Cleaning pump chambers, flushing gutters and emptying sand traps – how does it work, and why is it so important for your housing association?
Sand traps, pump chambers, gutters and downpipes must all be maintained regularly, but how often and who is responsible may vary. As a rule, the board of the housing cooperative or owners’ association is responsible for maintenance, and this includes, amongst other things, ensuring that the sand trap on the property is emptied, the pump chamber is cleaned, and the gutters and downpipes are flushed clear of dirt and debris.
Consequential damage caused by, for example, flooding can quickly become both extensive and costly, so it is wise to ensure regular and proper maintenance. And, not least, if you are to receive any compensation from your insurance in the event of damage, you should take this responsibility seriously.
Here are some tips for those of you responsible for maintenance in housing cooperatives and apartment blocks:
– if you are to receive any compensation from your insurance in the event of a claim, such a responsibility should be taken seriously
Cleaning of pump chambers
Cleaning the pump chamber is important to prevent leaks or blockages in the system. However, as an owner in a co-ownership or housing association, you should also do your bit. You are responsible for maintaining the pipes in your own home – right up to the point where they branch off into a communal pipe.
The pump sump is often cleaned as part of routine inspections and servicing, usually twice a year. The work itself is carried out by professionals with their own tanker and sludge suction unit. Just make sure you receive documentation confirming that the work has been carried out correctly.
If you need your pump sump cleaned, please feel free to get in touch for a no-obligation chat. Get in touch with us here!
Emptying the sand trap
The housing association is responsible for emptying and cleaning the sand trap. If this causes problems such as flooding, damage or environmentally harmful discharges, the owners responsible for the sand trap will be liable for compensation or, in the worst case, face a fine. An important measure to prevent this is to empty the sand trap regularly. Unfortunately, many people forget to include this as part of their maintenance routines.
But what is a sand trap?
A sand trap can, for example, be a drain, a manhole or a grate. You’ll find them everywhere – on streets and roads, in courtyards, in blocks of flats and in car washes at petrol stations – to name but a few.
They perform a useful and necessary task because they filter out dirt, sand, gravel, soil and toxins before surface water – the water that sits on the ground – enters the municipal sewer network. A sewer network which, in many places, is unable to drain large volumes of water quickly enough. We see examples of this time and again during heavy rainfall, particularly in towns and cities, which can lead to surface water flooding. By emptying the sand traps, we can prevent major damage to the surrounding area, the environment, property and the drainage systems.
There are several factors that determine how often a sand trap needs to be cleaned. These include its location on the site, whether a lot of grit has been spread during the winter season, and the volume of traffic passing over the trap.
A rule of thumb, however, is that you should empty the sand trap once it has reached fifty per cent of its maximum storage capacity, so that there is always a little leeway in the event of fluctuations in the amount of sand and gravel, or if delays occur.
Emptying and cleaning a grit trap is a job for qualified professionals with suitable collection equipment. We would be happy to carry out an inspection and, together with you, arrange a schedule for regular cleaning of the grit trap. Get in touch here!
Cleaning of gutters and downpipes
Gutters and downpipes are sometimes required to drain large volumes of water in a short space of time, so it is absolutely essential that they are free of dirt and debris that could block the waterways. Blocked gutters can lead to unpleasant – and costly – damp and water damage. The cost of cleaning gutters and downpipes is therefore a small price to pay when compared to the bill you’ll face if you neglect this task. In most cases, insurance companies will not cover damage resulting from uncleaned gutters and a lack of maintenance, so it is important to be thorough here.
An annual clear-out, ideally in the autumn once the leaves have really started to fall, is the minimum required to prevent blocked gutters. However, it is a good idea to clean them more often and check them regularly – this usually allows you to spot partially blocked downpipes before they cause any problems. This involves removing leaves, dirt, branches, birds’ nests and moss growth, amongst other things. This should be a natural and routine part of the maintenance work carried out by either the caretaker or other responsible members of the housing association. Clean gutters also reduce the formation of icicles.
Do you have any questions or need help with clearing and cleaning your gutters or downpipes? Please get in touch with us, we’d be happy to help!
Don’t forget the pipes
And by all means: don’t forget the pipes! Many blocks of flats and housing co-operatives still have old water and drainage pipes that are past their prime. It may be worth arranging a pipe inspection every few years, so that any necessary pipe replacement can be planned well in advance and does not become a costly emergency measure.
Questions about pipe inspection?
Pump chamber
If your housing association has installed a pump chamber, this will grind up everything carried in the waste water before it is pumped out into the sewer. Waste water refers to water from, amongst other things, the toilet, shower, washbasin and sink. To ensure the safe operation of the pump, all residents are responsible for ensuring that certain rules are followed:
