Drain Unblocking Southampton
Clearing blocked drains, gullies and waste pipes at homes and businesses, then explaining what caused the blockage so it is less likely to come back.
This page is about the drains outside and beneath your property. If you have a single blocked sink or toilet, our pages on blocked sinks and blocked toilets in Southampton may be more useful.
Problems we often see in Southampton
When customers in and around Southampton contact us about blocked drains, these are some of the most common issues:
- Rear gullies blocked with grease from kitchen sinks
- Inspection chambers full of standing water in terraced gardens
- Autumn leaves and silt blocking open gullies in tree-lined streets
- Blockages at the junction where neighbouring drains meet
- Drains beneath patios and extensions blocking where the pipe has shifted
What usually causes them
- Leaves, soil and debris washed into open gullies
- Fat and food waste from kitchen sinks collecting in the drain
- Wipes and sanitary products lodging at bends and junctions
- Tree and shrub roots growing into older clay pipes
- Subsidence or ground movement displacing pipe joints
Blocked Drains across Southampton
Underground drains in Southampton vary a great deal by street. In the older parts of the city (Shirley, Freemantle, Portswood, Northam and Woolston), drains are often clay pipes laid over a century ago, running along the back of terraces and joining before reaching the sewer. In post-war areas such as Thornhill, Harefield and Millbrook, and newer estates, you are more likely to find plastic systems with plastic inspection chambers.
The practical difference is that older drains block because the pipe itself has deteriorated, while newer ones usually block because of what has been put into them. Knowing which you have helps decide whether clearing the drain is enough, or whether it is worth investigating further.
Leaves are also a factor in the leafier parts of the city. Open gullies near trees in Bassett, Highfield and around the Common fill quickly in autumn and can overflow in heavy rain.
What Clear Drainage does
Help with blocked outside drains, gullies, inspection chambers and underground drain runs: found, cleared and explained.
- Blockages are located by checking chambers along the drain run.
- The whole affected section is cleared and flushed, not just the visible part.
- You find out whether the drain is private, shared or the water company’s responsibility.
- Recurring problems can be investigated with a CCTV survey.
When to call us
Get in touch if you notice any of the following at your Southampton property:
- Water pooling around an outside gully
- An inspection chamber full of standing water or waste
- Several fittings in the house draining slowly at the same time
- Bad smells in the garden or near external walls
- Gurgling noises from plugholes and toilets
- Damp patches or unusually lush grass along the line of a drain