London’s drainage system now struggles to cope with the increased amount of sewage it sees on a daily basis. When the system was built in the Victorian era the population explosion in the city could not have been foreseen. However, the aged system is still expected to cope with the worst that London throws at it on a daily basis.

Drains in London are frequently blocked by the growth of scale and the disposal of liquid fats into the drainage system. Because of this they need to be cleaned on a regular basis so that they remain in a good working condition.

A few drain unblocking methods used by professional drain cleaners in London include:

Electro-mechanical cleaning

Mechanical cutters are inserted into the drainage network which cut scale from the insides of the drainage pipes. This restores the drain to its previous waste carrying capacity and helps to reduce the chances of a blockage occurring.

Water jetting

When water is directed into the drain under high pressure, it is usually enough to clear a stubborn clog. The water can also remove accumulated debris from the drain and can hence reduce the chance of future blockages.

Drain rodding

Drain rods can be inserted into a drain to manually push though a drain blockage. The rods push the clog to the nearest manhole where the debris can be removed.

In many drain blockage incidents the blockage will be in an exceptionally hard to reach place. Because of this the drainage experts in London rely on a drain cleaning method known as drain jetting.

Drain jetting can be used to break down and flush away debris found in the drainage system, which can be a contributing factor to a drain blockage. The jetting system works by pressurising water and then delivering it at around 4,000PSI through a small jetting nozzle. This amount of pressure is usually enough to break down even the most stubborn drain clogs.

If drain jetting alone is not capable of removing a blockage, a drainage company may then suggest a CCTV survey of the affected area. A camera is inserted into the drain and fed along the offending pipe. Viewing the images on the surface, the drain cleaners can usually determine the cause of the problem. After the survey the drainage company may suggest a root removal procedure or scale removal, in some instances the pipe may have deviated or be broken, so may require a pipe liner repair.

The recurrent blockage of drains is a problem for many people across the country. This is why it is so important to trust a reliable drainage company, who should have all the relevant tools at hand to solve any sort of drainage problem for good.

Drain jetting

If you have a drain blockage it’s really important to attend to the matter straight away. Problems that are left only get worse and after time can cause serious damage to a homeowner’s property.

One method which drain cleaning experts use to clear drain blockages is drain jetting. Using this method high pressure water is sent down the drain via a hose which is inserted into the drainage pipe. The full force of the water is usually enough to remove the grease and the grime which has accumulated in the system causing the initial drain problem.

All standard blockages can usually be resolved by drain jetting. The process doesn’t take long and when complete the drain should flow freely again. Sometimes drainage problems cannot be solved by drain jetting alone. In situations like these it is sometimes appropriate to have a CCTV survey of the drainage system so that the internal components of the drain can be looked at in a little more detail.

If you have a blocked drain you may have to call a London drainage company to come and solve the problem. It doesn’t normally take too long to solve drain blockages, as the drainage company have many tools at their disposal to tackle the problem.

Power jetting

The first method normally employed by drainage companies to unblock a drain is high pressure water jetting. Drainage engineers direct the high pressure water down the drain at the blockage site, which is usually enough to break through the clog.

Power augers

Drain rodding is a technique that some drainage professionals use to remove a drain blockage. The power auger is an extension of this technology, but instead of using a simple rod it uses a rotating snake like attachment which is inserted into the drain to remove the clog.

Root cutters

Spinning root cutters are another device which drainage engineers can use to remove stubborn blockages. The spinning root cutter is a mechanical device which cuts infiltrating roots away from the insides of a drainage pipe and so clears the way for the flow of waste water.

One of the most common reasons for a drain blockage in an urban area is the accumulation of fat and grease in the drainage pipe. Many homeowners don’t realise the problems that come with disposing liquid fat down a drain until they have a problem.

People still continue to pour liquid fat down their drains despite waste water companies spending thousands of pounds every year trying to educate the general public that this method of fat disposal is not a good idea. When fat enters the drainage system it quickly cools and then sets hard. The fat then lines the inner surface of the drainage pipes, thus reducing the pipe’s waste carrying capacity and creating a sticky mass where other debris can get stuck.

Drainage companies in London can remove the build up of fat inside a drainage system by using a technique known as high pressure water jetting. In this method of drain cleaning, a jet of water at high pressure is directed down a drainage pipe. The water removes the fat from the inside of the drainage pipe and it is then flushed through the drainage system. Any large lumps of fat can be removed via the nearest manhole cover.