What do I do if my property becomes flooded?

What do I do if my property becomes flooded?

For the most part, problems with your drains can be fixed quickly and efficiently without causing too much damage to your property. However, sometimes you are faced with a problem that has been left ignored for too long and has grown in both size and severity. Flooding is a very serious result of these situations, and it is important to know what to do if you are faced with a flood in your home.

Pipes that have either collapsed or burst are the main culprits for flooded properties. Not only will these issues cause damage the drainage system itself, but the property will become flooded because the water is no longer contained within the pipe. You will often find that it is older drains that are more worn out that are more likely to have cracks in them, and once a crack appears the drain becomes weak and more likely to break down.

Tree roots and rodents can find their way into a drain easily if there are cracks in it, and this will only worsen the situation, as the pressure on the drain grows until it cannot take any more. Once the drain collapses and the water has a way out, there is little you can do to stop it from causing a great deal of damage. It is always a good idea to take precautionary steps in order to prevent this from happening, such as ensuring that you are correctly disposing of all waste, as well as getting regular drain surveys.

Flooding poses a major health risk, as well as causing a large amount of damage to your property. The bacteria in the wastewater will very quickly contaminate any surfaces in your property that it comes into contact with, and disease can be spread if you or anyone else in your home makes contact with this bacteria. Make sure to take extra precautionary steps to keep yourself and everyone who lives at your property safe from illness.

If you find yourself with a flood in your home, the first and most important thing to do is to isolate any electrical circuits that the flood could come into contact with by switching the supply off at the fuse box. The risk of electrocution is incredibly high when water comes into contact with an electrical circuit, so for your own safety make sure to do this as soon as you spot the flood.

Once you have switched off the fuse box, you will need to call a professional drain technician to drain the water from your property. After the water has been cleared away, make sure to treat anything that has come into contact with the wastewater with disinfectant, to avoid any further spreading of the bacteria that can be found in the water. Make sure to always wear rubber gloves in case you come across any sharp objects while clearing up, as well as preventing further contamination. You must also regularly wash your hands as an extra precautionary measure.

If any electrical circuits or equipment has become flooded you may need to call an electrician.
The best way to prevent flooding is to avoid flushing away waste that should be thrown in the bin. Many people make the mistake of flushing food waste down the sinks, when in reality this is one of the main causes of blockages. Food substances that are oily, greasy or fatty will easily stick to the walls of drains, causing obstructions meaning that the water cannot be passed through the pipe smoothly. Toilets can also become easily flooded when foreign objects are flushed away. Items such as nappies, baby wipes, and sanitary items are too big for the drains to handle, and the materials do not break down fast enough to be washed away easily, so they will very quickly block your toilet. The longer you continue to incorrectly dispose of waste, the bigger the buildup will get, and so the more severe that damage will be.