Ever wondered what actually happens when a drainage engineer turns up at your door? Here's every method we use to unblock drains, step by step — from cameras and rods to 4,000 PSI jetting — and how we choose the right one for your blockage.
No two blockages are the same, so we never guess. Every job follows the same four steps — it's only the tool that changes.
Assess the blockage — and run a camera down the pipe if the cause isn't obvious.
Choose the right method for the cause, the pipe and the location.
Clear the blockage — rods, jetting, cutting or repair.
Prove it's clear, and tell you how to stop it happening again.
When a drain keeps blocking or the cause isn't obvious, we put a waterproof camera into the pipe on a flexible rod. The live feed shows us exactly where the blockage is, how deep it sits and what caused it — wipes, grease, roots or a damaged pipe.
Best for: repeat blockages, suspected damage or roots, and pre-purchase checks when buying a house. See our full CCTV drain surveys service.
The classic method, and still the fastest for blockages near the surface. Flexible rods screw together with a head designed to break up and clear the blockage.
Best for: outside gullies, leaves and debris, and blockages close to an access point.
When rods can't shift it, jetting will. A unit in the van pumps water down a reinforced hose at up to 4,000 PSI. The nozzle fires jets forwards to cut through the blockage and backwards to pull itself along the pipe and scour the walls clean.
Best for: stubborn or deep blockages, grease from kitchens, and full drain cleans. See our high-pressure jetting service.
Tree roots sneak in through pipe joints hunting for water, then catch everything that flows past. A rotating cutting head on a flexible cable shreds the roots back to the pipe wall without digging up your garden.
Best for: slow drains near mature trees and blockages that keep returning in the same spot.
Some blockages don't need us, and we'd rather tell you that upfront. A plunger genuinely works on small sink and toilet clogs near the plughole, and an enzyme cleaner can break down organic build-up over time.
When to call us: if the blockage is in an outside drain, keeps coming back, or more than one fixture is affected — it's deeper in the system than DIY can reach.
If a drain blocks again and again, the pipe is often the real problem — cracked, collapsed or badly damaged. No amount of jetting fixes a broken pipe. The camera's locator tells us exactly where to dig, so we only open up the ground we need to.
Best for: collapsed or badly damaged pipes. See our drain repairs & relining service.
It depends on the cause. Blockages near the surface are usually cleared fastest with drain rods, while grease, scale and stubborn blockages deeper in the line need high-pressure water jetting. Tree roots need a mechanical cutter, and a collapsed pipe needs repair or replacement. That's why we diagnose first rather than guessing.
No. Most straightforward domestic blockages are cleared with rods or jetting without a survey. We recommend a CCTV survey when a blockage keeps coming back, when we suspect roots or damage, or when you want proof of the pipe's condition — for example when buying a house.
Used correctly, no. Our engineers match the pressure and nozzle to the pipe material and size. Jetting is safer for pipes than caustic chemical cleaners, which can corrode older pipework.
For a slow sink or a simple toilet clog, yes — a plunger is genuinely worth trying. Avoid harsh caustic chemicals. If the blockage is in an outside drain, keeps returning, or affects more than one fixture, it's deeper in the system and needs professional equipment.
Free emergency call-out, 24 hours a day. Don't wait — give us a call.