What is Gully Cleaning?

At First Response Drainage, we provide gully cleaning services. However, most people ignore their gullies and let them accumulate debris until they are blocked. So, we have decided to cover everything you should know about this drainage network before you need emergency drain unblocking. From cleaning it yourself to their benefits, here’s everything you should know.

blocked gully drain

The purpose drain gullies and cleaning them?

A gully drain is a drainage system that has an open top, to collect wastewater and rainwater. The gully then deposits this excess water into a suitable drain. Their purpose is to remove waste and water that could cause flooding. 

Therefore, gully cleaning is the process of removing debris from this network to allow it to function properly. This is typically done to improve drainage and prevent flooding. Gullies can become clogged with leaves, twigs, and other organic matter, or even rubbish like plastic, which can block drainage and cause water to back up. In some cases, it may also involve removing blockages from pipes. Gullies should be cleaned on a regular basis to ensure proper drainage.

The benefits of gully drains

As mentioned previously, their biggest benefit is removing unwanted waste.

A domestic gully drain will dispose of surface water from your garden, rainwater from your guttering, and grey wastewater from your washing machine, dishwasher, bath, shower and sink. 

A lot of these liquids around your property can create awful smells. With this sort of drainage system, there’s a device called a trap that seals off this waste. This process also stops groundwater from entering the wastewater network. If the groundwater enters the wrong network, it can cause overflowing, which could damage your property.

Where is a gully located?

Obviously, to be able to clean your drain, you need to be able to find where yours is located. Units are located around the side or back of your property. One thing to note is that if your gully drain is blocked, you will be able to smell its waste. It’s unlikely you will need to find it based on smell, but it can look like other outside drains at times. However, the smell can make them distinguishable from other drain systems. Often they have a square or circular shaped grid at the top of them too.  

How to clean gully trap

Sometimes a gully can be cleaned without needing an expert, however, you will need one piece of specialist equipment. This will usually be the case if you carry out regular maintenance on it or find that very little debris or water goes down your unit. Without further a do, let’s talk about the equipment you need to do this at home:

  • Rubber gloves
  • Goggles 
  • Plunger 
  • Hose pipe or power washer
  • Wet and dry vacuum (do not use your indoor vacuum!)

Once you have assembled these items, you can start the cleaning process. By taking these steps, you can help ensure that your gully drain stays clean and functional

  1. While wearing the gloves and goggles, you can remove the gully grid
  2. Now, if you notice any debris in the gully trap, you can remove it simply by picking it out
  3. Once you have removed any debris, you should use your plunger on the trap
  4. At this point use your wet and dry vacuum to remove any further debris that you couldn’t remove by hand
  5. Finally, use your hose or power washer to clean the system

If you have a gully drain on your property, it’s essential to keep it clean and free of debris. Otherwise, the drain can become clogged and cause flooding.

How often should a gully be cleaned?

Your unit should be cleaned at least once every two years. However, if you live in an area that has lots of rainfall or you notice that debris falls onto the grate, you should clean it once every 4 months.

What to do if your gully drain is blocked?

If your gully drain is blocked and you have tried cleaning it yourself, you should contact a drainage company. Leaving your unit blocked can lead to further damage to your property.

​​We provide 24-hour support, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to London and home counties like Hertfordshire. You can get in contact with our gully cleaning experts and First Response can be with you in under an hour. Just make sure you call us on 0800 043 4860.