Many people are worried about blocked drains causing havoc to their property. If you have a blocked drain, the first thing you should do is contact a drainage company in London. Drainage companies in London are well-equipped to handle just about any drainage problem they may come across.

By hiring a professional drain cleaning company you’ll be safe in the knowledge that your drains will be working again in a jiffy. Here are a couple of the services that they offer.

CCTV surveys

A CCTV survey is an essential part of a drain cleaner’s armoury. Using a CCTV survey a drain cleaner can actually look inside the drain to see what is causing the problem. This may make the cleaner adopt a physical approach to removing the blockage or warrant further investigation. If a drain cleaner in London uses a CCTV survey he will also be able to accurately locate the blockage site making repairs from the surface much easier and less invasive.

High pressure water jetting

High pressure water jetting is an excellent way of removing blockages from a drainage pipe. The water hose can be inserted into the drain and the force of the water hitting the blockage is generally enough to power through the clog. Most blockages can be removed in this simple way in a matter of minutes.

One of the tools that drainage experts use to tackle blockages in sewers and drains is the CCTV survey. Blocked or damaged drains can cause serious problems, which can be a real headache for homeowners. In the worst case scenario raw sewage can actually enter homes and can cause a significant amount of damage.

What is a CCTV survey?

CCTV surveys can be used by drainage companies to find the exact cause of a blocked drain immediately. A camera is inserted into the drain and images are relayed to the surface where the team of drain maintenance experts can review the pictures and decide on the most appropriate course of action. Using a CCTV survey also locates the exact position of the drain blockage so that pinpoint repairs can be made.

There are a few reasons why drains become blocked:

• Scale build up
• Silt deposits
• Settlement of dirt and debris
• Build up of fat
• Damaged or deteriorating drainage pipes

When the team of drainage experts have a reasonable idea what might be causing the problem they can tackle the problem quickly and effectively using either high pressure water jetting or another pertinent drain repair option.

There are a wide range of different types of drainage services available across the city of London. Some of the better drainage firms will be able to offer services such as drain jetting, root removal and CCTV surveys.

Drain jetting

Most drain blockages can be solved by drain jetting. In this process pressurised water is jetted into the drain. The water blasts away clogs or blockages within the drainage pipe so water can flow freely again. Some London drainage companies have the technology to insert the jetting hose to the blockage site so that the area is treated directly.

Root removal

Sometimes a drain blockage is found to be caused by roots. Roots cannot usually be removed by jetting alone and have to be cut away using a mechanical cutter. If roots are found in your drain a spinning root cutter is passed down the length of the drain and so cuts the roots back to the internal diameter of the pipe. A liner can then be inserted so the roots won’t grow back.

CCTV surveys

If you have a recurrent drainage problem a drainage company in London might suggest a CCTV survey. In this process the drainage team pass a small camera into the drain and images are relayed to a computer on the surface. This enables the drain maintenance professionals to look at what may be causing the problem so a suitable solution can be found.

Due to their size and their location, it is simply not possible to view the inside of many drains in the city of London. However, if you use CCTV survey equipment, this can give you images of the inside of the drainage pipes so the site of a blockage can be found.

CCTV surveys in London can be very beneficial in terms of finding out problems with drainage. As part of a routine maintenance programme or as part of remedial works, a CCTV camera can be inserted into a drain and images can then be viewed by the drainage contractor. The images can be analysed and an appropriate solution to the problem found.

The CCTV survey imagery will give the operator some indication about the condition of the drain. This can then be used to set out an action plan to either perform other drain maintenance activities or to use another system to solve a blockage.

After a CCTV survey things which may be suggested include using coring plant to remove scale from a pipe, installation of a liner to repair a damaged section of drain or excavation of the drain due to drain collapse.

One of the most common problems which drainage engineers face is root intrusion. When a drainage pipe is cracked or damaged roots find their way into the pipe and then quickly multiply. When this happens the waste flowing through the pipe finds it difficult to pass which eventually results in a drain blockage.

If you have a blocked drain, the first thing a drainage company may try is high pressure water jetting. In this method of drain cleaning the drainage engineer will direct a high pressure jet of water down the drain to remove any accumulated debris. This however will not work if the system is blocked by roots. So when drain jetting fails, the drainage experts may suggest a CCTV survey so they can see what is causing the problem. If roots are found to be the cause, they can then suggest a suitable repair.

If roots are blocking a drain, the drain does not have to be excavated and the section of pipe replaced. Instead a spinning root cutter can be inserted into the drain which will trim the roots back to the pipe diameter. To stop the roots re-infiltrating the pipe, a liner can be inserted into the pipe which will seal the pipe and effectively stop further infiltration and hence damage.