Is My Drain Cracked? How To Tell If Your Commercial Drain Needs Repairing

Introduction

Many businesses are hesitant to call out for emergency servicing, especially when they’re unsure what might be causing the issue. This is understandable. Not only can call outs be expensive but they can interrupt business and sometimes the problem is not caused by what was suspected, which may lead to needing to call out a different type of expert. So it’s wise to know what signs you might notice if your commercial drain needs repairing.

Here are a few things that could be a sign your drain is cracked or in need of repair:

Overflowing Or Slow Draining

If water is not flowing freely down your drain then your drain needs attention. A slow draining or overflowing drain is likely just a blockage caused when foreign materials, such as leaves, silt, oil, fat, mud or other matter, have got into the gully or pipes. This can be easily dealt with. The Drain Guys offer a drain unblocking service that can be carried out with minimal disruption to your business and will leave your drains flowing freely once more.

However, a blocked drain may also be caused by damage to the pipes. Perhaps even a collapsed drain. If your drains are regularly experiencing blockages then there could be a result of damage to the pipes. The best way to find out if this is the case is our CCTV survey. This can help us to establish where the source of the problem is, enabling us to devise the most efficient way of fixing the damage with minimal disruption to your business.

Get in touch to find out if a CCTV survey can help find the source of your drainage problem.

Sewage Smells

Just because you can’t see water, doesn’t mean there isn’t a leak or overflow somewhere in your system and the first sign of this is usually a very unwelcome stench. In commercial premises, it’s not going to take too long to notice a persistent smell of sewage. If you’ve noticed this more than a couple of times, even if it isn’t a constant presence, then you should call out a drainage service to check your systems. Even if you can’t see any damage, a sewage smell is certainly a sign that something isn’t working properly and the earlier you address this, the easier any repair is likely to be.

Usually, when you begin to smell the wastewater it’s only a matter of time until you start seeing signs of it and that’s when it gets even more unpleasant and costly to fix.

Damp And Mould

If your commercial premises is regularly ventilated then there’s little cause for damp or mould patches on the walls, ceilings or floors. In old buildings or premises that aren’t heated, such as factories and warehouses, it can be easy to dismiss dampness and mould as being issues that have arisen from the cold. Similarly, in commercial kitchens, it’s easy to blame dampness on condensation. Whilst there may be many reasons for damp or mould to appear it is important to know the cause for certain because in commercial premises the problem will need to be addressed.

Once you are sure your building is being regularly ventilated, have checked the gutters and tried keeping the building temperature warmer, then it’s time to consider that the problem could be drain related. When there’s an issue of damp or mould patches in a building it could be a sign that wastewater is not leaving the property. This can become a serious problem because what may seem like a little damp is really a build-up of water that will inevitably lead to a leak or even a collapsed ceiling or cracked wall. Once it has got to this stage repairs are going to be far more costly and are likely to significantly impact your business.

Our advice is not to ignore damp in or around a commercial building. If you have tried other ways of discouraging damp and the problem has not gone away then there may be a problem in the pipes. The Drain Guys may be able to identify whether there is a problem using our CCTV solution. Or else we may be able to otherwise inspect the area. We will cause minimal disruption to the business whilst identifying if there is a drainage issue that needs attention.

Subsidence

When an outdoor drain has collapsed, the ground around it will be affected. If the soil has become damp, even when the weather is dry, and the ground appears to dip, then this could be a sign of a collapsed drain beneath.

A collapsed drain will need immediate repair as wastewater will not be able to flow away and this can lead to unsanitary problems. Drain cracks that result in subsidence can have a domino effect too, causing all sorts of larger problems if not dealt with.

Of course, subsidence can present itself indoors too when a drain has collapsed, compromising the integrity of the building. If large cracks have appeared after a period of dry weather then this could be caused by a collapsed drain that has resulted in one part of the wall separating into the gap. Although there can be other causes of cracks appearing it’s worth exploring a CCTV solution to find out whether the cause is a drain issue. Using this method, we can quickly identify if there is a problem and where it is, meaning we can target the area in need of repair. Or, we may be able to let you know if there is no collapsed drain, without having had to have caused damage to your property to find this out.

What To Do If Your Commerical Property Has A Damaged Drain

The most important thing to do if you suspect a cracked or collapsed drain is to get it seen to as quickly as possible. In any property, but particularly in a commercial business, the longer the problem persists the bigger the risk. When a drain is cracked or otherwise in need of repair, this is likely to progress to damp problems, then a leak and possible collapse of a wall or ceiling or flooding issues if the leak is coming from underground. You’re then facing costly repairs in your premises and are likely to have to close for a period of time whilst this is dealt with. The first repair that will be made is to the drain. So, doing this before the problem escalates will save you potentially very costly repairs.

You may be hesitant to call out a service if you are unsure of the problem, or whether there even is a problem because you’re concerned about any damage being done to the property to access the drainage system. However, our CCTV solution means that we can usually explore the potential issue without the need to take up flooring or cause disruption during our investigative process.

If you’re seeing any signs that your commercial drain needs repairing, then get in touch today and one of our experts will be able to assist you in finding the source of the problem.