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    Five Easy Tips for Preventing Drain Blockage Outside

    5th January 2023

    Blocked drains produce foul-smelling odours and can cause the outside of your home to flood. If left untreated, they can compromise both human health and the structural integrity of your property.

    Many people are unsure as to who is responsible for fixing blocked outside drains. As a general rule, if the outside drain blockage is located within the boundaries of your property, you are responsible for fixing it. Repairs often prove costly, which is why it’s important to do everything you can to prevent a blocked outside drain in advance.

    As drain unblocking specialists with 25 years of industry experience, we’ve shared five easy tips you can follow to keep your drains in the best possible condition. However, if you’re worried about your outdoor drains or are looking for additional reassurance, we’d highly recommend booking our CCTV drain survey, complete with a report on your drain systems.

    Install Drain Covers

    Also known as grid guards, drain covers are fitted over the opening in your water drains to prevent leaves, twigs, mud and other debris from entering and clogging your pipes. Installing drain covers is one of the simplest, most cost-effective ways of ensuring that your outdoor drains are protected from blockages.

    Remove Leaves from Your Garden

    It’s no secret that autumn produces a lot of leaves – the number one enemy when it comes to blocked drains. It may be tiresome, but regularly removing leaves from your garden will save you a lot of time and effort in the long run, whether you prefer to use a leaf blower or a traditional rake. Make sure to remove the leaves completely using a gardening waste bin to prevent them from blowing back.

    Remove Debris by Hand

    If you notice any debris in or around your drains, remove it immediately. What looks like a couple of leaves can soon turn into a large blockage, threatening the integrity of your home. We highly recommend using rubber gloves to do this so that you can maintain hygiene levels.

    Use A Pressure Hose

    If you’re looking to take prevention that one step further, you might like to wash your gutters with a pressure hose on a regular basis to prevent build-up. If you’re not confident using a ladder, it may be a good idea to call in the professionals to tackle this for you. At Cotswolds Drainage, we also offer a CCTV survey service that allows you to examine the state of your drains over time, so you’ll know exactly when to take out the pressure hose, whether you want to do it yourself or prefer us to take care of it for you.

    Regularly Check Your Drains

    As mentioned above, checking your drains on a regular basis can help to prevent build-up. Our CCTV survey service is available from £190 plus VAT – saving you a lot of money in the long term compared to the potential costs of drainage repairs. We’ll come out to your site and conduct a survey for free as part of our regular callout service, so it’s worth getting in touch.

    Learn How to Clear Blocked Drains In Six Simple Steps By Checking Out Our Quick Guide

    We hope the points shared above help you to keep your drains clean and healthy. If you’re also interested in finding out how to keep your indoor drains working as efficiently as possible, you might like to read our blog on the ten common causes of blocked drains, where we share tips on how to prevent potential blockages and damage. However, for the best possible peace of mind when it comes to your drains, we’d always recommend taking advantage of our CCTV monitoring service.

    Why wait? Book your CCTV survey and drain report today by speaking to a member of our expert team today on 01386 882324 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..


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    Contact our friendly and professional team via form, phone or email for any drainage issues you may have.

    From blocked drains to septic tank repairs and replacements, we're here to help. We have over 25 years of experience and offer 24/7 emergency callouts.


    Fantastic service; needed them to do a CCTV build-over survey. Ended up having to get them out twice due to problems beyond their control, but they tried their best to work around those problems before having to give up. Was informed about arrival times, everyone I spoke to or saw was friendly and professional, and the report I got back was clear enough that even I could read it!
    - Drummond Ogilvie
    Excellent service from initial phone query through to getting the job done. They are professional, reliable and provide prompt, efficient service. Would recommend.
    - Lucy Bird
    From the telephonist to the operative, Cotswold Drainage was helpful, flexible, and professional in its work. It arrived on time and went out of its way to show excellent camera footage of the drains.
    - Geoffrey
    Survey: Excellent service delivered by highly skilled personnel using state of the art equipment. The results of the survey and implications were helpfully explained in detail. Couldn’t have been better. Value for money without doubt.
    - Jeff Cole
    Professional service which was straightforward to arrange and work carried out competently. Polite and friendly engineer.
    - Mark Parry
    Very pleasant & efficient service with good communication & outcome.
    - John Filmer
    As always, a quick reliable service. Whats more important than that for drainage issues?
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