Common questions about drains, answered straight.
People ask us the same drain questions again and again. Here are plain answers, because most of them are easy to explain. We cover when to try a fix yourself, when to book an engineer and who is responsible for which drain.
Drainage Clearance
Common questions about drain clearance, blockages and how the process works.
What is drainage clearance?
Drainage clearance means removing a blockage from the drains and waste pipes that serve your toilets, basins, sinks, baths and showers. Most blockages come from a build-up of debris or silt, although a structural defect can cause one too. Find out more about drain clearance in London.
What are the benefits of regular drain clearance?
Regular clearance keeps water flowing and stops the smells that a partly blocked drain gives off. It also cuts the chance of an emergency, because small build-ups never get the time to grow. As a result, sinks clog less often.
Who is responsible for clearing blocked drains?
You are responsible for a drain that serves only your property, up to the boundary. Since 1 October 2011, the water company has looked after most shared drains and private sewers outside the boundary. In North London that is usually Thames Water, so check with them if the blockage sits outside your property.
What causes drain blockages?
Outdoors, leaves, debris and tree roots cause most blockages. Indoors, the usual culprits are wet wipes, paper towels and sanitary products that were flushed. In kitchens, fat, oil and grease are the leading cause because they set hard inside the pipe.
How do professionals clean drains?
An engineer will often start with a drain auger, which is a coiled rod that breaks through the blockage. For a heavier blockage, the engineer may use a hydro-jetter instead. It sends high-pressure water down the pipe, so it can cut through grease, scale and tree roots.
Drain Maintenance
Planned drain care: how often, how to do it, who's responsible.
What is drain maintenance?
Drain maintenance is planned cleaning that stops debris, grease, silt and scale from building up in your pipes. It can be a one-off clean or a regular visit, depending on the property. Find out more about drain maintenance in London.
How do you maintain a drain between professional visits?
Fit a guard over each plug hole so hair and scraps stay out of the pipe. Avoid supermarket caustic cleaners, because they can corrode pipework. Clear fat from kitchen pipes by wiping pans before washing, and check outside gullies for leaves.
How often should drains be cleaned?
There is no single rule, because it depends on the property and how heavily the drains are used. A busy kitchen or a drain under trees needs attention more often than a quiet bathroom. Clearing the plug holes of hair each week still prevents most household blockages.
Who is responsible for drain maintenance?
You usually look after the drains inside your boundary. However, the water company is responsible for most shared drains and private sewers outside it. If you are not sure which applies, ask your water company before you pay for work.
Emergency Drain Unblocking
When a blockage becomes urgent, and what to do about it.
What is emergency drain unblocking?
Emergency drain unblocking is an urgent visit when a blockage puts your property at risk of flooding. It also covers cases where the blockage affects hygiene or whether you can live in the home. Find out more about emergency drain unblocking in London.
Is a blocked drain an emergency?
It can become one quickly. If the drain blocks completely, you risk flooding, and sewage can back up into the property. When you are unsure, send the online enquiry form and say it is urgent.
Who can unblock my drain?
If your own attempts have failed, a drainage company such as London Drain Clear can take over. Send the online enquiry form with a short description of the problem. We offer 24/7 emergency call-out and agree a fixed price before work starts.
Do plumbers unblock drains?
Yes, plumbers can clear simple blockages, such as a sink trap. A deeper or repeated blockage often needs a drainage specialist, because jetting equipment and a CCTV camera show what is wrong inside the pipe. In short, plumbers fit and mend the pipework, while drainage specialists clear and survey the drains.
What are the dangers of a blocked drain?
A blocked drain holds waste water and sewage, which can spread bacteria through the pipework and into your home. Left alone, it can lead to flooding and damp. Over a long period, leaking drains can also undermine the ground around a building.
Drain Repairs
Repairing damaged drainage: methods, signs and what to expect.
How are drains repaired?
The repair depends on the damage. For minor cracks or root intrusion, no-dig drain relining can mend the pipe without excavation. A collapsed section, however, may need digging up. Find out more about drain repairs in London.
How do you know if you have a broken drain?
Common signs include a smell of sewage and unexplained damp around the house. You may also see the ground sinking in the garden or tree roots in the drain. Old clay drains are more likely to crack, so a CCTV survey is the quickest way to find out.
What happens if a drain collapses?
You may notice sagging floors, cracked walls, damp inside the home or a hollow in the garden. A strong sewage smell that will not go away is another sign. Any of these in combination calls for an urgent CCTV survey.
Question not answered? Ask us.
Send the online enquiry form and tell us what the drain is doing. We have no call-out fee, so you can ask without any obligation. For an urgent blockage, we offer 24/7 emergency call-out.