Drain Cleaning

Build-up can narrow the pipe surprisingly quickly

Grease and scale build up from the wall inwards. The remaining opening may become irregular, which makes it easier for wipes, paper and other solids to catch.

Use the cleaning method that fits the blockage

Grease and silt usually respond to ordinary jetting nozzles. Roots and hard scale often need cutting heads. If the camera has already shown badly fractured clay, the answer is not simply more pressure; the operator needs to know how fragile the pipe is.

Clean the pipe before judging its condition

Where a CCTV survey is intended to assess the pipe wall, cleaning first usually gives a far clearer view. Otherwise dirt can hide cracks and standing water can obscure the lower part of the bore.

Why the camera should usually go in after cleaning

Cleaning can reveal whether the internal diameter is genuinely reduced by deposits or merely appears small because a layer of grease and debris is coating the wall. It also exposes joint lines and fractures that a camera may otherwise miss.

If a contractor recommends a repair as soon as a badly fouled drain is opened, ask whether the pipe has been cleaned well enough to see it properly. A mark on the camera only matters if it helps explain why the drain is causing trouble.