Most of us don’t know a great deal about the drainage systems in and around our homes. Ordinarily, this isn’t a problem but when issues arise, it pays to have a little understanding of what might be going on.
Essentially, drainage is the path taken by used water when it leaves your home and heads towards the sewage treatment facility. Most drains work by using gravity, so the water flows faster through a vertical pipe than a horizontal pipe, for example. As this is often not easy to achieve with all household appliances, blockages can happen.
Foul drainage is that which comes from your kitchen, bathroom and laundry appliances and is taken away from your property. Water that comes into your property from the mains supply also comes through the foul drains. When you flush a toilet, the water is removed to a small pipe in your home which thens connects to a larger pipe under the road, eventually meeting up with the main pipe to the water treatment facility. All of these pipes are connected together and it is at these connections where problems can sometimes arise.
It pays to know a little about what you find in and around your home. Fixture drains are the open visible drains you can see in the sink and bath or shower. Directly under this is a U or P bend pipe which has the job of holding standing water and stopping sewage smells from rising back up. A toilet trap has the same P bend pipe for the exact same purpose.
For washing machines, most of the pipes are hidden behind the appliance but a standing pipe collects the waste water from the machine pipe and sends it on to the sewage pipe. Branch drain lines are often in the walls and they transport water away from appliances to the main sewage line. Your property’s main drain line is underneath the property and this is the main pipe that links your home to the main sewer line.
Some issues to be aware include the possibility of damage or degradation to any of these pipes and connections. Signs might include noticing damp patches on the walls, having slow or clogged drains in the kitchen and bathroom or mould and mildew building up inside the home. Blockages in the pipes that connect to the mains sewer line might require further investigation. A less invasive procedure is to consider CCTV Drainage Surveys from a company like https://www.wilkinson-env.co.uk/sewer-repairs-drain-lining-concrete-cutting/drain-lining
There are many plumbing problems that can be avoided or mitigated by understanding a little about how the plumbing system in your home operates. One of the most important things to know is where the shut off valve is for the water supply. In the event of a plumbing disaster, knowing how to quickly turn off the water supply will save a lot of hassle.