Drainage & Plumbing News Blog

Registration of Septic Tanks by Environment Agency

Posted on April 3, 2012

Septic tankThe government is planning registration of septic tanks, sewerage treatment plants and cesspit. This will be enforced by the Environment Agency. The system is already live in Wales and is planned to be in operation later this year in England. This means your foul (sewerage) drainage and tank will be monitored, and we have been advised that the registration will mean you are obliged to maintain and repair it, and be fully aware of your responsibility to do so. Our free insurance advice may be able to help if you are faced with an order to repair.

Failed Tanks are very common in rural Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, and surrey which quite often have been damaged by roots, a broken drain, or other problems such as a failed soakaway, run off pipe, Herring bone system or even the T-pipes missing.

Old brick cesspits and septic tanks may need replacement and installation, of a package sewerage treatment plant or septic tank if necessary. This can be of low cost to the house holder and possibly free, along with the repairs to the drainage pipes serving the system.

Call Blockbusters on  0800 0689282 for free advice, site visit and inspection, and possible free repairs to your drainage system.

Posted in Drainage Advice, Plumbing Advice | | Leave a comment

Outside Water Mains – Why do they always burst or leak at this time of year?

Posted on March 23, 2012

A frozen pipe bursting in winterWater mains or “Water Supply Pipes” as they are known to domestic dwellings can freeze in cold weather conditions if they are not at the correct depth underground or if they are not adequately insulated if they are on the external side of the building. Whilst freezing the ice expands inside of the pipework and all the time it is frozen it doesn’t cause a problem until it melts and that is when the leaks appear.

The expansion of the ice in the pipe is what causes the pipe to crack or split and this is the section that will either have to be renewed or sometimes it is more cost effective to actually renew the complete water main rather than trying to find the exact position of the leak if it is underground.

Domestic water mains are now installed with 25mm Alkathene pipework which is flexible unlike the old barrel or steel or copper pipes which had no flexibility and this would take a certain amount of expansion when frozen.  Also the replacement of this water main is not as intrusive as years gone by as they can now be ‘moled’ in from point A to point B without the need for excavating driveways or gardens.

Homeowners obviously benefit from the fact that sometime there is residue in the water from the old steel pipes or if the water pipes are in lead there is evidence that this can cause lead poisoning.  By having the pipework renewed in alkathene this removes all these risk factors as well as probably increasing the flow rate considerably of your water supply to taps as the bore of the pipework is enlarged and clean.

Have you got a problem with a burst water main? Contact Blockbusters now about our water mains repair service.

Posted in Water Mains | Leave a comment

drain survey offers

Posted on November 9, 2011

We would like to inform you about an offer we are currently running on our website for what we believe to be the most competitively priced CCTV Drain Surveys available for Home Buyers in the market place.

This is an offer that we believe your clients will be keen to take up – so as a fellow Sussex business we would greatly appreciate any help you can give us to promote this.

At £45 plus VAT* this full CCTV Drain Survey for Domestic properties will help house buyers understand the condition of their new home’s drainage system and reduce the risk of inheriting a costly problem that may or may not be covered by a homeowners buildings insurance policy.

The good news is that by instructing a Blockbusters Home Buyers Drain Survey we can quickly make sure a purchaser does not inherit a problem but also through using an insurance mandate we can manage any potential drainage insurance claim through the seller’s policy and switch the benefit to the new buyer costing only the policy excess should one apply.

The benefit of this is that there is then no nasty surprises for buyers and no potentially expensive re-negotiation of house prices for the seller.

Our Homebuyers Survey includes:

  • Full CCTV Drain Survey to latest industry standards
  • With colour screenshots of footage showing condition
  • Schematic drawing of the property’s drainage system
  • Full written report detailing condition of the system
  • Any recommendations for maintenance or repair
  • Any prices for potential further works

We recommend that all home buyers consider having one of these very reasonably priced surveys – please see the special offer page on our website to take advantage of this great offer – or follow the link detailed below:

http://blockbusters.co.uk/special-offers/drain-surveys.php

Alternatively you can contact us on: 0800 0689282 quoting ref: HB45.

Posted in CCTV Drain Surveys | Leave a comment

Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering

Posted on October 17, 2011

BlockBusters are members of the CIPHE – and are also approved Water Main repairs and replacement specialists.  As well as our traditional services of drain unblocking and emergency plumbing our water main specialists provide the following additional service:

  • Water Main Repairs and Replacements
  • Sonic Leak Detection / Pipe Tracing
  • New Water Main Installations

We can also help you recover costs due to excess water loss and provide free advice and insurance mediation.

Please visit our website or call us: 0800 0689282

Posted in Blockbusters, Water Mains | | Leave a comment

How to unclog a sink

Posted on October 12, 2011

At Blockbuster we like to provide our customers with any basic tips and advice that may reduce potential drainage and plumbing problems and therefore save you money.

Unclogging a sink could be a very simple task if the blockage is minor and very localised to the plug hole.

