Drainage
Drain jetting
TL;DR
High-pressure jetting clears 90% of blockages that hand-rods can't touch. Domestic call-out is £160–£280 fixed, most jobs done in under an hour. We use 2,500–4,000 psi machines that scour the pipe wall properly — not just punch a hole through the blockage that re-blocks next week. If the drain keeps blocking after jetting we recommend a CCTV survey to find why, rather than jetting it every three months.
A blockage that comes back is a blockage that wasn't properly cleared. Hand-rodding punches a hole through fat or scale but leaves the pipe wall coated — three weeks later it's blocked again. High-pressure jetting scours the whole pipe wall back to bare surface, so the flow is restored and stays restored.
This page covers when jetting is the right tool, what pressure you actually need, and when you should be pushing for a CCTV survey rather than yet another clear.
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Flat fee. No hourly meter running.
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Transparent pricing — refunded if we don't fix it.
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When is jetting the right answer (and when isn't it)?
Jetting is brilliant for fat, grease, scale, silt, small roots and general build-up in an otherwise sound pipe. It is not the right answer if the drain has structurally failed — a collapsed section or a badly displaced joint needs excavation or lining, not more water. If we've jetted a run twice in six months we'll insist on a CCTV survey before the third visit; if there's a defect, jetting is just delaying the inevitable repair.
- Kitchen waste blocked by fat and grease — jetting perfect
- Toilet drain blocked by build-up and paper — jetting perfect
- External foul chamber overflowing — jetting usually clears
- Rain gully full of silt after storms — jetting perfect
- Cracked or collapsed pipe — jetting is the wrong tool, needs repair
What pressure and flow do you actually need?
For 100mm domestic drains, 2,500–3,000 psi at 15–20 litres per minute is the sweet spot — enough to scour scale off, not so much you risk damaging older clay joints. For 150mm+ commercial, we run the trailer unit at 4,000 psi and 60 lpm. Cheap 1,500 psi machines from a rental shop punch a hole but don't clean the pipe wall — that's why the blockage returns.
- 2,500–3,000 psi @ 15–20 lpm — 100mm domestic
- 4,000 psi @ 60 lpm — 150mm+ commercial mains
- Rotary nozzles for scale and hard fat
- Root-cutter head for small root ingress
- Chain flail for hard scale in cast iron
What a proper jetting visit includes
We find the right chamber first (never jet blind up an internal stack), match the nozzle to the blockage, jet from downstream up so debris flushes back to the chamber where we can remove it, then run clean water for 2–3 minutes to confirm free flow. Where possible we do a quick camera pass at the end so you can see what we cleared and confirm nothing structural is lurking underneath.
- Correct chamber identified before starting
- Downstream-up jetting so debris flushes clear
- Clean-water flow test after clearing
- Post-jet camera pass on request
- Written note of blockage cause on your invoice
Recurring blockages — stop paying to jet the same drain
Any drain that blocks more than twice in six months has a cause — a defect, a design fault, or a household habit. We'd rather do a £220 CCTV survey and find it than keep taking your £180 for a clear. Common causes we find repeatedly: fat down a kitchen sink with no grease trap, wet wipes flushed as 'flushable', a slight belly in the pipe holding silt, or a shared drain another property is misusing.
Typical prices
Real-world ranges from recent Northwest jobs. Your final price is confirmed in writing before any work starts.
| Item | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic call-out & first hour | 160 – 240 | Most clears finish in this window |
| Additional hour (if needed) | 60 – 90 | Rarely needed on domestic |
| Commercial jetting (trailer unit) | 280 – 480 | Half-day minimum |
| Post-jet CCTV pass | 80 – 120 | Add-on to prove clear + condition |
| Root cutting head | 60 – 100 | Small ingress at joints |
| Silt / grit removal (per bag) | 12 – 18 | Safe waste disposal included |
Kit & brands we use
We run Warrior transit-mounted jetters at 4,000 psi for commercial, and Rioned Flex-Trailer 3,000 psi units for domestic. Nozzles from Enz and USB — matched to blockage type rather than a one-size-fits-all fitting.
Drain-clearance red flags
Drainage is a heavily-scammed trade. National '£69 unblock' firms rarely leave for £69. Ask these before you agree.
- Is the price fixed, or is £69 just the first 30 minutes?
- Are call-out, VAT, mileage and machine hire included?
- What pressure and flow does your machine actually run at?
- If you can't clear it, do I still pay in full?
- Will you recommend a CCTV survey if this is the second blockage?
- Do you sell 'urgent liner repairs' at the same visit? (Get a second quote)
Our promise on this job
Flat £50 diagnostic — deducted in full from any work booked. Fair, transparent quote before we start. If we can't fix the fault we diagnosed, we refund the diagnostic. All gas work is signed off by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Talk to KJ about drain jetting
Real triage in seconds. £50 diagnostic visit — refunded if we don't fix it.