Drainage and blockage guides
A blockage, a survey and a structural repair answer different questions. Use these guides to understand which part of the drainage needs attention, what an inspection can establish and how to scope the next step.
30 guides
Articles and fault guides
Blocked urinal: local trap or shared drain?
A blocked urinal needs its trap and connected waste assessed. Plan safe access, suitable clearance and checks without damage or mixed chemicals.
Read thisA drain blocks after building work: investigating debris and damage
A blockage after building work needs the debris and pipe condition assessed. Preserve records and plan safe clearance, inspection and repair decisions.
Read thisHow to read a CCTV drain survey report
Understand a CCTV drain survey report: run references, observations, limitations and repair recommendations. Know what to ask before authorising work.
Read thisWhen is CCTV useful after a drain has been cleared?
Decide when a camera survey after drain clearance can answer a useful question, what preparation matters and why restored flow is not a condition report.
Read thisGrease trap problems: cleaning, capacity or drainage repair?
A blocked grease trap needs the affected flow path identified. Separate retained waste, outlet restriction and downstream drain faults before clearance.
Read thisSelecting pumped drainage for a commercial kitchen
Commercial kitchen pumping needs suitable connections. Assess equipment discharge, grease management, controls and service access before installation.
Read thisDamaged drain inspection cover: replacing the lid and frame
A damaged drain cover needs safe exclusion and a suitable lid-and-frame assessment. Check dimensions, site loads and support before choosing a replacement.
Read thisA displaced drain joint: local repair or a wider change?
A displaced drain joint needs a located repair plan. Compare alignment, access and method limits before approving a patch, liner or excavation.
Read thisWhat happens when a drain camera cannot pass?
A stopped drain camera does not prove a collapse. Learn how incomplete surveys are recorded and how access, cleaning and further investigation are chosen.
Read thisRods, jetting and other drain-cleaning methods compared
Compare professional drain cleaning methods by obstruction, pipe condition and access. Understand the scope and why greater force is not a better plan.
Read thisWhat a drain dye test can establish about a wrong connection
A drain dye test can help trace wastewater routes. Understand what it establishes, how access affects the result and what follows a misconnection.
Read thisDrain patch repair or a longer liner: how to compare proposals
Compare local drain patches with longer liners using defect locations, connections, preparation and completion checks, with the repair scope well defined.
Read thisRoot cutting or drain relining: different jobs, different results
Root cutting removes an intrusion; suitable lining addresses pipe defects. Compare evidence, preparation and repair scope before choosing drainage work.
Read thisDo you need a drain survey before a home extension?
Plan a pre-extension drain survey around routes, condition and design questions. Understand what it can establish and why build-over approval is separate.
Read thisWhat can a drain survey tell a leasehold-flat buyer?
A leasehold-flat drain survey needs a clear scope, access and purpose. Learn what it can reveal and which ownership and purchase questions stay separate.
Read thisRepairing a drain beneath a shared path or driveway
Plan drainage work beneath a shared path around permission, safe access, affected occupants and reinstatement, with the repair scope clearly agreed first.
Read thisA usable maintenance plan for a grease separator
Build a grease separator maintenance plan around its model and kitchen use. Keep servicing, waste removal, defects and follow-up decisions recorded.
Read thisSizing a grease separator for a commercial kitchen
A grease separator needs to suit the kitchen’s discharge. Plan equipment, temperatures, access and servicing before comparing installation proposals.
Read thisA grease separator smells: emptying, ventilation or a fault?
A grease separator odour can need servicing or a wider repair. Review service history, cover seals, ventilation and discharge before choosing work.
Read thisGurgling sinks and baths: what the pattern tells a plumber
Gurgling at one fixture or after an appliance empties can point to different drainage questions. Learn what to record before arranging an investigation.
Read thisDropped jewellery or another object down the sink drain
Dropped jewellery or another object down a sink? Stop adding water and plan safe trap access, recovery limits and checks before the fitting is used again.
Read thisAn outside gully overflows when the sink empties
An overflowing outside gully needs its connected discharges and downstream route assessed. Learn what to report and how to avoid making the overflow worse.
Read thisMacerator toilet faults: repair access and safe boundaries
Plan macerator toilet fault investigation with model details, connected fixtures and safe access, without opening powered or contaminated equipment.
Read thisShared drains and sewers: who should arrange the repair?
Work out who to contact for a blocked shared drain, what information helps establish ownership and how to coordinate access, inspection and repairs.
Read thisA damaged soil stack: repair a section or replace the run?
A damaged soil stack needs a repair scope. Compare local joints and sections with wider replacement, including support, access and building finishes.
Read thisStanding water on a drain camera survey: does the gradient need repair?
Standing water on a drain survey needs context. Compare obstruction, ponding and gradient questions before agreeing cleaning, repair or pipework changes.
Read thisWhy does washing-machine water come up through the sink?
Washing-machine water backing into a sink needs the shared waste route checked. Separate a restriction from an appliance fault and plan safe clearance.
Read thisWaterless urinal smells: cartridge service or drain investigation?
A waterless urinal odour needs assessment. Compare cartridge servicing with housing and drainage checks before ordering parts or changing cleaners.
Read thisWhen a damaged drain needs excavation rather than lining
Learn when drain condition, alignment or access can justify excavation, what evidence supports it and which practical details belong in the repair scope.
Read thisWhy drains keep blocking after they have been cleared
Find why a drain blocks again after clearance, what a camera survey can establish and how to choose between cleaning, a local repair and replacement.
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