Chinese exploding drain CCTV footage shows potential dangers

This dramatic footage from a CCTV camera in China shows why it is important to follow the appropriate health and safety procedures and wear personal protective clothing when dealing with drains.

The right approach to safety is essential in clearing drains.

It is not clear what the lady in the brief film clip was trying to do but at first sight it seems she was using a stick to clear a blocked drain when it exploded in her face, apparently as the result of a build-up of methane.

Such hazards are thankfully rare but they do exist. Drain Doctor technicians are trained and equipped to deal safely with drain blockages and other plumbing and drainage problems.

If you have any concerns about a blocked drain, call the professionals – ring Drain Doctor on 0800 3357 999.

Living with a plumber is not always easy

It’s essential to have the right PPE when working alone

It is very easy to take the day-to-day work of a Drain Doctor plumbing and drainage technician for granted. Customers see a smartly turned out technician in a uniform wearing overshoes and a carrying a mat to avoid causing problems in their homes.

But what about the times when customers don’t see them, when they are at home? The life and work of a plumber have impacts on those they live with as well as those they work for.

This blogger – who lives with a plumber – has provided a few tips on how to live with a plumber and how to stay healthy once the working day is over.

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Unused cellar door leads to huge waste clearance job

Mark Lloyd (pictured), Clive Tucker and the Chester Drain Doctor team have cleared more than 40,000 litres of waste material from a restaurant cellar.

Forty thousand litres and still counting. That is the amount of waste being removed from a restaurant cellar by Chester and North Wales Drain Doctor franchisees Mark Lloyd and Clive Tucker and their team.

The team was called to a local restaurant when staff reported a smell problem. Following a thorough inspection they found an entrance to a disused cellar under the building. A blocked drain leading to the cellar had ruptured causing the chamber to fill up with waste.

So far the team has removed 40,000 litres of waste material using specialist equipment. The job is ongoing, now involving the restaurant’s insurers and loss adjusters.

It just goes to show that there is no job too large for Drain Doctor to tackle. And indeed, no job too small. Drain Doctor is on hand to help with the smallest domestic blockage right up to large commercial contracts.

If you experience any blocked drains or plumbing problems call Drain Doctor on 0800 33 57 999.

Toilet theme park opens in Korea.

White Toilet Bowl in Malaysia (Photo credit: epSos.de)

This story from the BBC is, perhaps, one of the strangest celebrations of the toilet you’re likely to see. This museum of the toilet in South Korea does have a serious side – despite the female curator interviewed being unable to stifle a giggle.

The Restroom Cultural Park in the Korean city of Suwon is claimed to be “the world’s first toilet theme park“. Its museum has exhibits including Roman loos, European-style bedpans, and ancient Korean flush toilets. Visitors can glean facts about human waste or stroll around a sculpture garden dedicated to squatting figures.

The theme park was set up to highlight the problem of providing adequate sanitation in developing countries throughout the world.

Wherever there is effective sanitation, however, we also need effective plumbers and drainage experts like Drain Doctor. If you experience blocked drains call us on 0800 3357 999.

October is ‘Toilet tank repair month’

There are more national and international awareness days than there are days in the year. They range from reminders of worthy causes to the downright bizarre.

The US leads the way. Administrative Professionals Day (21st April) probably has limited appeal but in our industry a mere 24 hours isn’t enough to get the message across. So how about Appreciate Your Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Professionals Week (20th-26th June). ‘We all know the discomfort we experience when our toilet breaks,’ says the promotional blurb. ‘Appreciate Your Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling Professionals Week is a chance to acknowledge the great service these professionals provide.’

We also have World Water Day and World Plumbing Day in March.

This month. apparently, it’s toilet tank repair month in the US [http://www.huliq.com/8684/88051/october-national-toilet-tank-repair-month-and-more-october-trivia]. Perhaps we should take a leaf out their book?

In the US 70,000 gallons of water are lost each year through leaky toilet cisterns – one in four of all cisterns across the country. Here in the UK thousands of litres are lost. It is important to ensure that the cistern is maintained.

