Trench drains are one of the best drainage solutions for many applications. They are practical and work really well, and they are easy to care for. They are also pleasant to look at since they are quite discrete and can be made more attractive with decorative grate covers.
If you are thinking about installing this kind of drainage system, you might be wondering how you clean and care for it. Maintenance of your trench drain system is important. Knowing how to care for a trench drain system is important to protect the function and longevity of your drainage system.
Do Trench Drains Require Maintenance?
As mentioned above, trench drains require maintenance. All drain types require maintenance at least annually. Depending upon the location of your trench drain, you might have to undertake maintenance processes a few times a year to prevent drainage blockages and other issues.
The more debris or chemical exposure that a trench drain suffers exposure to on a daily basis, the more often it will need to be maintained and cleaned. Trench drains that are in industrial locations often need to be cleaned weekly, but home drainage systems might be fine with one maintenance session a year.
Why is Maintaining a Drainage System Important?
It’s critical to maintain your trench drain system so that it does not become clogged with dirt or debris and to ensure that the drain itself will not be undermined. Drains that are clogged badly can actually fail, and chemical exposure without cleanup can also lead to the breakdown of some drain materials.
Caring for your trench drain setup is critical to ensure that your drains are going to work properly and to make sure that they last for many years. Some locations will not put much pressure on a drain, and you might never think about cleaning out these drains. However, over time, there will be silt, debris, and other detritus that will collect in any trench drain. This can still lead to problems with your drain’s performance and longevity over time, which is why all trench drains need to be checked out and maintained at least once a year.
How do you Maintain a Drainage System?
There are some key steps that need to be taken to care for and maintain any trench drainage system. Knowing about these steps can help you to keep your drain performing perfectly throughout every season and for years of use.
Keep Areas Around the Drain Clean
The first thing that everyone should know about caring for a trench drain system is that you need to keep the area around the trench clear of debris like leaves, mud, or offal from industrial processes. It is much easier to clean up these kinds of messes before they go into the drain and potentially clog it. The cleaner the area around your trench drain, the better the health of your trench drainage system as a whole.
Clean Out the Trench
It is easier to clean out your trench drains than you might think. Industrial locations often have set protocols for this work to be done weekly at least, but homeowners might not realize that they can undertake these tasks too. You can lift out the drain covers over your trench drain and rinse or sweep out the material that had fallen into the drain. There are various cleaning tools that are made to clean out trench drainage systems, and you could invest in these tools to help clean up any messes or debris that have been collecting in the bottom of the trench.
Take Care of Clogs Right Away
If your drains are backing up when it rains hard or when there is a lot of runoff that needs to pass through them, you need to make sure that you clean out the clog that is causing this issue right away. If you find out that a clog is not the problem and the drain has failed for some reason, you need to attend to this issue right away as well. When water runs underneath the trench drain itself, it can undermine the entire system and wash away the support for the entire structure of the drain. You will want to take care of standing water issues and clogs as soon as possible for the well-being and longevity of your drain system.
Keep the Grates On
Sometimes grates will get knocked off the trench, or they might start to wear out and allow in larger items to wash down the drain. When your trench drain is open to the elements without the benefit of a grate, large items can get washed into the trench and cause damage to it. This can lead to all kinds of problems along the entire length of the drainage system, which you will want to avoid.
On top of problems with the drain itself, you might also be exposing people around the trench to injury or accidents related to slipping or falling into the open trench. The grates on your trench drains are a key part of the correct performance of the entire drainage system. Keeping them in good repair and in place over the trench is critical for the well-being of your trench drain system.
Caring for a Trench Drain System is Easy
Unlike many other drainage solutions, caring for a trench drain system is quite simple. This kind of drain is meant to be hardy and to hold up to daily use and abuse. You will probably be able to get away with providing maintenance to your drainage systems only once a year unless you notice problems in the drain’s performance.
Make sure that you keep the area around your drains clear of debris and refuse and that you replace missing or broken grates right away. Taking these kinds of steps all year long will help to ensure that your drainage system lasts for years to come.
