Drain Unblocking

We know how stressful it is to have a blocked drain at your property. That’s why we aim to have one of our specialists to you quickly if you need a drain unblocking.

The fact that a blocked drain can easily overflow and cause a health hazard means there’s little time to wait. Our team of specialists are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help with unblocking your drains. Whether you’re a commercial or residential property owner, we can help wherever you are in London or around the M25.

If your drains are slow running, it’s advisable to get them cleaned and avoid them becoming fully blocked. However, if your drains need unblocking our engineers can fix the problem, no matter what type of drain clearance you need: 

Scale

Hard water areas, including London, are particularly prone to blockages due to build-up of  mineral content (scale). Solid deposits of minerals can form over time, leading to narrowing of pipes and eventually to blocked drains.

Household items

Wet wipes are one of the most common causes of blockages, along with sanitary products like tampons. They’re both commonly flushed down the toilet, as are cotton buds and cotton pads. Any man-made products that aren’t designed to break down quickly in water can cause blockages.

Kitchen paper and tissues can cause blockages if they’re flushed down toilets. Toilet paper is specifically designed to break down quickly in water.

Grease & fats

Though small amounts seem harmless at the time, grease and fats can harden together when they get rinsed down the kitchen sink. These build-ups are often found in drains around blocks of flats or house conversions. This is because the extra volume produced by multiple homes connected to the same drain system.

The drains can’t match the extra demands being placed upon it from multiple residences. 

Garden waste

External drains can get clogged up from garden waste and litter. Leaves, twigs, silt, stones and other garden debris can find their way in, as can plastic bags and other rubbish. This usually happens when they get caught up in rainwater flow.

All of our engineers have a range of mechanical equipment and tools to carry out drain unblocking.

1. High-pressure drain jetting equipment

These machines are capable of breaking up any type of material that’s causing a blockage. The power of this equipment limits its use to secondary (external) pipework. This is because it could easily cause damage to primary pipework inside a property.

2. Electro-mechanical ‘sani-snakes’

The electric motors in these machines allow our engineers to push a rotating, flexible cable into pipework. Different attachments allow them to push through any type of blockage, including scale and fat deposits. They are portable and are ideal for unblocking internal, primary drainage pipework.

3. Drain rods

The more traditional rods are still a very effective way of unblocking external and secondary (internal) pipework. Sections of strong but flexible rod are attached together and pushed by hand into the drain. A range of different attachments can be fitted to the end depending on the blockage that needs to be cleared.

4. Coring machines

For the more stubborn unblocking jobs, such as scale build-up, a more powerful machine is needed. A coring machine can remove blockages in pipes with a diameter of up to 150mm. It does what it says – it cores through the blockage so that the drain can flow freely again. 

5. Drain cameras

If the location or cause of a blocked drain proves difficult to identify, CCTV camera equipment can be used. This equipment will clearly identify the blockage, and record any defects in the drainage network that could be causing it. For example, places where tree roots have broken through a fractured pipe.

Cameras are also used to show customers their blockages have been properly cleared.

Another common reason for our tradespeople to be called out is unblocking drains following building or renovation work. Often, left behind materials from extensions or refurbishments get hosed away and washed down an external drain. Ideally, this should be avoided and the waste should be collected into a skip for proper disposal. 

Building materials that cause blockages include:

• Plaster
• Adhesives and sealant
• Sand and gravel
• Cement
• Grout
• Putty
• Rubble

Our drain specialists can remove all of this debris. Even if cement, plaster, and other adhesives have solidified we can still remove them from drains using high velocity boring equipment. 

Other items our drain service team has removed from drains include latex products such as gloves and condoms. None of these should ever be flushed or dropped down drains, but instead disposed of in the bin. 

Children’s toys often get dropped and flushed down the toilet. They get stuck before they can get clear of the drain network and cause blockages. The same goes true for other small objects that fall down plug holes or into drains.

Some people mistakenly think that cat litter can be flushed down the toilet. However, cat litter is generally made of a combination of clay, silica and sand.

This combination is designed to absorb moisture and clump together. When flushed or washed down a drain, it will form large clumps that easily clog up pipes and drains. Always bag it up and throw it in the bin.