When to Call a Professional for Your Drainage Issues: A Guide to Hiring the Right Expert
Unsure if your drainage problem is a DIY-fix or if you should ring a professional? Here we explain the issues that will be resolved most effectively if you hire a drainage expert, as well as other occasions you might need to ring a pro. We’ll also explain when you’d need a plumber, rather than a drainage team, and what to look for when you’re hiring a someone to tackle your drainage problem.
When to Hire a Drainage Professional
Ring a drainage professional if you spot any of the following issues around your property:
- Slow draining appliances: If you notice that your toilets, sinks and showers are taking longer to drain, you’ll need to ring a drainage professional. Usually, a simple solution solves the problem – such as using a drain rod to dislodge a blockage caused by hair or the remnants of beauty products. If the problem persists after this, it’s likely there’s a bigger problem at hand.
- Bad smells: If there’s a bad smell coming from your toilets and sinks, it’s a sign of a drain blockage. The smell might be like rotten eggs! Home remedies are unlikely to solve the issue, as the problem is most often found deep into the drainage system.
- Noisy drains: Gurgling sounds from within your drainage might indicate a blockage. Monitor the sounds coming from your drains over the period of a week or so, and if they continue, ask a drainage engineer to investigate as to whether there’s a blockage somewhere in the system.
- Backed up water: Whether it’s coming from the drains surrounding your property or one inside, backed up water indicates a blockage in your drain that will need to be checked by a drainage professional. With outside drainage specifically, it’s worth asking a drainage expert to investigate as it might not be your responsibility to fix the problem should the issue be coming from the public sewer network.
- Signs of rats: Rats Droppings and chew marks in walls or flooring are signs of rats, and they most often get access to your property via drains. Drains are appealing to rats because they’re wet and warm, and they find it easy to move around the many bends found in a drainage network. If you spot signs of rats, call a drainage expert who’ll use a CCTV drain survey to find how they might be travelling around the system. They’ll then use repellents to stop them coming back.
- Sink hole: Sink holes are often caused by collapsed drains running underneath a property. You can anticipate these happening if you notice sudden dips in paving or on green areas. Pipes collapse for various reasons, including their age, poor quality repairs or recent building work having taken place nearby which has disrupted the structure.
Call a drainage expert as soon as you spot a potential issue and they can explore the issue.
What Else Do Drainage Professionals Help With?
Drainage professionals can also help with a variety of other issues, including:
- Clearing blockages in gutters
- Emptying septic tanks or cesspits
- Removing and disposing of waste or foul water
- Conducting CCTV drain surveys
- Exploring the drainage system at a property you’ve recently moved into or started using
When to Hire a Plumber
These are the occasions where you’d benefit from hiring a plumber rather than a drainage expert:
- A leaking or faulty tap
- Replacing appliances including sinks and toilets
- Issues with water tanks or toilet cisterns
- Leaking or broken radiators
- Discoloured water coming from taps
- Low water pressure
If you need help with a plumbing issue, Metro Plumb, our sister company’s got plumber experts ready to help you, call them on 0808 250 9949.
What to Look for in a Drainage Professional
If you suspect that you have a problem with your drains, you’ll need to call a drainage professional to help resolve the issue. But what makes a good drainage engineer?
- Broad knowledge, technical expertise and ability to offer advice on how to prevent issues arising again
- The latest technology and equipment, such as for carrying out CCTV surveys and inspections
- Fast and reliable service, such as Metro Rod’s national coverage and 24/7/365 availability
- The ability to deliver a pre-planned maintenance service, which helps spot issues with your drainage system before they escalate
- Complete drainage training and qualifications
If you need help with a drainage issue from a member of our expert, qualified team, call us on 0800 66 8800.
Talk to your local Metro Rod specialist
We are always happy to arrange a free site assessment and no obligation quotations for any work you might need. Alternatively, you can call our emergency hotline number on 0800 66 88 00
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