Sewerage is a fundamental communication system in any modern residential or non-residential building. Therefore, knowing what types of sewage exist and what kinds of drains are used in different rooms is helpful. However, its trouble-free operation is not an integral characteristic of any sewer network but, on the contrary, requires constant monitoring of the quality of its work and considerable labor costs for its efficient and high-quality maintenance, the purpose of which is the optimal functioning of the sewer throughout its entire service life. In this article, we’ll dive into this topic and determine what to do for drain unblocking.
Types of Drain Systems
To date, the following classification of drainage is used:
- The primary purpose of industrial sewerage is the treatment of industrial wastewater.
- Domestic sewerage can serve as a whole settlement (centralized) or a separate building or group of buildings (local).
- Stormwater, which helps to remove water accumulated as a result of rains from the streets and roofs of houses.
Regardless of the type of sewage, there are also external and internal sewers:
- External sewage is located outside the premises; it includes pumping stations, pipelines, and treatment facilities.
- Internal sewerage is located inside a building or structure and consists of pipelines and household and plumbing fixtures connected to them.
In turn, external sewage can be divided into three types:
- Alloy sewer, where all types of wastewater (domestic, storm, and household) are transported together.
- Separate, in which the transportation of household waste is carried out separately from stormwater.
- Semi-separate sewerage, in which wastewater is transported independently to a common sewer, where they are eventually combined.
Maintenance of Sewer Drains
The purpose of timely diagnostic and repair of the sewerage system is not only to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the sewer network and to prevent blocked drains but also to 100% prevent force majeure situations, among which the first place belongs to the breakthrough of pipeline networks.
The main goal of emergency or scheduled sewerage maintenance is pipe cleaning, which can significantly increase the pipeline’s throughput, greatly improve the operation of all sewer network elements, and extend its operational life while ensuring optimal functioning.
It is important to note that a vital link in the maintenance of sewerage networks is a procedure called CCTV drain survey. Thanks to this event, a competent specialist receives reliable information about the need for preventive cleaning of pipes or eliminating massive blockages, which can soon lead to emergencies. In other words, a drainage survey is necessary, and you should include it in your drain maintenance.
In addition to the above activities, the competence of specialists involved in the maintenance of sewers includes the following types of preventive and repair work:
- Revision of the drain, a detailed study of the pipeline’s condition, detection of various deposits on the inner walls of pipes, accumulated sludge, and blockages of any complexity.
- Repair work aims to eliminate malfunctions in the operation of sewer networks in apartment buildings and private real estate.
- Elimination of existing leaks in pipeline systems, as well as replacement of the pipeline.
- Cleaning sewerage systems and, if necessary, ensuring drain unblock.
- Hydraulic measures, the purpose of which is to test sewer communications.
- Repair work, as well as replacement of components of domestic and storm sewers.
All the tasks require special training; you can only accomplish them with professional equipment.
Prevention of Blockages in Drain Systems
To minimize the need to clean drainage systems and avoid calling the appropriate specialists too often, you should think over its design features in such a way that the components of the system contribute to the retention of foreign particles, thereby preventing frequent blockages. Installing specialized cleaning elements, such as sand traps, absorption blocks, settling tanks, etc., is practiced for these purposes.
When organizing a sewerage system in a building, it is necessary to calculate its features in advance. For example, when large volumes of waste are to be transported over long distances, it is required to use sewage pump stations. In small houses, you can limit yourself to gravity sewers.
Who to Trust Drainage Maintenance
A person without special skills cannot clean the sewer or correctly diagnose it. Therefore, you will have to hire the appropriate company. Many people think that this is an extra expense, and they call plumbers only in emergencies. However, it is not. Regular maintenance gives the following results:
- increase the service life of the pipeline;
- reducing the risk of an emergency;
- ensuring the operability and functionality of the system;
- saving money needed elimination of consequences.
When choosing a service company, you should not be guided only by price. It is essential, but poor-quality services will cost you much more later. Here are a few criteria you need to consider.
- Experience and qualifications. The quality of work performance directly depends on the knowledge and skills of employees. Check company reviews. This data will come up if the company has a history of poor-quality work.
- Availability. Scheduled maintenance is not very urgent, but it may be convenient for you to do it over the weekend. If the company does not meet your wishes, it is better to look for another. In addition, a specialist must be available at any time of the day in case of an accident.
- Range of services. It is convenient if your chosen company also provides other related services. For example, tree roots often damage drain pipes. Therefore, it will be convenient if your company also offers root removal services.
Using these recommendations and your life experience, you will efficiently and quickly select a reliable service company.
Conclusion
Regular sewerage checking and diagnosis is a very responsible complex work of specialists with no right to make a mistake. After all, the slightest inattention can leave without sewage, for example, a restaurant or a multistory residential building. And this will lead to inconvenience, problems, and financial losses. Therefore, it is crucial to entrust this responsible task to experienced specialists. Find a reliable company to care for the drain. It will save you from subsequent costly repairs and annoying inconveniences.