Drain blockages in NW3 have a habit of happening at the worst time. Someone answers whatever time you call covering Hampstead, Belsize Park and Swiss Cottage, with the price agreed up front.
What we cover in NW3
NW3 covers Hampstead, Belsize Park and Swiss Cottage, in the London Borough of Camden. Homes, flats and commercial premises are all covered, whatever the size of the job.
Hampstead and Belsize Park have large period houses with mature gardens and a lot of basement excavation. Trees close to boundary runs and newly installed basement drainage discharging into old laterals are the two recurring issues.
Common causes in NW3
Most of what we attend in NW3 comes down to a short list:
- A build-up that has been narrowing the pipe for a while, completed by a downpour
- A cracked or displaced section holding back solids
- A shared run affecting several properties
- Storm water using the same pipe as the foul waste
Signs worth reporting
The symptoms worth reporting when you ring:
- Water standing in an outside gully long after use
- More than one appliance backing up, rather than a single sink
- A glugging noise from a plughole when the bath is let out
- A sour smell near the gully that worsens after rain
How the visit works
We diagnose before we clear:
- Stop further discharge into the blocked run on arrival
- Locate the blockage by working through the chambers
- Clear the line with whichever method suits the cause
- Explain the cause and whether the pipe needs more than clearing
Before we arrive
Before the engineer arrives, a couple of things make a real difference:
- Keep water use to nothing, particularly appliances on a timer
- Cordon off contaminated ground
- Clear access to the drain covers if you can
- Note which fittings are affected when you ring
Who pays for the repair
A blockage is not automatically your bill. 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 NW3
Drain unblocking starts at a fixed £120 plus VAT, with no call-out charge at any hour. No call-out fee applies, day or night. You get the figure before any work begins.