Blocked Drain Clearance

Most blockages build up slowly. Fat, oil and grease poured down the kitchen sink sets hard inside the pipe, wet wipes and sanitary products snag on joints, and soil, leaves and silt wash into outside gullies. Tree roots can also force their way into older clay pipes through cracked or displaced joints.

Once a blockage forms, water backs up, drains slowly or smells. Clearing it quickly prevents overflowing manholes, water damage and pressure on weak joints.

• Fat, oil and grease (FOG) from kitchens
• Wet wipes, nappies and sanitary products
• Leaves, silt and debris in outside gullies
• Tree root ingress in older clay pipes
• Collapsed or displaced pipe sections

Our engineer first finds where the blockage is — lifting inspection chambers and testing each run. Simple blockages are cleared with drain rods or an electro-mechanical cleaner; stubborn fat, scale and silt are removed with high-pressure water jetting, which scours the full bore of the pipe rather than punching a hole through the blockage.

If the drain keeps blocking, we can put a CCTV camera down the line to see why, and give you a clear written recommendation before any repair work.

In England, you are usually responsible for the drain that serves only your property, up to your property boundary. Since 1 October 2011, shared drains and lateral drains outside your boundary have generally been the responsibility of the local water company (Severn Trent Water or Anglian Water across our area). We can tell you on site which section is blocked and who is responsible for it.