We have been clearing drains across London since 2013, and SW12 is well within our patch. The postcode takes in Balham.
What we cover in SW12
SW12 includes Balham, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. Homes, flats and commercial premises are all covered, from a slow sink to a complete system.
Balham is Edwardian and late-Victorian terraces and maisonettes, most divided into upper and lower flats. The ground-floor property usually sees the backing up first even when the cause is shared.
Common causes in SW12
Throughout SW12, these are the ones that come up again and again:
- Fat and cooking oil poured down a kitchen sink, which cools and hardens inside the pipe
- Wipes marketed as flushable, which hold together all the way to the sewer
- Roots from nearby planting finding an open joint
- Soil and grit collecting in a low point
Signs worth reporting
What tends to prompt the call around SW12:
- Water standing in an outside gully hours after the last discharge
- More than one appliance backing up, rather than a single sink
- Bubbling in the pan when something else empties
- A sour smell near the gully that is stronger in warm weather
How the visit works
Every job follows the same sequence, which is what keeps the price fixed:
- Work through the inspection chambers to find where the flow stops
- Establish whether it is your pipe or the water company’s
- Jet the restriction out at a pressure suited to the pipe
- Flush the line and test each fitting before we finish
Before we arrive
While you wait for us, there are two or three useful steps:
- Hold off on taps, showers and appliances, especially washing machines
- Cordon off contaminated ground
- Move bins or planters off the inspection covers
- Note which fittings are affected for the call
Who pays for the repair
Whose pipe it is matters as much as what is in it. Most pipework beyond your boundary became the water company’s responsibility in 2011, which means a fault beyond your boundary is theirs to fix. We identify the location and are straight with you about it, even where it means there is no job in it for us.
What it costs in SW12
Outside drain clearance is a fixed £144 plus VAT. No call-out fee applies, day or night. The price is confirmed before we start.