If you are attempting to unblock the sink using a plunger:

  • Coat the edge of the plunger’s cup with vaseline (petroleum jelly) to improve suction
  • Add a couple of inches of water to the sink to also aid suction
  • Also cover the overflow holes with a damp cloth if possible to help build up pressure

Do’s & Don’ts of what to put down your sink:

  • Do not ever pour fat down sinks – over time this will solidify and lead to potentially bigger problems
  • Do not wash food debris down the sink – this will inevitably lead to a blockage
  • Make sure you regularly remove hairs from plug holes in sinks, baths and shower

For more serious blockages please do not hesitate to call us: 0800 0689282

Posted in Emergency Plumbing, Plumbing Advice | | Leave a comment

Transfer Of Private Drains & Sewers! What You Need To Know?

Posted on September 29, 2011

At BlockBusters we like to keep our customers fully informed about any changes that may have an impact on our customers and the wider community. We like to do this to make sure our customers are confident about the services on offer from drainage contractors and they get the best value for money.

On 1st October 2011 new government legislation comes into force that means water companies will take over the responsibility for some sewer pipes that have traditionally belonged to homeowners. This legislation is known as the Transfer of Private Sewers and although your householder may not experience any change you may actually benefit from the reduction in your liability.

In short most homeowners have been liable for their drainage system even when it has left their property boundary, right out until it reaches the main sewer, which is generally found in the public highway/road. Many private sewers service more than one property and historically homeowners would share this liability with their neighbours. See current situation image below:

Transfer Of Private Sewers Current Situation Pre Oct 2011
From 1st Oct water companies will now be responsible for the private sewer either when it leaves a property boundary or as soon as it goes shared with a neighbouring property – (even when this is within your boundary) – whichever happens first. See after transfer image below:

Transfer Of Private Sewers After Transfer 1st Oct 2011

So with this new legislation in mind – what should you do if you get a blocked drain or other drainage problems?

You need to continue to call us! – Bearing in mind that a large proportion of blockages occur internally or within your property boundary we are best placed to come out quickly and resolve both internal and external drainage or plumbing problems. We will investigate drainage liability so that if there is a more serious problem we can advise and help you. We also can provide free advice and refer you to a free insurance mediation service should you have a potential insurance claim. So no matter what the issue is you can be confident that BlockBusters will quickly find the most cost effective solution.

For more information regarding the Private Sewers Transfer or any drainage or plumbing problem do not hesitate to call us on 0800 0689282 or visit our website.

Posted in Drainage Industry News | | Leave a comment

Transfer Of Private Drains & Sewers! What You Need To Know?

Posted on September 29, 2011

At BlockBusters we like to keep our customers fully informed about any changes that may have an impact on our customers and the wider community. We like to do this to make sure our customers are confident about the services on offer from drainage contractors and they get the best value for money.

On 1st October 2011 new government legislation comes into force that means water companies will take over the responsibility for some sewer pipes that have traditionally belonged to homeowners. This legislation is known as the Transfer of Private Sewers and although your householder may not experience any change you may actually benefit from the reduction in your liability.

In short most homeowners have been liable for their drainage system even when it has left their property boundary, right out until it reaches the main sewer, which is generally found in the public highway/road. Many private sewers service more than one property and historically homeowners would share this liability with their neighbours. See current situation image below:

Transfer Of Private Sewers Current Situation Pre Oct 2011
From 1st Oct water companies will now be responsible for the private sewer either when it leaves a property boundary or as soon as it goes shared with a neighbouring property – (even when this is within your boundary) – whichever happens first. See after transfer image below:

Transfer Of Private Sewers After Transfer 1st Oct 2011

So with this new legislation in mind – what should you do if you get a blocked drain or other drainage problems?

You need to continue to call us! – Bearing in mind that a large proportion of blockages occur internally or within your property boundary we are best placed to come out quickly and resolve both internal and external drainage or plumbing problems. We will investigate drainage liability so that if there is a more serious problem we can advise and help you. We also can provide free advice and refer you to a free insurance mediation service should you have a potential insurance claim. So no matter what the issue is you can be confident that BlockBusters will quickly find the most cost effective solution.

For more information regarding the Private Sewers Transfer or any drainage or plumbing problem do not hesitate to call us on 0800 0689282 or visit our website.

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Exterior Drain Maintenance Tips

Posted on September 22, 2011

Blockbuster’ top tips to help you prevent repeat blockages and avoid those costly drain repair nightmares:

  • Make sure grid covers are in place and in good condition
  • Keep grid covers clear of leaves and debris
  • Clean gutters and downpipes every 6 months
  • Never put engine oil down a drain (there is a recycling tank located at your local waste disposal site)

If you are worried about your drain problems, have a blocked drain or just want some drainage advice please contact us via the form or give us a call on 0800 0689282 today and one of our team will be happy to help.

Posted in Drainage Advice | | 1 Comment