How do I tell which drain is blocked?

Lift the chamber covers in the direction the water flows, starting nearest the house. The blockage sits between the last chamber running clear and the first one standing full. If the chamber closest to the boundary is full, the problem is downstream of your property and may not be yours to fix at all.

Is the blocked drain my responsibility or the water company's?

Broadly, pipework inside your boundary that serves only your property is yours. Lateral drains beyond the boundary, and runs shared with other properties, transferred to the water company in 2011 and are usually theirs to clear. It is worth establishing before paying anyone, and it is one of the first things we check.

Do chemical drain cleaners work?

On a slow kitchen waste full of grease, sometimes. On a blocked underground drain, no, and they are worth avoiding. The volume of water in a drain run dilutes them to nothing, they do not touch wipes or roots at all, and they make the standing water hazardous for whoever opens the chamber next.

Why does the same drain keep blocking?

Because something in the pipe is catching things, and the blockage is the symptom. Usually a root mass through a clay joint, a dropped or displaced joint leaving a step for debris to build on, or a length with too little fall. A camera survey identifies which, and that is what decides whether it needs a patch, a liner or a dig.

Can a blocked drain be cleared without digging?

Nearly always, yes. Rodding, high pressure jetting and electro mechanical cleaning between existing chambers clear the great majority of blockages with nothing lifted. Excavation only comes into it when the pipe itself has failed, and even then a patch liner inserted through a chamber avoids a dig on a lot of runs.

Drain Unblocking
In London

Clearing a drain is the quick part. The part that stops it happening again is working out where it blocked and why, and on a London terrace that often means working out whose drain it is.

Blockage found by chamber
Private or shared run established
Cleared, then checked for the cause

Quick Quote Online Call 07401 062636

Excellent5.07 reviews

Reviews

What Customers Say About The Work

Excellent5.07 reviews

Really pleased with the service from Drain Plumb Contractors. The work was carried out professionally, everything was explained clearly, and the area was left clean and tidy afterwards. Would happily recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable plumber.
Google reviewer
Had an urgent plumbing problem and needed someone to help. Drain Plumb Contractors were professional and helpful throughout, and the issue was dealt with efficiently. A stressful situation made much easier. Thank you for the great service.
Google reviewer
Great service for a drainage problem that needed sorting. The team were helpful, explained what needed doing and handled the job professionally. Everything was left in good order afterwards. I'd definitely consider using Drain Plumb Contractors again.
Google reviewer
Really good experience from start to finish. Friendly, professional and easy to deal with, with clear communication throughout. It's reassuring to find tradespeople who take the time to explain the work and treat your property with care. Would recommend.
Google reviewer
Very happy with the service provided. Communication was clear, the work was explained before getting started, and the whole process was straightforward. Good workmanship and a professional approach. I'd be happy to use Drain Plumb Contractors for future work.
Google reviewer
Very pleased with the plumbing work. The job was completed to a good standard, and the attention to detail was appreciated. Everything was left neat and tidy, and the service was professional throughout. Would happily recommend them.
Google reviewer
I've been very happy with the service from Drain Plumb Contractors. They're professional, approachable and take the time to explain things properly. It's good to have a company you can contact when plumbing or drainage work is needed. Would recommend them to others.
Google reviewer

Which Chamber
Lifting the covers in order shows where the blockage actually sits.
Private Or Shared
Whether the run is yours or shared decides who deals with it.
Cleared Properly
Rodded or jetted through, not just pushed further down the pipe.
Cause Named
Fat, wipes, roots or a damaged pipe, so you know if it will return.

Drain rods and a plunger head beside an open gully at the base of a house wall

Drain Unblocking

Finding it before clearing it

Drainage runs downhill through a series of chambers, so the blockage is between the last chamber that is empty and the first one standing full. Lifting covers in order finds it in minutes and tells us whether we are dealing with the stack, the run under the garden or the connection to the sewer. Clearing blind from the nearest access is how a rod goes the wrong way down a shared run and somebody else's kitchen backs up.

Drain Unblocking is priced after the job has been seen, anywhere in the areas we cover. Send the postcode and a few lines about what it is doing when you contact us, and the answer comes back in writing.

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The Job In Detail

What Drain Unblocking Involves

What is actually in there

Four things, in roughly this order. Fat and food solids from the kitchen, which set hard in cold pipe. Wipes, which do not break down whatever the packet says, and which catch on anything slightly rough. Roots, which find the smallest crack in a clay joint and then fill the pipe. And collapse or displacement, where a section of old clay pipe has sheared or a joint has dropped, which no amount of rodding will fix.

Private, shared or the water company's

Since 2011 most lateral drains and shared runs in England transferred to the water company, which changes who pays. A blockage inside your boundary serving only your property is yours. A run serving two or more properties, or the length beyond your boundary, is usually theirs. We tell you which it is, because it is the difference between an invoice and a phone call.

When a camera earns its money

If the same drain blocks twice, rodding is treating a symptom. A camera survey shows whether there is a root mass, a dropped joint, a collapse or simply a bad gradient, and that is what decides between a repair, a patch liner and an excavation.

Quick Quote Online

How It Works

How A Drain Unblocking Job Runs

Tell us what backs up

Sink, toilet, gully or outside chamber, and whether neighbours are affected.

Located and cleared

The full chamber is found, the blockage cleared and the flow tested.

Cause explained

What caused it, and whether the pipe needs looking at further.

Toilet or gully backing up? Send the postcode and which cover is full.

Unblock My Drain

FAQs

Drain Unblocking Questions

Lift the chamber covers in the direction the water flows, starting nearest the house. The blockage sits between the last chamber running clear and the first one standing full. If the chamber closest to the boundary is full, the problem is downstream of your property and may not be yours to fix at all.
Broadly, pipework inside your boundary that serves only your property is yours. Lateral drains beyond the boundary, and runs shared with other properties, transferred to the water company in 2011 and are usually theirs to clear. It is worth establishing before paying anyone, and it is one of the first things we check.
On a slow kitchen waste full of grease, sometimes. On a blocked underground drain, no, and they are worth avoiding. The volume of water in a drain run dilutes them to nothing, they do not touch wipes or roots at all, and they make the standing water hazardous for whoever opens the chamber next.
Because something in the pipe is catching things, and the blockage is the symptom. Usually a root mass through a clay joint, a dropped or displaced joint leaving a step for debris to build on, or a length with too little fall. A camera survey identifies which, and that is what decides whether it needs a patch, a liner or a dig.
Nearly always, yes. Rodding, high pressure jetting and electro mechanical cleaning between existing chambers clear the great majority of blockages with nothing lifted. Excavation only comes into it when the pipe itself has failed, and even then a patch liner inserted through a chamber avoids a dig on a lot of runs.

Resources

Drain Unblocking Questions, Answered

A drainage inspection chamber standing full of water with its cover lifted beside it

Drain Unblocking

Why A Drain Keeps Blocking In The Same Place

Everything we have written on this job, newest first, is in the drain unblocking resources.

Drain Unblocking

Where Is It
Blocked?

Which sink, toilet or gully is backing up, whether an outside cover is full, and if next door is affected too.

Excellent5.07 reviews

07401 062636

info@drainplumbcontractors.co.uk

Greater London

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Drain Unblocking
In London

Reviews

What Customers Say About The Work

Which Chamber

Private Or Shared

Cleared Properly

Cause Named

Drain Unblocking

Finding it before clearing it

The Job In Detail