We have been clearing drains across London since 2013, and SE18 is well within our patch. It includes Woolwich and Plumstead.
What we cover in SE18
What we take in across SE18 runs across Woolwich and Plumstead, in Greenwich. As we also attend the adjoining areas, we can deal with both ends of a shared run.
Woolwich and Plumstead mix Victorian terraces, estates and substantial recent development. Ground falling towards the river brings surface water down fast onto older drainage.
Common causes in SE18
In SE18, the common causes are:
- Grease from the kitchen, which sets on the pipe wall
- Wipes marketed as flushable, which stay intact once flushed
- Tree and shrub roots finding an open joint
- Silt and grit settling where the fall is shallow
Signs worth reporting
What you are likely to be seeing around SE18:
- Water sitting in a drain outside hours after the last discharge
- More than one appliance backing up, rather than a single sink
- Gurgling from a toilet or sink when something else empties
- Foul odour around a chamber that worsens after rain
How the visit works
This is how a visit works:
- Work through the inspection chambers to find where the flow stops
- Confirm whether the fault is inside your boundary
- Clear it with high-pressure jetting at a pressure suited to the pipe
- Flush the line and test each fitting before we finish
Before we arrive
In the meantime, there are two or three useful steps:
- Keep water use to nothing, including the washing machine and dishwasher
- Move children and pets away from the affected area
- Move bins or planters off the inspection covers
- Note which fittings are affected so we arrive prepared
Who pays for the repair
Not every blockage is yours to pay for. Shared drains and laterals transferred to the water company in England in 2011, so a fault out in the road is not yours to fund. We establish which side of the line the fault sits and tell you plainly, even where it means there is no job in it for us.
What it costs in SE18
Outside drain clearance is a fixed £144 plus VAT. Prices are fixed rather than hourly, which means a stubborn blockage costs what we said.