Week 3
This weeks is about avoiding some simple plumbing disasters with your storm water and flooding. Storm water issues can often prove quite costly and dramatic if not dealt with checked regularly.
Things to check:
Storm water drains – Heading into summer it’s vital that check your storm water drains are operating correctly, i often receive calls from customers during summer storms needing an emergency call-out due to blocked storm water drains and water starting to flood their houses. During winter we don’t often get the huge down pours we experience in summer so do yourself a favor, spend a few hours running a hose down your storm water drains and checking that they are flowing adequate before the rain hits, as often it’s too late once the storms arrive.
Gutters – check and clean out your gutters, during autumn and winter we naturally get a fairly large amount of leaves and debris build up in our gutters, it s paramount that we check to ensure that they are clear and operating freely, again spend some time cleaning your gutters and testing your down pipes with a hose to ensure they are running freely. I can’t tell you how many times i have seen houses with water damage due to blocked gutters and down pipes due to lack of maintenance.
Storm water sumps or pits – located around many yards are storm water sumps or pits, these are installed to catch and move surface water from around your house or yard, if these are not cleaned out regularly they can really cause issues during heavy downpours of rain. When these guys are not running freely water can build up very quickly and start causing huge issues, I’ve seen a few places that have had water lapping at their front doors with only minutes left before it starts flowing inside due to the pits not allowing water to disperse, again this easily avoidable by checking and testing your drains with a hose.
Remember Prevention is always better than a cure, I would strongly suggest that all of your storm water sumps, gutters, and drains be functioning perfectly at all times, as it can be a very dramatic and traumatizing when water is threatening to flood and damage your property, so if in doubt please have a plumber attend and do a full service of your properties storm water lines and have them cleared with a water-jetter just to ensure this never happens to you, especially if you live in area or at a property that is renowned for having flooding issues or potential flooding issues. This is without a doubt essential for properties that have been built on land that has been cut into a hill or at the low side of a street with the potential for flooding to come from neighbors also.
Don’t do DIY’s: Never ever do-it-yourself unless you’re a plumber yourself. Always refer to a professional plumber when it comes to maintaining your house’s plumbing system. Most DIY’s would help you save money but it could potentially lead you to a plumbing disaster and cost you a fortune.