Common questions about drains, answered straight.

Drainage clearance is the process of unblocking your drains, waste and stack pipes that serve your toilets, basins, sinks, baths and showers. A blocked drain at a commercial property will generally occur due to a build-up of debris or silt in the drainpipe, or as a result of a structural defect. Find out more about drain clearance in London.

Clearing your drains regularly improves the plumbing system of your property. Clear, clean drains rid your home of nasty odours caused by blocked drains. Regular clearance lessens the chance of needing emergency call-outs, allows faster flow of water so sinks clog less, and saves money because you don't have to pay drainage engineers to visit your property as often.

At one time, lateral drains and sewers connected to the public drainage network used to be the property owner's responsibility; nowadays most are maintained by your local water company (in North London, that's usually Thames Water). For drains within your property boundary, you remain responsible. Check with your local water company if you have a problem with a lateral drain or the sewerage system.

Outdoor blockages are most often caused by debris, dead leaves and possibly tree roots. Indoor blockages typically come from items being flushed or washed down that shouldn't be — paper towels, sanitary products, wet wipes. In kitchens, food waste, oil, grease and fats are the leading cause.

If your drain needs unclogging, a drainage professional will probably use a motorised drain auger, commonly known as a drain snake. These usually clear any size of blockage in the drainage pipe. For more severe blockages, the engineer might use a hydro-jetter, which delivers high-pressure water capable of cutting through grease, scale and tree roots.

With all waste pipes and drains, periodic cleaning and maintenance prevents the build-up of debris, grease, oils, silt and scale. Maintenance can be one-off cleans or recurring contracts depending on the property type. Find out more about drain maintenance in London.

Drain guards over plug holes prevent waste washing down sinks. Use environmentally-kind drain cleaners — supermarket caustic products can corrode pipework. Pour boiling water down kitchen drains weekly to prevent oil and fat build-up. Clean waste disposal units regularly. If you wash pets in the bath, use a drain guard. Watch for signs of trouble like leaf build-up at outside drains or strong smells.

Professional drain cleaning every six months prevents significant blockages building up. Clear your plug holes daily to avoid the build-up of hair and waste — that single habit prevents most household blockages.

If the drains are within your property's boundaries, you are usually responsible for their maintenance. However, sewerage companies are responsible for lateral drains — those generally located outside your property and connecting to the public network.

Emergency drain unblocking is when your property is at risk of flooding, and it has a severe effect on your hygiene, home interior or living situation. Find out more about emergency drain unblocking in London.

If a drain shows signs of becoming blocked, it can rapidly become an emergency if the problem isn't addressed. If the drain blocks completely, you risk flooding to your property, sewer pipes can back up, and you could be left without usable plumbing — especially serious if a pipe bursts. When in doubt, call us — we'll tell you over the phone whether it needs an immediate visit.

If you have tried to unblock your drain without success, then it is time to call a professional team like London Drain Clear. We offer a prompt service and are highly qualified in all aspects of drain clearance.

Yes, plumbers can unblock drains for simple jobs. In many cases, though, you'll need a drainage expert with specialist equipment — high-pressure jetters, CCTV cameras, sonar locators. Drainage specialists are to plumbers what a dentist is to a GP.

Blocked drains cause bacteria to grow in your pipework; this bacteria can lead to allergies and disease, adversely impacting your health. Blocked drains, if left unattended, can also lead to flooding, structural damage from prolonged damp, and in extreme cases subsidence claims.

Depending on the type of repair, it dictates how it is repaired. For minor cracks or root intrusion, no-dig drain relining can repair the pipe without excavation. For collapsed sections, traditional excavation work may be needed. Contact your local engineer and they will let you know what repairs are needed and how they will fix them. Find out more about drain repairs in London.

Common signs: you can smell sewage; there is unexplained dampness around your house; the ground in your garden is sinking; there are roots from trees growing within the drainage system; the drains are old and worn (clay drains installed pre-1965 reach end-of-life).

If a drain collapses, you might notice: sagging floors, cracked walls, dampness within your home, soil erosion or subsidence in the garden, or a strong smell of sewerage that won't go away. Any of these in combination warrants an urgent CCTV survey.