Blocked drains: cleared, with the cause found

Signs of a blocked drain

• Water backing up in sinks, showers, baths or WCs
• Gurgling or slow drains across more than one fitting
• Smells from gullies, manholes or internal traps
• Blockages that return after DIY treatments or shop-bought cleaners
• Overflowing inspection chambers after heavy rain
• Commercial sites where a drain issue risks disruption or closure

How we clear blocked drains

We start with your symptoms and the access points (manholes, gullies, WCs and rodding eyes) so we don’t dig first. Tell us what’s backing up, how long it’s been happening, and whether more than one fitting is affected.

Clearing is usually done mechanically or by high-pressure drain jetting, depending on the obstruction: wipes, grease, silt, roots or a collapsed section. Soft deposits respond well to jetting; hard defects such as a collapse need a different plan, and we’ll tell you if that’s the case.

When a CCTV survey makes sense

If a drain keeps blocking in the same place, there’s usually a reason in the pipe itself, such as root ingress or a displaced joint. Where it helps, we follow the clear with a CCTV drain survey so you have a record of the pipe’s condition, not just a temporary fix. We explain what the camera shows in plain terms. See when do you need a CCTV drain survey?

If the survey shows a crack or collapse, we set out the options, from drain relining where the pipe is suitable to drain excavation where it isn’t.

Blocked drains at homes and commercial sites

Homes: blocked kitchen and bathroom waste, WCs, outside gullies and shared runs. See domestic drainage.

Businesses: blockages that affect trading, staff or tenants. We take on reactive work and can talk to you about keeping problem runs clear. See commercial drainage.

Opening hours and urgent calls

We’re open Monday to Friday 6am–6pm, and Saturday and Sunday 6am–4pm. Urgent calls are taken within these hours, and we confirm an attendance time when you call, depending on availability. We don’t operate a 24/7 service. For more on urgent work, see urgent call-outs.

Not sure whether the blockage is yours or the water company’s? Read who is responsible for drains?

What to do before we arrive

• Stop running water into the affected fittings where you can.
• Don’t pour chemical drain cleaners in; they can damage pipes and make a later survey harder to read.
• If it’s safe, find any manhole covers or gullies so we can get to the run quickly.
• Keep children and pets away from any overflowing chamber.

Blocked drains in West London and beyond

We work from our yard at Copthall Farm in Ickenham, near Uxbridge. Most day-to-day work is in and around London, and we travel further for larger commercial jobs. Include the site postcode with your enquiry and we’ll confirm. Where we work

Pricing

Every job is priced individually once the problem is understood. Call or use the quote form.