A big part of what we do when serving Crawley and surrounding locales throughout the South East, is putting right the mistakes of other drainage contractors. This is why we offer high-tech services like patch repairs, drain lining and CCTV drainage surveys. They allow us to see exactly why a system is failing to function optimally, and target problem areas without the need for excavation and expensive pipe replacements.

On this page, we’ve explored some of the common mistakes made by drainage contractors, and how we go about rectifying them. If you’re based in or around the Crawley area and have noticed a drop off in performance with your system, we urge you to contact us at your earliest convenience. We’ll send out a trained Lining Sector drainage contractor to carry out diagnostics and recommend the required drain repairs.

COMMON MISTAKES WE CORRECT WITH DRAIN REPAIRS IN CRAWLEY
 

WRONG PIPE SIZES – Most of the time, architects, civil engineers and surveyors figure out the right type and size of pipework that need to be linked up with a property. However, it’s not uncommon that for whatever reason the drainage contractor installs the wrong pipes. Sometimes, this doesn’t turn out to be hugely problematic. But other times, the pipes simply can’t deal with what’s demanded of them, because they’re too narrow or lack sufficient hydraulic capacity.

This then leads to blockages, and even structural failure that requires patch repair, drain lining or more severe drain repairs (which call for excavation). If we notice this error when conducting CCTV drainage surveys at your Crawley property, we’ll inform you but there might not be much we can do. Sure, we could replace the pipework with the right sized infrastructure. But unless the system has failed or is constantly causing you grief, this could be too expensive to be feasible. We’ll provide advice and assess it on a case-by-case basis.
 

WRONG PIPE GRADIENT – Systems need to employ pipes with the right gradient so that they are self-cleansing, and gravity can do the heavy lifting, carrying out waste to Crawley’s main sewers. But if a drainage contractor installs pipework with the wrong gradient, drains are far more likely to experience blockages and could even back-up.
 

Serious blockages can lead to the need for structural drain repairs, such as patch repairs and drain lining – so obviously this is a concern. But we’d only recommend excavating and re-fitting the pipework at the correct gradient if the problem is severe and causing constant blockages or back-up, much the same as with the previous issue.
 

IMPROPER BACKFILL – During drain installation, trenches are backfilled with material. Making a mistake here can be costly. Improper backfill can cause drainage pipes to settle over time, leading to flat sections which prevent the drain from self-cleansing and again, cause blockages. The mistake may just be that the drainage contractor didn’t properly distribute or compact the backfill…
 

This is a very frustrating and expensive issue to put right, as it usually involves a drainage contractor excavating the pipe to re-bed it. Luckily, we don’t encounter it that often while doing the rounds in Crawley and the wider South East.
 

POOR DESIGN – Architects are by no means infallible, especially these days when drain systems need to cope with all sorts of things like sanitary products and wet wipes which somehow (ahem) find themselves flushed down toilets.
 

Making the wrong design choices, like choosing the wrong material (like clay pipes for a property with lots of surrounding trees and nature), can cause problems down the line. Short of excavation and replacing poorly designed sections, a drainage contractor will need to deal with issues as and when they arise. CCTV drainage surveys help us identify these issues in an unobtrusive manner.
 

POOR CONSTRUCTION – The most common issue encountered is simply poor workmanship. As with any tradesman, there are good quality drainage contractors out there and those that will cut corners if presented the opportunity. Wrongly fitted bends with too tight a turn will cause poor flow throughout the system, reducing efficiency. Poorly fitted connectors/pipes can allow roots in which leads to structural damage and blockages.
 

The list goes on… Luckily, these are every day issues our drainage contractors are constantly putting right in Crawley and nearby areas. Gone are the days of having to excavate to carry out even rudimentary drain repairs. We’ll instead use patch repairs or drain lining to minimise disruption and costs, saving you both time and money.
 
Suffering from a drain-related issue in or around the Crawley area? Pick up the phone and call your trusted local drainage contractor, Lining Sector, for affordable drain repairs.