If you often have problems with leaves blocking your outside drains, then you need to find ways to keep the leaves out of this area. While leaves that pile up on top of a drain cover can be cleared away easily once you see that the drain is blocked, any leaves that get into the drain can block the drain itself under the grate.
These leaves are harder to get rid of and cause more serious drainage problems. What are the best ways to cut down on leaf blockages?
1. Clear Leaves Out of Your Garden
If you allow leaves to build up in your garden when they fall or are blown in, then eventually some of them will end up on or even in your drain. The easiest way to reduce the number of leaves that collect around a drain is to clear them out of your garden before they move into that area.
Get into the habit of having a regular clear-up when you have a lot of leaves on the ground. A few minutes with a rake or leaf blower allow you to collect and dispose of leaves before they get to be a drainage problem.
2. Fit Gutter Guards
If your leaf problem is coming through your guttering and down your run-off pipes, then there are a couple of ways to reduce leaf coverage from these spots. If you're putting in new gutters, you can fit ones with leaf guards. These guards prevent leaves from falling into your gutters and going down your pipes to your drain.
If you don't need new gutters right now, putting a temporary leaf guard in the top of your gutter's down pipes does the same kind of job. Leaves may fall into your gutters, but the guard stops them from coming down the pipes.
3. Replace Your Drain Cover
If leaves are getting into your drain through its cover, then it may be time to change the cover itself. For example, if your cover has larger drainage holes than usual, then some leaves may slip through into the drain. This also happens if your cover is broken and has big gaps or holes in it.
If you already have leaves blocking the inside of your drain, then your plumber can clear this blocked drain for you. They can also help you decide if you need a new drain cover to reduce the number of leaves that get into your drainage system.
