All You Need To Know About A Domestic Drainage Survey
Drains are obviously underground, which is why we pay them little attention – at least until something goes wrong – yet a drainage survey is often required when buying a property, as this ensures that you aren’t left with a very large bill to repair an old and dysfunctional drainage system.
Modern drainage surveying is far easier than it used to be, thanks to CCTV, which allows the technician to really inspect the system, as well as identifying and locating blockages and leaks.
If you would like to know more about a drainage survey and what it involves, here are a few details.
A Domestic Drainage Survey
Pre-Survey Pressure Clean
Prior to inspecting the interior of your drains, they will be cleaned with a high pressure water system, which is essential in order to see clearly the condition of the interior surfaces. This typically removes any partial blockages and helps the technician to see any surfaces that need repairing.
Video Surveillance
You’ll be very happy to learn that a drainage survey doesn’t require the entire garden to be dug up, which might have been the case a few years ago, and a company such as 24/7 Drainage Solutions provides Drainage Survey Report, which includes a detailed account of the drainage condition.
If, for example, you are about to buy a property, it is highly recommended to have a drainage survey carried out, which might reveal many issues that wouldn’t have otherwise come to your attention. The technician might feed a rod type camera into the system, or possibly a remotely controlled unit that will traverse down the inner pipes, allowing the technician to closely inspect every detail.
Problem Identification
If you are having your drains surveyed due to a drainage issue, this is what the technician will focus on, and with state of the art cameras that are self-righting, and can easily be maneuvered around tight bends, and sometimes, the technician will use what is known as a crawler (a small motorized platform that carries the camera) to access hard to reach sections.
Even if the drains are not blocked, having a drainage survey will tell you the current condition of the system, and early problem identification can help to prevent future blockages, which could be costly to resolve, not to mention the inconvenience it causes.
While it is much preferred to call in the professionals if you are experiencing drainage problems, there are guides to unblocking minor drain blockages you can read online, which might help. Failing that, call out a reputable drainage company who would have the experience and resources to quickly identify and repair a damaged or blocked drain.
Detailed Survey Report
As you might expect, a drainage survey includes a comprehensive report, along with a certificate. It is essential to deal with a reputable company that use only certified drain surveyors to carry out inspections, and they would happily produce their certification upon request.
If you are thinking of buying an older property, having a drainage survey carried out is essential, as this will reveal the current condition of the drains, and if there is repair work needed, you can ask the seller to take care of this, rather than having a nasty surprise a few weeks later.
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