The recent cold snap left us all feeling a little chilly and we can only await the fuel bills when they arrive through the letterbox next month. The cold weather left more than large heating bills however, the number of burst pipes and drainage problems soared at the beginning of January and many London drainage companies are only now getting back to normal.

Water pipes can freeze quite easily if they are subjected to freezing temperatures and the same can be said for drainage pipes. If a pipe is close to the surface and is flooded then freezes, the pressure of the ice can actually fracture the pipe causing ingress of waste water into the surrounding earth and causing future problems with smells and drainage issues.

CCTV surveys

If you suspect you have a problem with a blocked, fractured or broken drain you can call a specialist drain cleaning and maintenance company who can locate the problem and suggest recommended fixes to remedy the problem.

If the drain problem is not visible the drain maintenance company will use a CCTV survey to locate the drain problem. They will then assess whether there is a blockage that can be removed by drain jetting, or if there is root ingress into the pipe that can be solved using a root cutter or if the pipe will need a liner repair.