Quick answer
Most blocked drains come from fat and wet wipes in kitchen and bathroom pipes. Tree roots can also work into the joints of older clay drains. If two or more fixtures slow down together, the blockage sits in the shared run. That needs proper clearance, since a plunger cannot reach it. Ask a drainage engineer through the request form before it backs up further.
Signs your drain is blocked, not just slow
- Water drains away slowly from a sink, bath or shower, even after a plunger
- Gurgling comes from a toilet, sink or floor gully when you use another fixture
- A foul smell hangs around an outside drain cover, gully or manhole
- Water backs up into a lower fixture when the washing machine empties
- An inspection chamber looks full or slow to clear when you lift the cover
If only one fixture is slow, the fault is probably in its own waste pipe. However, if several fixtures slow at once, or an outside gully overflows, the blockage is further along. Our drain unblocking page for Billericay explains how that is usually tackled.
Why drains block
Fat, oil and grease are the biggest cause in kitchens. They set hard as they cool, and thus narrow the pipe. Wet wipes and cotton buds do not break down, so they catch other waste in toilet drains.
Older homes may have clay drains with many joints. Ground movement can open a joint slightly, and roots then find the gap. Roots grow inside the pipe and catch wipes and food waste, so the drain blocks solid.
If a drain blocks in the same spot every few months, look for a structural cause. Root growth at a displaced joint is one common explanation. Clearing it again and again will not cure it while the cause stays in place.
Common causes
- Fat, oil and grease poured down kitchen sinks
- Wet wipes, cotton buds and sanitary products flushed instead of binned
- Tree roots at pipe joints, especially around mature gardens
- Displaced or slightly collapsed sections of older pipe
- Missing gully guards, which let leaves and garden debris into the surface water drain
What to do when a drain blocks
- Stop using the affected fixture so you add no more water
- Check outside gullies and manhole covers near the fixture, since an overflow means the blockage is in the shared drain
- Avoid more chemical cleaner, because it rarely clears a solid blockage
- Note whether one fixture or several are affected, which tells the engineer where to start
- Get the line checked if the blockage returns
Work through these steps in order, so each one gives the engineer useful facts. Write down what you saw and when it began.
When you need professional clearance
A recurring or multi-fixture blockage needs proper equipment. High-pressure jetting can clear the line while it avoids the guesswork of rods or chemicals. Read more on the drain jetting page for Billericay.
For blocked drains that keep returning, ask for a camera check. A CCTV drain survey shows whether roots or a broken joint cause the problem. MyJobQuote gives an average survey of about £250, and Survey Match gives £200 to £350 plus VAT for a 2 to 3 bed home. Those are national figures, not Essex quotes. Ask for a written quote before work starts.
For unblocking, Precise Drainage Solutions gives £80 to £300 for minor to moderate jobs, and MyJobQuote puts the average at about £100. Jetting or complex jobs cost more. HomeServe publishes its own guide too. Ask whether the quote includes a call-out charge.
Blocked drains pages near Billericay
Drains in nearby towns block for the same common reasons. If you live in Brentwood or Ingatestone, start with the Brentwood area page or the Ingatestone area page. Great Baddow has its own page on blocked drain help in Great Baddow.
- Blocked drains in Billericay
- CCTV drain surveys in Billericay
- Blocked drains in Brentwood
- Billericay area page
- Drain services overview
Frequently asked questions
Is a blocked drain my job or the water company's?
Defra's guidance says many private sewers and lateral drains passed to the water companies on 1 October 2011. Drains inside one property boundary stayed with the owner. Check which water company serves your postcode, since it can vary across this part of Essex.
Can I use a chemical drain unblocker?
Chemicals may help with light grease in one pipe. They will not shift roots, a displaced joint or a solid blockage. Repeat use can harm older pipes, so stop if one attempt fails.
Will jetting damage old clay pipes?
Jetting suits most sound pipes when the engineer sets the pressure for the pipe. It can make existing cracks worse. That is why a camera check helps, since it shows weak sections first.
How quickly can a blockage get worse?
A partial blockage can become a full one within days if you keep using the fixture. A backed-up outside gully can also affect neighbours while heavy rain falls. Act as soon as you notice slow draining or gurgling.