As right as drain: what can your home's drains tell you about its plumbing?

Unfortunately, your London or Home Counties home's plumbing system is likely to be very much a case of "out of sight, out of mind". That's because this system is structurally more external to the property than internal – and as a result, you may too easily overlook any emerging issues with it until major damage has arisen.

However, the drains to which you have access within your home’s walls can be a dead giveaway as to whether there is anything wrong with your plumbing system. Some issues evident in drains can be rectified in a DIY fashion, whereas other problems are likely to call for a plumber’s attention.

The likes of our Harrow, Wandsworth and Chertsey plumbers here at PGS Plumbers can certainly help with that. But what things would they also urge you to keep a lookout for when it comes to your home’s everyday ‘drain health’?

Are any of your drains suspiciously slow at draining?

It’s probably relatively easy for you to tell if they are. For example, on more than one occasion, you might have removed the plug from your kitchen’s water-filled sink, only to notice that you have to wait a strangely long time for the water level to reduce to a trickle.

When your sink empties itself of water this slowly, it could be because the pipes that are supposed to provide the water with a clear exit are clogged up – perhaps with small chunks of food you have previously wiped off plates and bowls when cleaning them in the sink.

Fortunately, if such a blockage has indeed occurred, you could always break it up by putting drain-cleaning chemicals down the drain. Another option is to use what’s called a “drain snake”, which you would feed down the drain and then pull out to remove the blockage.

However, if neither of these strategies work in your South East England or London residence, that’s when you should call a plumber. Our own local plumbing firm is at the other end of the line on 0330 912 2323 – so don’t hesitate to contact us for free advice and a quote.

Drain drain, go away, why not smell a better way?

What if one of your drains is giving off an awful odour that you can smell even in areas of your home you wouldn’t expect it to reach? Naturally, you wouldn’t want guests to catch a whiff – but again, the culprit for the problem could be food that has accumulated in the pipework.

In future, you should avoid depositing food scraps down the sink in the hope that it will all just flush away – because it might not. Make sure only liquids, except any fat or oil, go down the drain –and you should also keep your nose out for any egg smell coming from the drain.

This smell could result from a blocked-up drain vent leading sewer gas to back up into your home’s pipes. As this situation can become hazardous with time, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask a plumber – like one of our Raynes Park, Surbiton or Chertsey plumbers – for assistance.

Our plumbers are available to attend homes anywhere in London – and, while there, resolve any plumbing problems that your drains may have started warning you about.