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Blocked Drains in Horsham

Drains cleared and traced across Horsham and the villages around it, whether you are on the public sewer or a private system.

Horsham sits on heavy Weald clay, and that matters underground as much as it does in the garden. Clay swells in a wet winter and shrinks in a dry summer, and over the years that movement can pull pipe joints apart or leave a dip where water and paper collect. Add tree roots reaching for moisture and it is no surprise that a drain which has run for years can start to block.

In and around the town, most properties are connected to the public sewer, which Southern Water looks after. Further out, many homes are not, and what looks like a blocked drain is sometimes a septic tank or treatment plant with a problem. We deal with both, so you do not have to work out which one you have before you ring us.

Who pays depends on where the pipe is. In October 2011 the water companies took over shared drains, and over the stretch of pipe between a property’s boundary and the sewer. Your own responsibility generally ends at the boundary, and if a blockage turns out to be Southern Water’s, we will say so rather than quote you for it.

What’s included

How we clear a blocked drain

We find the cause first, then choose the method.

  • Whose drain is it?

    First we locate the blockage, and then we can tell you whether it is yours to fix or something to report to Southern Water.

  • High-pressure jetting

    Water at high pressure, delivered by jetting equipment, shifts fat, silt and scale and leaves the pipe cleaner than it found it.

  • Roots dealt with

    Clay and trees are a common mix around Horsham, and roots get into the weak spots. We can cut them out and descale the pipe.

  • A camera for repeat blockages

    If it keeps blocking, our CCTV surveys in Horsham show why, with a written report.

  • Private systems too

    If the real problem is a tank or treatment plant, we can empty septic tanks and service treatment plants as well.

  • Plain explanations

    You get the findings in ordinary language, and a view on what needs doing and what can wait.

Drain blockages around Horsham

01
Clearmasters tanker on a lawn with its hose run out across the grass

Clay, roots and drains that keep blocking

Weald clay moves with the seasons. Where a pipe has shifted, a joint has opened or a section has settled, paper and fat start to catch, and each blockage is slightly worse than the last. Roots find the same joints, so a drain that has been cleared several times in a year is usually telling you something.

We clear the blockage with high-pressure jetting and, if it has happened before, put a camera down the pipe to look for the cause. That is better than paying to clear the same pipe again in a few weeks.

About drain unblocking
02
Two Clearmasters (Environmental) Ltd vans parked outside a brick commercial building

Homes and businesses beyond the sewer network

Many homes, pubs, restaurants, hotels, golf clubs and farms around Horsham have private drainage rather than a connection to the public sewer. A slow drain, a gurgling toilet or a wet patch in the garden may then point to the tank, the pipes leading to it or the drainage field, not a simple blockage.

We can clear the pipework, empty the tank and, if needed, look at the system with a septic tank survey. Tell us what you are seeing when you call, and we will work out where to start.

About septic tank emptying in Horsham

Local to you

Blocked drain clearance around Horsham

Our engineers work in Horsham itself and out to Southwater, Broadbridge Heath, Warnham, Slinfold, Faygate and Mannings Heath. Not sure we reach you? Ring with your postcode. The full Horsham area list has the rest.

Is it a drain or a tank?

We deal with both, so one call is enough.

Related services

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Free, no-obligation quote

Get a blocked drain cleared in Horsham

Describe the problem and we will reply with a price and a date. For sewage coming up inside the house, phone instead.

  • Free, no-obligation quotes
  • Our own crews and kit
  • Emergency call-outs 24/7
  • Public sewer or private system
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Questions answered

Blocked drain FAQs for Horsham

Who deals with a blocked drain in Horsham: the council, Southern Water or me?

Not the council, which does not unblock private drains. Public sewers belong to Southern Water, and so do shared drains and the length of pipe outside your boundary. The rest, inside your boundary, is normally yours. Phone us first and we will establish where the fault is, so you only pay for what is yours.

I live outside Horsham. Is it my drain or my septic tank?

If your home is not connected to the public sewer, the problem may be the pipes, the tank or the drainage field. Signs of a tank problem include slow drains in the whole house, a gurgling toilet, smells and a wet patch in the garden. Tell us what you notice and we will work out which it is.

Why do drains near Horsham keep blocking?

Weald clay swells when wet and shrinks when dry, and that movement can open joints and leave dips in a pipe. Tree roots then find the gaps. A pipe in that state catches paper and fat again and again until the underlying fault is dealt with.

Can I use chemical drain cleaners?

We would avoid them. They rarely clear a serious blockage, they can harm the pipe and any tank it feeds, and they are a hazard to the engineer who has to deal with the drain afterwards. Tell us if you have used one.

Do you clear drains at pubs, hotels and farms?

Yes, we look after homes and businesses alike, including pubs, restaurants, hotels, golf clubs and farms, whether they drain to the public sewer or to a private system. Mention any access issues when you ring.

How do I find out whether my drain is shared with neighbours?

Your deeds, the property information form from when you bought, or the water company can tell you. On the ground, a pipe that picks up waste from more than one property before it leaves your boundary is a shared drain.

Do I need a camera survey after a blockage?

Not for a single blockage that has cleared properly. A repeat blockage, or water pooling or rising in more than one spot, suggests a fault in the pipe, and a survey will find it.

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

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Vetted and approved under the local authority's trusted trader scheme for honesty and fair dealing.

NADC Member

Members of the National Association of Drainage Contractors, the UK trade body for the drainage industry.

Registered Waste Carrier

Registered with the Environment Agency, so your waste is handled and disposed of fully within the law.

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