If you get home and find out that you have a blocked drain then the there is always a cause for this problem. The first thing you need to do to save you time and money is to get a professional in to unblock the drain and then do a CCTV drain camera survey to find out what and where the problem is. Next we need to find the most suitable way to fix the problem that the CCTV survey has shown if any of course as sometimes things like wet wipes can block drains. Assuming the drain report has shown a problem we then need to work out how to fix it i.e if its collapsed it will have to be excavated , if it has root intrusion they will have to be cut out then patched and if it is grease or fat it will have to be cleaned with a high pressure water jetter

Root intrusion in to the drainage system always and up with the same result a blockage and when left to get out of control can even cause your pipe to collapse. If you think you have this problem again get a cctv drain camera survey to check .If there are roots the survey will pin point where the roots are. Next a drainage professional will cut the roots out the the aid of a root cutter on the end of a high pressure water jetting hose which will gently cut the intruding roots out. Then they should really patch the affected area to stop the roots grow back. You dont have to do this but it is really false economy as in a few months the roots will grow back and your drain will block again

One of the most common drainage repairs required is to cure a collapsed or cracked drain. A collapse can occur due to the old pipe cracking due to a heavy weight placed above ground or just general age. Drains may crack and joints open up resulting from ground movement, water infiltration, root ingress or vehicular traffic. The only solution in the past has been to locate the defective area and repair the pipe after excavating to expose the drain

It is not unheard of for foreign objects to be accidentally dropped down drainage systems especially on new build sites if man hole covers are left of during construction. I have seen all sorts of things down there including stones, wood and even work mens tools. Another favorite to be left down drains is drain rods, they normally come apart when people try to unblock their own drains instead of calling in the professionals. These obstructions can normally be removed with a high pressure water jetting machine but in more stubborn cases the drain can have to be dug up and replaced with new

This is a very cost effective, time saving and stress free product. No Dig Technology allows you to fix cracks, open joints and root ingress from within the pipe saving the stress, hassle and back ache of digging up a clients patio or lawn. We use a product made by Fernco but there are others on the market. Basically you measure in the pipe as to where the defect is by using a cctv drain camera. Then place the mating on the floor and fold as instructed, next spread the resin over the mat and wrap around the rubber inflatable packer. Push the packer down the drain to the defect and inflate using an air compressor. Leave to set and pull the packer out. The mat is left down the drain leaving a perfectly smooth patch covering the old defect

There are certain times when you have to excavate to get to the affected piece of pipe for example when a drain has collapsed you physically cant get a packer through the pipe to patch it. What you do is carefully remove the top layer of grass or patio slabs and store them safely ready for reinstating. Next you dig down to the defective area and cut out and replace the piece of pipe using slip collars to refit the new piece. Sometimes you might be cutting out a piece of clay pipe and replacing with pvc. The clay pipe is thicker than the pvc but that is not a problem as you can buy clay to pvc collars. Once the new pipe is instated cover the pipe with small chippings then backfill with what was excavated. Last but not least place back the grass or patio slabs to make the top layer as good as new

Issues with your sewer system? Lee Davidson owns a drain cleaning bridgend business. For assistance with all aspets of high pressure water jetting give Elite Pipeline a call Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.