DRAIN UNBLOCKING & DRAIN CLEANING

Blocked drains are a common problem and there can be many reasons why a drain blocks up, ranging from a build-up of grease, fat and kitchen waste, to non-flushable items such as sanitary items, baby wipes, nappies, loo-fresh holders etc, that have entered the drainage system.

There can also be other factors such as tree roots which can cause the pipes to crack, dislodge and collapse. 

In 2023:

• 60% of blockages we attended were caused by non-flushable items in the drainage system. 10% of blockages were lost drain rods stuck in the drainage system due to the customer/other drainage contractors rodding in the wrong direction outside of the main drain line.
• 20% of blockages were caused by a build up of grease. fats and cholesterol in the drainage system.
• 10% were caused by external factors such as tree roots, broken or collapsed pipes. 

There are various signs to look out for that may indicate an issue with the drainage system:

• Gurgling noises coming from sinks and plug-holes.
• Water rising in the toilet after flushing.
• Slow emptying sinks/baths/showers.
• Foul smelling odours coming from the drains.
• Gulley's and manholes overflowing with sewage.

It is hard to quote for something that you cannot see, know accurately how long it is going to take, or what methods or equipment is going to be needed to rectify the problem. There are no 2 drains or blockages the same, and it is common knowledge in this industry that some drains simply work better than others.

For example, in winter 2023 we attended a property with a blocked kitchen sink, but when we arrived and carried out our investigations, we found there to be multiple blocked manholes around the property. Once we reached the kitchen gulley location there was no access to it due to decking being laid over the top of it. So what would appear an easy blocked kitchen sink turned into a bigger job than expected. 

To help keep prices down, if any manholes can be uncovered and/or located prior to us arriving this can significantly save the amount of time we are on site. In some cases manholes can be under sheds and in garages, and are inaccessible straight away.

We have listed some options to help you work out roughly what you are likely to be charged before we arrive on site. Please see our pricing sections above. All our prices include taxes and call-out and are never added extra.

Depending on the location of the blockage, rodding is generally the most cost-effective, quick and simple fix. If you are rodding from a manhole to another manhole, or from a manhole into the public sewer, downstream only.

It is not possible to use drain rods upstream, for example, from a manhole to a gulley, or a manhole to a soil pipe or ACO drain. Drain rods should only be used in the main drain line.

We have a high-pressure water jetting system, which in 2023, 80% of blockages were cleared by this method quickly and effectively. 

It is good practice to have your drains serviced and cleaned regularly, depending on if you have a problematic drain. Unfortunately most people call us out when it is too late and a blockage has already occurred. In most of these situations rodding is no longer an option, as trying to clear a severely blocked pipe with drain rodding can result in compacting the blockage, making it harder to remove, and breaking and losing the drain rods down the pipe. 

We have state-of-the-art drain-tracing and CCTV equipment which enables us to look at the drainage system to assess any problems or blockages and to clear them, and if possible improve them. 

If you are a homeowner or landlord you are responsible for the drains that are within your boundary of the property and are solely used by you.

If the blockage is outside of the property boundary this is likely to be the water authorities responsibility depending on the location of your property. For example, a private road or track. 

Depending on the cause of the blockage, on average we won't take any longer than 2 hours to clear the problem at the property, providing we have good access to all the manholes and inspection chambers.

In 2023:

• 70% of blockages we were called out to were cleared within the first hour.
• 25% were cleared within 2 hours.
• 5% took over 2 hours to clear. 

Our time spent on site will be determined on if manholes need to be traced, cedking needs lifting or if a manhole cover has become seized or cemented closed with resins or tarmac. Some time should be allowed for opening these up, 7 in every 10 manhole covers we open are normally opened within a few minutes, and some can be considerably longer, determined by  the type and age of the manhole.

Leaving a blocked drain can potentially lead to more costly repairs to the drainage system and/or your property. A blocked drain can cause pressure to build up inside the pipe, which can lead to pipes cracking, dislodging or bursting. 

If you leave a blocked drain, it will only get worse and prolong potentially more costly repairs.

In some situations customers decide to have a go at unblocking the drains themselves, there is nothing wrong with trying to remove the blockage yourself. However, please be mindful that low grade, budget drain rods are not recommended. In 2023, 10% of blockages we attended were caused by drain rods stuck or broken in the drainage system. 

However, we do have some gadgets for retreiving these items. In a worse case situation, sometimes they can only be retreived by excavating the surface, digging down and removing a section of pipe, and this can potentialy have implications due to the drain running under tarmac drives, block paving drives, underneath buildings and hard to reach places. In some situations the cost can be significant. 

In some situations in 2023, we attended various propreties and commercial premises where blockages were histroical, and we were asked to do a full CCTV survey and report including drain tracing, to diagnse the problem that was causing the historical blockages. During our CCTV survey, there was no obvious defects visible, all pipes were clear with no cracks or breaks. The problem that was causing the blockages was the installation of the original pipes, having been laid poorly and with the incorrect fall to allow water to flow correctly, some liquids were leaving the solids creating a blockage over a period of time. Although the pipe still had 100% of its diameter integrity, the solids could not flow without any help. In this situation after speaking to the owner, to avoid a significant repair bill, it was decided that it would be more cost effective to maintain the drain rather than replace it. 

We offer a maintenance service at a discounted rate which is calculated by how frequently the blockages occur.

If you have seen any rats or rodents entering the drainage system this could indicate infestation from the public sewer back up into your property. This can be 100's of miles of underground pipework linked together. This is something we can help with and install a rat gate.

