Outdoor drains usually block with debris, dead leaves and sometimes tree roots. Autumn leaf-fall is a common cause of gully blockages, so clear the leaves above the grate first. Sometimes that is all the drain needs.
Roots are the next common cause. Roots seek moisture, so they can enter through small gaps at old pipe joints. Our guide to what causes a drain blockage covers this in more detail.
Indoor blockages usually come from items that should not go down the drain. Wipes, sanitary products, cotton wool and packaging are the usual suspects. In the kitchen, fat and grease cool inside the pipe and harden on the wall.
The simple rule is to flush only pee, poo and paper. Other waste belongs in the bin, because even wipes labelled flushable can snag in a pipe. Hair also causes trouble in bathroom drains, since it combines with soap scum into a solid mat.
Foreign objects such as toys and cleaning cloths can lodge in a bend. Damaged pipes are a further cause, because a collapsed or misaligned section traps debris that would otherwise pass. Hard-water scale can also narrow a pipe over time.
Several of these causes are easy to prevent. For example, our advice on common causes of blocked drains lists what to keep out of your pipes.
For most blockages we use a motorised drain auger, often called a drain snake. It cuts through the obstruction and clears the pipe. For heavier blockages such as grease, scale or roots, we use a high-pressure water jetter. This flushes the debris downstream.
If a blockage keeps returning, a CCTV survey shows why. You cannot fix what you cannot see, so the camera comes first when pipework looks damaged. We cover blocked drains in Enfield and nearby, including blocked drain clearance in Wembley and drain unblocking in Potters Bar.
We work across Enfield, Barnet, Edgware, Wembley, Cheshunt, Potters Bar and Southgate. Send the form, and we will reply with a quote before any work begins.
