How to stop autumn leaves blocking your drains

This week marks the beginning of autumn and while we’re very excited to see the leaves change from green to beautiful autumnal colours of orange, red and gold, we’re not so thrilled to see them clog up our outdoor drains.

We’ve been unblocking drains for 25 years and know how frustrating (and costly) this time of year can be for wreaking havoc on your drains, pipes and gutters. Luckily, Drain Doctor are here to share our four easy preventative steps you can take to stop autumn leaves blocking your drains.

Check your drains

Take advantage of crisp autumnal mornings and head outdoors so you can inspect your drains for any foliage that may have made its way in there. Simply slip on a pair of gloves and scoop up any leaves that have blown into the drain or gutter.

If you notice leaves beginning to build up in your garden, best way to protect your outdoor drains is to rake up any fallen leaves and either put them in your green bin or add them to your compost heap!

Purchase some drain guards

A drain guard is a convenient attachment that covers your drain to prevent anything other than water from entering the drain. They essentially function like a sieve by catching debris, intercepting autumn leaves and stopping them from causing blocked drains.

However, you will need to regularly clean out your drain guards and collect the debris they catch. While your drains will be protected, a build-up of leaves may result in the drain guard itself becoming blocked which could potentially risk flooding the surrounding area.

Can you use a wet dry vacuum for leaves?

A nifty wet-dry vacuum is the ultimate tool to have around your house during the autumn period! Whilst they great at hoovering dry dust and dirt around your home, they are also designed to hoover up liquids. This combination of features makes them a fantastic option for clearing soggy leaves and grime from any drains and gutters around your property.

Invest in Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM)

At Drain Doctor, we offer regular planned preventative maintenance (PPM) plans to suit you. Rather than waiting for drains to become blocked or guttering to become damaged, we pre-empt any problems and put a fix in place at the first opportunity.

What is planned preventative maintenance?

Planned preventative maintenance is the use of maintenance tasks such as replacement of parts or regular cleaning which help prevent the risk of long term problems. Having a PPM plan also gives you peace of mind over the cost and health of your drains. You can leave it to Drain Doctor to limit any trouble you may face this Autumn.

If all else fails, Drain Doctor are on hand to provide 24/7 drainage support across the UK. Our skilled technicians use the latest advanced clearing equipment to remove blockages efficiently and provide a long-lasting solution. To find out more about our services, contact our expert drainage technicians at Drain Doctor on 0800 707172.