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Blocked Drains in Guildford

Drains cleared in Guildford town and in the Surrey Hills villages, where the pipes may lead to a tank rather than a sewer.

Guildford town is almost entirely on mains sewers, and in Guildford those belong to Thames Water. For most blocked drains in the town, the job is to find where the fault sits and clear it. Our engineers work across the town, from the busy kitchens and shops of the centre to the family streets of Merrow, Burpham and Stoughton.

Guildford has a large student population, so many of its flats and shared houses are rented, and a blockage in a shared house or a block of flats can quickly turn into an argument about who pays. Knowing exactly where the blockage was and what caused it settles most of those arguments, and a CCTV survey gives you a record if the cause was a fault in the pipe.

Out in the Surrey Hills villages such as Shere, Albury, Peaslake and Compton, many homes have never been connected to the mains. A drain that seems blocked may in fact be a septic tank or treatment plant that needs attention, and we deal with both. As a rule of thumb, shared drains and the length of pipe outside your boundary have been the water company’s responsibility since October 2011, so we can tell you whether the blockage is yours to pay for.

What’s included

What happens when we clear a drain

We find the fault first, then choose the method that suits it.

  • Locating the blockage

    We check chambers and gullies to see where the flow stops, so we know whether to start on your pipe or point you towards Thames Water.

  • High-pressure jetting

    The jetting equipment breaks up fat, silt, scale and paper, and rinses the pipe wall as it goes.

  • Roots cut out

    A root that has grown into a joint can be cut out and the pipe descaled.

  • A camera if it returns

    A drain that keeps blocking needs a look inside. See our Guildford CCTV drain surveys.

  • Kitchens and commercial drains

    For restaurants and takeaways we can empty grease traps and clear gullies too.

  • Tanks and treatment plants

    In the villages we can empty septic tanks and service treatment plants, so one call covers both.

Drain blockages in Guildford and the Surrey Hills

01
Two Clearmasters (Environmental) Ltd vans parked outside a brick commercial building

Town centre kitchens, flats and shared houses

Fat, oil and grease are among the most common causes of blocked kitchen drains, and a restaurant or takeaway cannot trade with a blocked drain. We clear the line and can empty the grease trap on the same visit, so the problem is dealt with at its source.

In flats and shared houses, wipes, cooking fat and hair tend to be the culprits, and several households use the same pipe. Landlords and agents can book us directly, and tenants should tell their landlord or agent first, as the tenancy agreement sets out who arranges repairs.

About drain unblocking
02
Clearmasters tanker on a lawn with its hose run out across the grass

Surrey Hills villages: drain or tank?

In villages such as Shere, Albury, Peaslake and Compton, a slow drain or gurgling toilet may be a sign of a tank that is full or a drainage field that is struggling, not just a blocked pipe. Tell us what you are seeing and we will work out which it is.

We can clear the pipework, empty the tank and, if the system needs a closer look, arrange a septic tank survey. Our Guildford septic tank page explains how we look after the tank itself.

About septic tank emptying in Guildford

Local to you

Blocked drain clearance around Guildford

We work across Guildford, including Merrow, Burpham, Stoughton, Onslow Village, Jacobs Well and Worplesdon, and in the villages of the Surrey Hills from Shalford and Chilworth to Albury, Shere and Compton. Ring with your postcode if you are not sure. The full Guildford area list has the rest.

Drain or tank?

We deal with both, so one call is enough.

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Get a blocked drain cleared in Guildford

Say what is happening and we will reply with a price and a date. If sewage is coming up in the house, please phone.

  • A free quote with no strings
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Questions answered

Blocked drain FAQs for Guildford

Who is responsible for a blocked drain in Guildford?

The council does not clear private drains. Thames Water runs the public sewers in Guildford, and it also looks after shared drains and the length of pipe outside your boundary. Pipes serving only your property, inside the boundary, are normally yours. Ring us and we will check where the blockage is first.

I rent my home in Guildford. Who calls out the drain engineer?

Your tenancy agreement sets out who arranges repairs, so tell your landlord or agent first. We work for landlords and agents as well as owners, and we can explain what we find to whoever is paying.

My home in the Surrey Hills has a septic tank. Is a slow drain just a blockage?

It may be, but it can also mean the tank is full or the drainage field is struggling. Slow drains throughout the house, gurgling and a wet patch in the garden all point that way. Tell us what you notice and we will work out where to start.

How do you clear a drain without digging it up?

We feed a jetting hose into the pipe through an inspection chamber or gully. High-pressure water breaks up the blockage and washes it along, so nothing has to be dug up.

Why do restaurant drains block so often?

Hot fat and oil go down the sink as a liquid, then cool and set in the pipe. Layer after layer builds up until the pipe is narrow enough to block. A regularly emptied grease trap catches much of it before it gets that far.

Can tree roots really block a drain?

Yes. Roots are drawn to the moisture and nutrients in a drain, and they push in through any joint that is not perfectly tight. Once inside they collect paper and fat. We can cut them out, and a camera shows how much damage they have done.

Do I need a survey if it has only blocked once?

Probably not. If the drain runs freely after clearing, there may be nothing more to do. If it blocks again, a survey will show why.

Got a different question? Call 03333 233566 or send us a message.

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