When should drains be cleaned?

The best time to clean drain pipes is in the autumn, winter or early spring. But if it becomes apparent, during periods of heavy rain in other seasons, that the pipes are not draining the water as they should, the drains also need to be cleaned. There can be a number of reasons as to why a drain may not be removing water, or not removing enough water, following extreme rain. These are outlined below.

Optimal effect

For the cleaning to have optimal effect, the groundwater must be at the level of the drain pipes or slightly higher. The drainage of water during the winter season makes cleaning even more effective. Moreover, the higher groundwater level means that the soil immediately surrounding the drain pipe is not completely dry. This minimises the risk of soil particles being washed into the pipe again. Making contaminating (soil) particles mobile must be avoided at all costs. In the autumn, winter and early spring, the drains will begin to flow again as soon as the contamination in the filter cloth has been removed.

Practical

Cleaning drains is, therefore, most effective in the periods mentioned above. Scheduling cleaning during these times is also very practical as most plots are fallow. Plus for agricultural businesses and contractors, it’s much easier to organise drain cleaning at these times of year.