Drain Unblocking

A blocked drain is a problem that always feels worse than it is — until you don't deal with it, at which point it usually becomes worse than it felt. Slow drainage, gurgling, foul smells and water rising in a gully are all warning signs that should be acted on quickly. We unblock drains across the North East using high-pressure jetting equipment that clears blockages quickly without digging up your garden.

We tackle domestic and commercial drain problems — outside gullies, kitchen and bathroom waste pipes, downpipes, soakaways, garage and driveway gullies, and connected stormwater drains. For underground sewers connected to the public network, we're happy to identify the blockage and either clear it ourselves or refer you to the water company if it's their responsibility.

What we unblock

• Outside gullies — the open drains under sinks, washing machine outlets and bathroom waste pipes. The most common DIY-fixable blockages, but we do it faster and cleaner.
• Downpipes — clogged with leaves, moss or balled-up debris from gutters above.
• Driveway and garage gullies — silted up with road dirt over the years.
• Soakaways — soakaway crates and rubble pits that have silted up.
• Kitchen and bathroom waste pipes — fat, hair and soap blockages.
• Outside toilet drains — including septic-to-tank waste pipes (where accessible).
• Stormwater drains — including connected channels and underground pipes.

How drain jetting works

High-pressure water jetting is a quick, effective and chemical-free way to clear most blockages. We use a flexible hose with a specially designed nozzle that fires water both forwards (to break up the blockage) and backwards (to pull the hose deeper into the pipe and flush debris out the access point). The hose can travel surprising distances — typically 30 metres or more — clearing fat, silt, scale and obstructions on the way.

Jetting also cleans the inside walls of the pipe, which a rod alone can't do. After jetting, your drain isn't just unblocked — it's properly clean inside, which delays the next blockage.

What jetting can — and can't — clear

Jetting handles the vast majority of blockages: fat and grease build-up, soap scum, hair, silt, leaves, light root intrusion and small displaced objects. It's particularly effective at scouring out years of accumulated film inside pipes that's been narrowing them silently.

What jetting can't fix is structural failure — collapsed pipes, badly bedded joints, major root intrusion or displaced sections. If we identify a structural problem during the visit (often by feeling the hose snag at a particular point or by CCTV survey), we'll tell you what's needed and recommend a drainage contractor for the repair. We never charge for a jetting visit if the actual problem turns out to be structural and beyond jetting.

CCTV drain surveys

If your drains have been blocking repeatedly or there's any concern about structural condition, a CCTV drain survey is the next step. We can carry out a survey using a self-levelling drainage camera that gives a clear view of the pipe interior. The recorded footage helps identify the exact location and nature of any problem, which is invaluable if insurance, structural repair or a buyer's survey is involved.

We supply the recording on a USB stick or via a download link, along with a written report identifying any defects with their distance from the access point.

Common signs of a blocked drain

• Slow drainage in sinks, baths or showers — usually upstream of the actual blockage.
• Gurgling noises from plug holes or toilets — air being forced past a partial blockage.
• Foul smells — particularly in warm weather; smell escapes through the path of least resistance.
• Water rising in outside gullies after rain or appliance use.
• Multiple drains affected at once — usually means a blockage in the main run.
• Water marks on driveway or wet patches — could be a leaking or blocked underground drain.

Prevention is better than cure

Many blockages are preventable. The main causes we see are kitchen fat (poured down the sink, then solidifying further along the pipe), wet wipes (often labelled flushable but often not), and leaves accumulating in outside gullies during autumn. A simple gully grid cover and a yearly clean prevents most outside-drain problems. For inside pipes, the rule is: nothing in the toilet but the three Ps (paper, pee, poo), and no fat down the sink.