To repair leaks or replace leaky ball valves why not give your local Drain Doctor a call on 0800 3357 999 to receive dazzling levels of service that should lead to a national awareness day in the UK.

Related articles

• Exploding toilets highlight pressures on power-assisted loos (draindoctor.wordpress.com)

Don’t let blocked drains give you a Halloween scare!

A pumpkin carved into a jack-o’-lantern for Halloween (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As the nights draw in and we get ready to set the clocks back, we would like to let you know about a scary new problem that can affect the UK’s sinks and drains at this time of year.

Halloween, ‘trick or treat’ and pumpkin lanterns are becoming increasingly popular in the UK at the end of October.

Along with the pumpkin carving comes the problem of what to do with the sticky waste from inside the vegetables. When pumpkin pulp goes down the kitchen sink drain, the orange flesh hardens and sticks to the pipes, leading to clogged drains.

The trick to keeping pumpkin pulp and seeds from turning Halloween into a plumbing nightmare is as easy as pie.

• Instead of carving your jack-o’-lantern over the kitchen sink, try doing it on a pile of newspaper on the counter or kitchen table. You need to be careful when removing and disposing of the pumpkin’s sticky insides.
• Keep the paper well away from the sink. Carefully wrap the pulp and then either bin it or – better still – put it in the compost heap.
• Instead of throwing the away the seeds, Halloween revellers can plant some for next year’s crop of Halloween pumpkins.
• The seeds can also be roasted for a tasty and nutritious seasonal snack.

If you are unlucky enough to get a blocked drain give Drain Doctor a call on 0800 33 57 999

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Autumn brings leafy problems for drains and gutters

Autumn Leaves (Photo credit: blmiers2)

Autumn is here and the leaves are providing a kaleidoscope of colour in our parks, gardens and countryside. But soon the leaves will be falling and blocking drains and gutters in homes and businesses up and down the country. The blockages caused by a build up of leaves in the drainage system can cause problems with toilets and kitchen and bathroom sinks and drains inside your property.

Not only that, rainwater overflowing from blocked gutters can cause water to pour down external walls causing potential problems with damp later.

To help you avoid these problems Drain Doctor is offering some tips to prevent drains getting blocked.

• Watch where the leaves are falling. Breezes can cause them to blow around and collect in gutters and drains. Sweep leaves up as they fall, bag them and take them to the compost heap.
• Get covered. You can buy covers for drains and downpipes in guttering systems to prevent fallen leaves getting into the drainage system.
• Arrange a CCTV inspection of your drains with a trained Drain Doctor technician to check for potential problems that can be rectified before they become a serious issue in the winter months.

If you are unable to clear guttering or drains by hand give Drain Doctor a call on 0800 3357 999. A fully trained technician can clear any blockages in gutters and drains to keep everything flowing smoothly.

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Let’s hear it for the ladies

Drain Doctor Plumbing chairman Freddie Mitman (centre) presents John and Helen Rushforth with their Franchise of the Year award.

Female plumbers have it tough in an industry that is dominated by men. But if you think that’s the case in the UK take a look at this story from Egypt. Housewife Um Bassem battled against the odds to become the best-known plumber in her district of Cairo.

In the UK there are a number of female-only plumbing businesses. However, according to industry estimates there are around 160,000 plumbers in the UK of which only about one per cent are women.

According to consumer surveys householders are increasingly seeking female plumbers because they feel safer and more relaxed having them in their homes. These often include single women, the elderly and members of religious groups. It is perhaps time to encourage more women into the industry.

At Drain Doctor there are a number female franchisees out there who are doing a fantastic job running their businesses. We would like to hear from some of you about your experiences in the trade. We would also like to hear from any female technicians on the vans about what it’s like to be working in the trade.

Hopefully those experiences are positive ones that will help to encourage more women into the trade.

Summer is here – and with it comes smelly drains!

Drain Doctor recommends enzyme cleaners.

It’s summer at last – a few days of sunshine is forecast. And not before time!

