Concrete in drains casues blockages and damage to pipes

Cement, grout & glue in drain pipes: A recipe for disaster

Out of sight, out of mind might be a great philosophy to employ when getting rid of clutter around the house. Only when it comes to using your home's drains and toilets like a garbage disposal, the practice can come back to bite you.

It may come equally a shock to some people, but household pipes are not designed to act as a repository for everything that will fit down the pigsty. And whilst gravity and water flow might be enough to get things out of sight, if it'southward non meant for drainage and sewer systems it will often block pipes and actually give your mind (and your hip pocket) something to piece of work on.

This article discusses some of the most mutual ways cement and other building materials notice their way into pipes and the damage that tin be caused. Information technology also offers some helpful advice to keep tradesmen honest so you lot don't cease upwards with blocked cement in drain pipes.

How practice you get cement in drain pipes?

From what nosotros've been told, plumbers run across a lot more than cement in drain pipes than you lot'd expect. Things like selfleveling compounds, tile grout and fifty-fifty adhesives seem to find their mode down into our precious drains, and the issues that can ensue are significant. Only how practise yous go things like cement in the shower drain in the kickoff place?

Lazy indifference:

If you've ever used a cement mixer you'll know cleaning information technology out after a few loads will produce a lot more than physical (both hard and soft) than your logical brain would consider was a healthy batter to pour down the drainage arrangement. Simply often when light is fading, the mossies are biting and information technology'southward been a long 24-hour interval, people get lazy. For the nearly function, cement and other building products detect their way into drains because of laziness or complete disregard. During renovations/new builds tradesmen (and fifty-fifty domicile handy persons) have to frequently rinse hands and equipment and that conveniently big and sturdy laundry sink tin can sometimes be a temptation too hard to resist.

Ignorance or accident:

The most mutual 'accidental' means past which concrete ends up in drains is when a bathroom is beingness renovated and newfloor bedding installed. Getting the right fall on the bedding (so that water drains correctly) tin can sometimes mean working very close to the shower or central drain and it'southward easy for excess material to autumn through the grates.

Fifty-fifty when renovators/tradespeople are trying to do the right thing and washing up their tools etc. outside, depending on how drains are configured there is still a chance that considerable amounts of physical, grout, plastering product and tile glue can make its way into the pipes. From there information technology settles and eventually dries, forming blockages that can trap other items travelling through the drain

There can also be times where a pocketbook of cement will accidentally be spilt and one way or some other ends up in the pipes, or a mound of plasterer's cement drops into the toilet bowl, merely they are less mutual.

Maliciously:

Finally, there are times where disgruntled tenants or contractors will intentionally fill a drain with concrete every bit a means of revenge. Plumbers share tales of landlords who had to get heavy with a tenant to become them out of a property but to find (months later) the pipes are bankroll up. When they investigate, they find their drains are chock full of hardened cement thanks to the angry tenant intentionally filling them with cement. With no prove to prove what has happened, they have lilliputian way of beingness compensated and depending on the severity of the blockage the whole plumbing organisation may need to exist replaced, costing thousands.

Angry contractors, as well, have been known to utilise this trick to become back at developers who they believe oasis't kept up their finish of the bargain. Often by the fourth dimension the h2o is connected in the new building and the trouble is discovered, there are few options for compensation because lack of bear witness and often they have to start from scratch and install new plumbing.

What bug can cement in drain pipes cause?

When cement and other building products are diluted and moving through a piping, things will appear to be fine. Merely it can be a very different story one time the taps are turned off.

  1. When water flow stops the sand and aggregate particles settle in bends, joints, and low-lying bellies or sections of pipe.
  2. If there is no water in that section of piping and the product is allowed to dry it becomes difficult.
  3. Fifty-fifty when water begins flowing again the hardened mass will often remain stuck to the walls of the pipage.
  4. Thereafter information technology will human action as somewhat of a dam reducing the piping's bore and flow rate and trapping other matter (nutrient, hair, grease etc.) equally information technology moves through the pipe.
  5. Eventually, a drain blocked with cement will block and back up birthday, pregnant it will demand to be cleared out.
  6. Depending on how long the blockage has been in that location and what harm is done in the concrete removal process pipes may need to be replaced or relined.

five Tips to avert having cement in bleed pipes

If you're renovating or having any piece of work done on your house which involves the utilize of cement, concrete, grout, floor levelers, glues and adhesives we advise y'all accept the proactive approach.

1. Inquire tradesmen how they intend to clean upwards after themselves.

When gathering quotes, ask each trade how they program to make clean up their tools. Discussing this upfront will put them on notice that you practice not expect their response to exist that information technology will get downward your drains. If they are working in the bathroom or nigh sinks you tin can also enquire them to use duct record to encompass the grates and drains so that remnants exercise non accidentally fall in.

Mayhap besides explain you lot regularly have CCTV drain inspections equally role of your pipe maintenance schedule (you do, don't you lot?) and that y'all want nix left in the drains post-renovation. Get information technology in writing that if annihilation's found, they will be liable. This may non hold upwards in court, just information technology certainly makes it clear you're serious about keeping your pipes clear of sediment and unwanted rubbish.

2. Cock signage requesting that sinks are non used for cleanup.

Even with that said and agreed upon, there are other steps you can take to hit the message abode. Erecting a sign most any garden, laundry or garage sheds (and even the bath sink if they are working in at that place) will help. Inquire that no concrete, glue, cement powder or other building pass up be done down the drain equally a friendly reminder that you're serious about non having drains blocked with physical.

3. Provide an alternate place for them to clean up.

That said, the poor tradies do have to launder up somewhere. If you are stipulating they don't utilize the sinks and drains in your abode, you volition accept to provide them with an culling. Perhaps speak with them first virtually what will work best, but don't exist afraid to make suggestions that work for you also. You might desire to provide some big buckets or fifty-fifty a 'clam-shell' kids' pool filled with water for them to rinse tools in. It will work out much cheaper than a blocked drain.

iv. Hose off in the grand with DIY jobs.

Of form, if it's a DIY job around the abode it might be y'all or your partner who's covered in concrete grit or needs to wash tools. Again, get the buckets ready before yous get-go and hose off in the 1000 when you're done to reduce the risk of getting cement in the shower drain. Even a small blockage tin can trap other thing over time and get a much bigger problem. Every bit far as possible, try to ensure the run-off in the yard isn't going off into another drainage system, especially if you're rinsing out a cement mixer. Aim to rinse or wash on pebbles or pavers and then that rest won't harm plants or grass. Anything that hardens tin also be easily removed afterward.

5. Erect full general signage about what can and tin't get down the sink.

Fifty-fifty if you don't have a big renovation job right now, erecting signage discouraging washing cement-covered hands or tools in the laundry or garage sink tin can also help reduce the likelihood of having drains blocked with concrete. Some people seem to think that just because laundries and garages are places where 'piece of work' is washed, the sinks there are miraculously unlike to the other sinks and drains in a dwelling house. They're not. Sinks in laundries, garages, tool sheds, toilets and even the drains under grates in the 1000, are all connected to your waste systems. They're not designed to transport cement or other building materials away from the home and to use them this fashion is asking for trouble.

If you recollect you might have blocked pipes on your property you can learn virtually common signs hither. If you want more information about cement, physical, or other building products in pipes and how to remove them, contact us atnuflow.cyberspace