Yes, we offer a 4 week standard guarentee with all drain clearances, providing no grease or fat, of non-flushable items are the cause of the blockage. This 4 week guarentee is so that you, the customer, have enough time to see the improvement and results. 

We will attend the property and clear the property free of charge until the 4 week period is over. And if this was the case, we would strongly advise to have a lookand see survey carried out on the pipe to investigate further.

In many situations we offer a same-day call out. Unfortunately set times cannot be guaranteed on a daily basis as it is unclear how ling each job takes each day. If we have a contact number we can let you know when we are on-route to your property, and usually give 1 hours notice upon arrival when required.

If you need a set time slot during the day, when calling we will let you know if it is possible to be the same day. Most guaranteed time slots are pre-booked for the following day or for a weekend. 

Please note: all repair work will be carried out at an agreed time with you. 

This is not a problem for us if the blockage is external, which is anything linked to your kitchen sink or toilets, as most our customers are at work during the day, or have appointments of their own, so there is never any need to take time out of your schedule, providing we can gain access around the property to all external drainage and manholes. 

If it is a toilet that is blocked and you are unsure if is is an inside or outside problem in most cases we can insert our CCTV camera up the pipe and follow the internal pipework into the house and see into the toilet from the outside to make sure the blockage has been removed. 

If the blockage is internal for example, baths, showers, sinks and macerator units, we will need access to the property. If the property is unoccupied, a rental property or student accomodation etc. we can collect a master key from estate agents or landlords and return the key afterwards, or use a key safe if available, and send invoices via email.

Yes, we will create a free quotation for every defect found during our investigations, including a full report if needed/required.

Yes, this is still possible and we can investigate for you. In most situations, providing there is a manhole we can aim for, or a foul drain nearby. We can insert a new manhole or connect into a nearby manhole, a new pipe into the property, providing invert levels allow us to do so.

Yes, this is something we can do for you and that we specialise in. We would need to arrange a site visitto discuss your requirements.

We can install and move manholes from 450mm up to large concrete sectional manholes. We also do live sewer diversions if it is a public sewer.

Please note: the local water authority must be notified and once approval has been granted we can liaise with the water authority on your behalf from start to finish.

Yes, certainly this is something we can help with. In most situations we will confirm and identify the broken and defective pipe with a full survey and MINA report, which is recognised throughout the industry, and create a quotation so that you can send the findings and report onto your insurance provider for approval.

Where the water authority has identified a burst water service pipe to your property, this is something you could be covered for by your buildings insurance, but you would need to confirm with your insurance provider.

We are aware that some competitors are carrying out CCTV surveys with older non-industry standard or accepted reports. Be rest assured that our full CCTV and surveying equipment has all been upgraded with brand new equipment in January 2024 and we operate the full Scanprobe, Maxiprobe & Mina Survey.

Yes, we can carry out a full CCTV drain survey including video footage and report. Normally, home buyers surveyor will only request this if he/she identifies a blocked gulley or manhole, or any kind of visual defect from the surface.

Our advice to anyone purchasing any kind of property would be to get this survey carried out for peace of mind, as even if a surveyor sees that all drains visible from the surface look satisfactory and does not directly recommend a drain survey to be carried out, this does not mean at all there is not any hidden surprises in the pipework not visible. 

40% of CCTV surveys carried out in 2023, had serious defects, and 15% of these were done after the purchase of the property, had they been done before, we would have raised the issues and quotation which could then be used as a negotiating tool on the asking price of the property.

An added benefit to this, if a survey is carried out and all the drainage is in good condition and satisfactory, for peace of mind this can be used in the future to demonstrate to an insurance company that a defect has occurred and is not historical.

The older a property is the more likely defects are going to be picked up on the survey due to settlement of the ground, heavy vehicle traffic, subsidence, root ingress and any construction work that has been carried out on the property previously.

We are aware that some competitors are carrying out CCTV surveys with older non-industry standard or accepted reports. Be rest assured that our full CCTV and surveying equipment has all been upgraded with brand new equipment in January 2024 and we operate the full Scanprobe, Maxiprobe & Mina Survey.

Yes, we are a fully approved WaterSafe and WIAPS approved installer. We can replace your old service for new into your property and take to the street for connection.

Up until, January 2024, if you have a lead water service that services your property the water authority still offer a free water connection. If the water authority has updated the main in your street up to your boundary then we can make the water connection.

All new replacement water services to MDPE pipe are installed to current regulations, and wikll be signed off and commissioned with a certificate. This is something that you may be covered for on your buildings insurance.

Using the prices given in our pricicng section, providing the pipes are all clear and no blockages are found in the system, you will only be charged this rate. However, if we insert the camera into the pipe and the pipe is excessively dirty then we will need to use high-pressure water jetting to pre-clean the pipes to get a good quality image, as without a good quality image we will not be able to identify potential defects. If pre-cleaning is required then this will be documented in the CCTV and you will see the blockage on the video as we uncovered it, to justify the pre-cleaning. If pre-cleaning is required while we are on a booked survey, this will be done at a discounted rate.

Using the prices given in our pricing section, our technician made a professional, educated decision due to the  way the blockage was removed, that there was something not quite right with the way the blockage was retrieved and to avoid any further blockages accumulating there maybe a broken or defective pipe in the system, so a CCTV look and see was carried out to check the pipe to identify the potential defect. If a look and see is required whilst we are on a call out for a blockage this will be discounted alongside the high-pressure water jetting.