Drainage
Blocked drains in Southport
Blocked outside drains cleared with our 3000 psi jetter, then a camera down the pipe if it is likely to come back. We aim to get to you the same day, and our emergency line, 07704 252872, is answered 24 hours a day.
Drain blocked or overflowing now? Ring the 24 hour emergency line.
Call 07704 252872Signs your drain is blocked
- Water backing up in the sink, shower or toilet, or draining slowly
- Gurgling from plugholes when something else drains
- A manhole in the garden or drive overflowing
- A bad smell outside near the drain covers
Clear it, then find out why
Most drain firms jet the blockage and leave. If the pipe is broken, it blocks again in a few weeks and you pay again.
We jet it, look inside with a camera if it needs it, and fix the cause: reline the pipe from inside, or dig it up and replace it with our own diggers.
What blocks a drain
Wipes and fat
Wet wipes, even "flushable" ones, do not break down. Cooking fat sets hard in the pipe. Together they make the most common blockage there is.
Tree roots
Roots find their way into old clay pipes through the joints, then grow and catch everything that comes down.
A broken pipe
If a pipe has cracked, sunk or collapsed, waste catches on the broken bit. Jetting clears it for a while, then it blocks again.
Restaurants and industrial premises
We clear and repair drains for restaurants, kitchens, factories and industrial units, and we fit, repair and survey grease traps, the tanks that catch fat from kitchen sinks before it reaches the drain.
Fat is the biggest cause of blocked drains in commercial kitchens. A grease trap that is working and looked after stops most of it.
How we clear a blocked drain
- 1
Ring us
Office hours on 01704 227671, any other time on the 24 hour emergency line, 07704 252872.
- 2
Find the blockage
We lift the manhole covers to see where the water stops.
- 3
Jet it clear
Our 3000 psi jetter blasts water through the pipe to break up and wash away the blockage.
- 4
Look inside
If it is likely to come back, a CCTV camera goes down the pipe to show why.
- 5
Fix the cause
Roots cut out, a cracked pipe relined from inside, or a broken section dug up and replaced. Written quote first.
Questions people ask
How quickly can you come out?
We aim to get to you the same day. Out of hours, ring the 24 hour emergency line.
Do you unblock toilets and sinks?
No. We clear outside drains, manholes and the pipes under the ground. For a blocked toilet or sink inside the house, a plumber is the right call. If the water is backing up because the outside drain is blocked, ring us.
What should I do while I wait?
Stop using water in the house: no flushing, washing or showering, or it will back up further. Do not lift a heavy manhole cover on your own, and keep children and pets away from any overflow.
Is it my drain or the water company's?
If the blockage is in a pipe that only serves your house, inside your boundary, it is yours. If it is in a pipe shared with neighbours or beyond your boundary, it is usually the water company's, and they clear it for free. Lift your manhole: if it is full but the next one downstream, outside your property, is too, ring the water company first.
What is drain jetting?
A machine pumps water through a hose with a special nozzle at very high pressure. The jets cut through fat, wipes, silt and roots and wash them down the pipe. Ours runs at 3000 psi, enough to clear most blockages without damaging a sound pipe.
Why does my drain keep blocking?
Usually because the pipe is damaged: a crack, a dip where the pipe has sunk, an open joint or roots. Jetting clears the blockage but not the cause. A CCTV survey shows what is wrong, and then it can be relined or replaced.
Do chemical drain cleaners work?
On a slow sink, sometimes. On a blocked outside drain, rarely, and they can damage old pipes and are dangerous if they splash back. Best avoided.
How do I stop it happening again?
Only toilet paper down the toilet, never wipes. Fat in the bin, not the sink. If you have trees near the drains, a CCTV check every few years will catch roots early.
Also worth a look
Drain trouble? Send us a photo
Phone lines open Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, Saturday 8am to 1pm. WhatsApp a photo of the job any time.