What Does a Drain Specialist Do?

The term “drain specialist” is used loosely. However, a general plumber who clears a sink differs from a drainage engineer who works on underground pipes. This guide explains what a drain specialist does and when you need one.

For the services themselves, while this guide explains them, see our drain repairs service and our blocked drains service.

What a Drain Specialist Does

A drain specialist works on the part of the system that runs underground, because that is where the hard faults hide. That means the run from the soil stack, through the inspection chambers, out to the sewer. A plumber, by contrast, handles pipes inside the property, such as waste pipes and taps.

Underground pipes are hard to reach. Roots, ground movement and age affect them. Therefore the work needs ways to look inside, clear pipes at a distance, and tell a simple blockage from a structural fault.

Core Services

CCTV inspection. A camera goes through an access point and shows the pipe on a screen. It finds roots, slipped joints, cracks and collapsed sections, so the engineer sees the real fault. Because the picture is live, nothing is left to chance. Without a camera, diagnosing an underground drain is guesswork. Read about the CCTV drain survey and what a CCTV drain survey is for more.

High-pressure jetting. Water jets drive through the blockage and scour the pipe walls. Jetting removes the plug and much of what caused it. Therefore results usually last longer than rodding. See clearing your blockage with drain jetting and clearing blocked drains.

Root cutting. A cutting head on a flexible shaft chops roots inside the pipe. Rods cannot shift an established root mass, because they bend around it. After cutting, the entry point needs sealing, otherwise roots can return.

Relining. A resin liner repairs a damaged pipe without digging, which saves your garden. While it is fed into the pipe and set against the wall, it hardens into a new pipe inside the old one. Read why we use drain relining and how drain lining improves your drain.

Excavation and replacement. Some damage is too severe for a liner. A full collapse is one example. In that case, since a liner cannot help, a section of pipe may need digging out and replacing.

When You Need a Specialist

A plumber suits above-ground jobs, such as a leaking fitting or a new waste pipe. However, underground faults differ. For underground problems, a specialist is the better call:

Recurring blockages. If a drain has blocked before, the cause is likely structural, because plain blockages seldom return. Clearing it again without a look is a short-term fix. See why a main drain keeps clogging.

Slow drainage in several fixtures. When many drains slow at once, because they share a pipe, the shared underground run is the likely culprit. This is specialist territory.

Root intrusion. Roots need cutting, a camera check and usually lining, yet none of that is general plumbing.

House purchases. A survey gives you a condition report for negotiations, since it shows what sits underground. Read whether you need a CCTV drain survey.

Lining or digging work. These are specialist jobs, since they need the right materials and skills.

What to Expect on a Visit

While you describe what you have noticed, the engineer plans the visit. Then they find the cause, clear it, and check the result. If they find a fault, they explain it and what it means for your drain. Read our drain unblocker service guide to see how a visit runs.

Where We Work

Since drains vary by street, we work across North London, including drain unblocking in Enfield and nearby areas. We also offer blocked drains in Barnet and drain help in Edgware. If your drain needs specialist attention, send the online enquiry form.