However, hot weather can be a mixed blessing. After weeks in which drains have been overflowing, summer temperatures can bring some unpleasant problems – and smells.

For a start, the warm weather is great for bringing on summer plants (and summer weeds!) but, below ground, the roots that support the new growth can play havoc with drains and sewers, penetrating pipes and causing blockages.

As a householder, if the blockage is within the boundary of your property, you are responsible for clearing it. If it is beneath the street outside, it is probably the responsibility of the water company.

Locating the blockage can be difficult though. The best and most certain way is to put a CCTV camera into the drainage system to see what is actually down there – and where it is. A reputable drain clearance company will give you a detailed report.

Less serious blockages – in U-bends beneath sinks and baths, for example – require less serious treatment and you can often deal with these yourself.

There are a number of drain clearing products sold in supermarkets and DIY stores. Most will clear the initial problem – but few will stop it coming back.

Rather than using a chemical-based product, take a tip from the professionals and consider using biology to shift the blockage. At Drain Doctor Plumbing we use an enzyme cleaner which digests organic wastes in drains, breaking down fat and grease build ups which lead to odours and blockages. We recommend using the product on a regular basis to keep drains free-flowing and clean-smelling.

Using enzymes rather than chemicals is much better for the environment – and, in the long run, much more effective at keeping drains clear.

Prevention, is of course, better than cure and Drain Doctor has a number of tips to avoid summer drainage and plumbing problems.

• Install a strainer in plug holes to catch hair and other objects that could block drains.
• Don’t pour fat and grease from cooking down the drain – allow it to cool and put it in the bin.
• Don’t dispose of old oil, paint or other substances down the drain.
• Have an established plumber inspect drains for leaks, damage and corrosion and get problems sorted out while they are small, rather than waiting for a disaster!

By using a CCTV camera in the pipes, plumbers can inspect and pinpoint exactly where drains are cracked, damaged or misaligned. Ask the plumber to give a diagnosis of the work needed and provide a written estimate up front. The ones who don’t probably have something to hide such as VAT costs or other ‘extras’.

If you do have a drainage problem and simple DIY techniques don’t solve it, call in the professionals – but make sure they are professionals. Drainage is becoming increasingly technical and you should always seek a qualified drainage technician such as Drain Doctor Plumbing.

 

Heed flood warnings or face massive disruption says Drain Doctor

Heavy rain is increasing the risk of damaging flooding.

Communities in the South West of England and South Wales have been massively disrupted by flooding caused by recent bad weather. The Met Office has also issued further severe weather warnings for the South West, South East and East of England. Businesses across England could face serious disruption and may lose customers if they don’t take steps to prevent flooding this summer, warns the UK’s largest emergency plumbing and drainage company.

Drain Doctor Plumbing  is urging businesses to make sure their drains are free of any blockages from such things as fallen leaves to ensure the potential risk of flooding is minimised. A simple CCTV drain survey can help to identify any blockages or potential problems.

Many people think flooding is something that won’t happen to them, but the risk is there. Being unprepared simply means the chance of an incident increases.

Although insurance policies can cover damage to property, damage to businesses in terms of lost working hours and even lost clients is often not covered. This is why it is vitally important for businesses to take the time now to make sure their drains are clear of any blockages and are in good working order.

According to the Environment Agency over 5 million people in England and Wales live in properties that are risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Add to this the risk of surface water, sewer and groundwater flooding and the potential for disruption becomes massive in periods of severe wet weather such as we are experiencing at the moment.

The Association of British Insurers predicts that coastal floods and storm damage will increase significantly over the next 50 years. Inland, more frequent heavy rainstorms and increased seasonal rainfall could result in more flooding from rivers.

This spells trouble for businesses across the country which aren’t adequately prepared for the damage flooding can do.

Let Drain Doctor help you to get your drains clear, and as fast running as they can be, before potential trouble arrives.

• Drain      Doctor Plumbing – 0800 3357 999.

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• Wales News: Gale force winds and heavy rainfall to batter Wales, forecasters warn (walesonline.co.uk)
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