good news is that most of it is simple. Clear the leaves and gutters, watch what goes down the kitchen sink, and get any existing build-up jetted out before winter arrives. A+ Drainage Services handles drain cleaning and high-pressure jetting across Essex, London and the M25 corridor, with no callout fee. Here is how to get your drains ready for the colder months.
Three things change once summer ends. First, the leaves come down, and they gather over outside drains and gully gratings until water can barely get through. Second, autumn and winter bring heavier rainfall, so any drain that is already half-blocked gets overwhelmed and backs up. Third, cold pipes are unforgiving with fat: grease that would slide through a warm pipe in July sets solid in a cold one, and it builds up quickly over a season of roasts and richer cooking. None of these is dramatic on its own. Together, they're why winter is peak season for blocked drains.
A short checklist covers most of it.
Keep outside drains, gully gratings and gullies free of fallen leaves and debris, and check them again after windy days.
Blocked gutters send rainwater everywhere except where it should go, which puts extra load on the drains below. Clear them before the wet weather really sets in.
Pour a bucket of water down each one. If it drains slowly, deal with it now rather than in a downpour.
Cold pipes and cooking fat are a bad mix, so scrape plates into the bin, and let grease cool and set before you throw it away.
A slow drain or a faint smell in October tends to become a full blockage in January. Act on it while it is still minor.
Fat and grease are the big one. Poured down the sink, they might look harmless as a hot liquid, but they cool and harden inside the pipe within minutes, and cold winter pipes speed that up. Over a season of roast dinners and Christmas cooking, that hardened fat narrows the pipe until the sink drains slowly or stops altogether. So let fat and oil cool in the pan, scrape it into the bin or an old jar, and keep food scraps, coffee grounds and the like out of the plughole too.
If your drains already have a build-up in them, autumn is the ideal time to clear it out. A professional high-pressure jet strips away the fat, silt and scale lining the pipe and gets it flowing at full capacity again, so it can cope with whatever the winter throws at it. That is far cheaper and less stressful than dealing with a blockage on a cold weekend in the middle of the holidays. For a home, a clean every year or two is usually enough. Restaurants and other busy kitchens need it far more often, closer to every few months, and the run-up to winter is a sensible time to book one in.
A pre-winter drain clean is one of the easiest ways to avoid a cold-weather emergency, and it is exactly the kind of routine work we do. Our vehicle-mounted jetting equipment clears years of fat, silt and scale without any harsh chemicals, and we check the drain over first so we use the right pressure for your pipes.
We tidy up properly afterwards, and we will tell you honestly if the drains are fine as they are and do not need doing. There is no callout fee, and you get a clear price before we start.
Quick answers to common questions about preparing your drains for the colder months.
Autumn brings fallen leaves that clog outside drains and gully gratings, along with heavier rain that overwhelms any pipe already partly blocked. In winter, cold pipes make fat and grease harden much faster, so build-up forms more quickly. Together, these make the colder months the peak season for blocked drains.
Keep outside drains and gully gratings clear of leaves and debris, clean your gutters and downpipes, and pour a bucket of water down each gully to check it drains freely. Deal with any slow drain or smell early, before it becomes a winter blockage.
Yes. Fat poured down the sink cools and hardens inside the pipe, and cold winter pipes speed that up. Over a season of richer cooking, the fat narrows the pipe until the sink drains slowly or blocks. Let fat cool and set, then bin it instead.
It is a good idea if there is already a build-up in the pipe. A professional high-pressure jet clears out fat, silt and scale so the drain can handle heavier autumn rain and colder weather. It costs far less than sorting out a blockage over the holidays. Most homes need it every year or two, and there is no callout fee.
Want your drains ready before the cold sets in? Book a pre-winter clean with A+ Drainage Services for honest, reliable work with no callout fee.