Blocked toilet or drain
A blocked toilet or drain feels like a small problem until it overflows. In older houses split into flats, it can also be everyone’s problem at once, because one drain often serves the whole building.
Right now
- Stop adding water. Do not flush again, run taps, or use the washing machine or dishwasher.
- Stop the cistern refilling. Lift the lid and hold the float up, or close the small valve on the pipe that feeds the cistern.
- Protect the floor. Towels around the base of the toilet and anything valuable out of the way.
- Check whether others are affected. If neighbours in the same building have the same problem, the blockage is in a shared drain.
- Call 07862 142953 or send us a photo on WhatsApp.
When water comes back up
If dirty water or sewage rises through a toilet, shower or floor drain during heavy rain, the public sewer is probably overloaded rather than your pipes being blocked. This happened across West Hampstead and South Hampstead in the July 2021 storms. Stay away from the water, keep children and pets out of the room, and stop using water in the home until the rain eases.
Once things settle, we can check your drains and talk to you about a non-return valve, a one-way flap that stops sewage backing up into your home next time.
How we clear it
We start at the fixture with the right tools for the pipe, not brute force, because older ceramic, clay and cast-iron pipes crack easily. If the blockage is further down, we open the inspection chamber and clear the drain from there. Before we leave, we run water through every fixture we have touched to check that everything drains properly.
Drains under old houses
Many of the drains under this part of London are well over a century old. Tree roots, from the mature trees that line so many streets here, can push into clay drain joints and catch everything that passes. If the same drain keeps blocking, we can tell you whether a camera survey is worth it to see what is happening underground.
We clear blocked toilets and drains in West Hampstead, Swiss Cottage, Belsize Park, Hampstead and Primrose Hill. We also cover every other area we serve, from Mayfair and Chelsea to Alexandra Park.
Questions people ask
Should I keep flushing to clear it?
No. If the bowl is filling up, another flush can make it overflow. Take the lid off the cistern and lift the float to stop it refilling, then leave the toilet alone until it is cleared.
Every drain in the house is slow. What does that mean?
When several sinks, showers and toilets are slow at once, the blockage is usually further down, in the main drain or the inspection chamber outside. That is not something a plunger will reach, so call us.
Are chemical drain cleaners safe to use?
We would rather you did not. They rarely clear a solid blockage, they can damage older pipes and seals, and they make the job more dangerous for whoever clears the drain afterwards.
Who pays for a blocked drain in a block of flats?
It depends whether the drain serves only your flat or the whole building. We will tell you which it was once it is cleared, so you can pass the bill to the freeholder or managing agent if it is theirs.
Sources
- Camden publishes report into floods which affected parts of the borough last year, Camden Council
- Flash flood residents tell town hall they fear more rainfall, Camden New Journal
- Flood risks, southhampstead.info