Our drain unblocking services

Where is your blockage?

You don't need to work out where the blockage is yourself – that's our job. Still, a few simple observations can help pin the problem down. That makes the phone call shorter, and the engineer arrives better prepared.

One drain or several at once?

If only the washbasin or only the shower drain is slow, the blockage is almost always close by: in the trap or the first stretch of pipe. If several drains are struggling at once, or water comes up through the lowest drain in the house, the problem is further down the line: in the soil stack, the underground drain or the sewer.

Inside or outside?

Water running down the outside wall when it rains, or spilling over the edge of the gutter, points to a blockage in the rainwater drainage. A sewage smell in the garden, sunken paving slabs above the pipe or an inspection chamber full of water is more likely to mean a problem in the sewer itself.

Blockage or something else?

Not every problem is a blockage. If a drain smells of sewage but the water drains away normally, the water seal in the trap may simply have dried out – in a rarely used toilet in the attic, for example. In that case, run the tap for a moment or flush the toilet. If the smell lingers, or you hear the drain gurgling, a partial blockage is likely and it's worth giving us a call.

What each service involves

Drain unblocking service: when the cause isn't clear yet

If you're not sure exactly what's wrong, or several problems are going on at once, start with our general drain unblocking service. That page explains how we work as a drain unblocking company, from the first questions on the phone to the advice you're given afterwards.

Toilet unblocking: from pan to soil stack

A toilet that won't flush, or where the water rises higher with every flush, is one of the most urgent blockages in any home. For toilet unblocking, the engineer uses a toilet auger – or, if the blockage is further into the system, a machine fed in through the soil stack.

Kitchen sink unblocking: getting grease out of the pipe

In the kitchen it's usually grease, coffee grounds and food scraps sticking together in the pipe. Our kitchen sink unblocking service doesn't just remove the blockage; we also flush the layer of grease off the inside of the pipe. Otherwise it would block up again within a few weeks.

Washbasin unblocking: hair and soap in the trap

A washbasin often blocks up gradually with hair, toothpaste and soap residue. Washbasin unblocking is usually a quick job. If the trap is hard to reach, or a pipe behind the tiles keeps getting blocked, it's better to leave it to a professional.

Shower drain unblocking: drain, pipe and bath

The shower drain catches hair and soap, and if the floor doesn't slope enough, water soon starts pooling. For shower drain unblocking, we clean out the drain and the pipe behind it. A slow-draining bath is covered by this service too.

Sewer cleaning: the whole pipe, at high pressure

For blockages in the underground drain or the garden sewer, and for pipes that are slowly silting up, sewer cleaning with a high-pressure water jetter is the most thorough approach. This service also covers periodic maintenance for commercial premises, restaurants and blocks of flats.

Drain camera inspection: the cause on camera

A blockage that keeps coming back has a cause you can't see. A camera inspection of the drains reveals root intrusion, sagging sections, cracks and joints that have come loose. Then you know what needs repairing and what can be left alone.

Downpipe unblocking: from gutter to sewer

Leaves, moss, sand and sometimes a bird's nest can stop rainwater draining away. Downpipe unblocking prevents overflowing gutters, wet walls and damp patches on the inside of external walls.

Problems that often go together

Blockages rarely come alone. Two problems are often linked, and then it makes sense to tackle them in a single visit.

• Blockage and leak. Water that can't get away looks for another way out. If a trap or coupling has started leaking under the pressure, or a drain is overflowing, we deal with it during the same visit. If water is leaking from a pressurised pipe, such as the mains water supply, mention it on the phone so we can assess what's needed.
• Toilet and soil stack. If water comes up in the shower when you flush, the blockage is in the shared pipe. Unblocking the toilet alone won't be enough; the whole pipe needs clearing.
• Recurring blockage. Once it's cleared, we put a camera down the pipe so we can pin down the cause in one go.
• Downpipe and garden sewer. If the downpipe connects to the sewer, a blocked inspection chamber or underground drain could also be the culprit. We check both.

Urgent call-out or booked appointment?

If it's an emergency, such as an overflowing toilet or sewage backing up, we send an engineer as quickly as possible. They're usually with you within the hour, at any time of day or night, public holidays included.

Not everything is urgent. A washbasin that's been draining a little slowly for weeks, preventive sewer cleaning or a camera inspection before you buy a home can all wait, and we'll book them in at a time that suits you. On weekdays during the day, the standard rate applies rather than the out-of-hours rate.

Prices and call-out charge

Clearing a blockage costs from €129. The call-out charge is not included in that price and comes on top. Outside office hours we charge an out-of-hours rate. For sewer cleaning over a long stretch, an extensive inspection or maintenance on several pipes, you can ask for a quote. Whatever the service, you get a price estimate up front, and the engineer checks with you first if more work turns out to be needed on site.

Where we offer these services

Our services are available throughout the Netherlands, from Rotterdam and Utrecht to Nijmegen and Enschede. A number of cities have their own page, which you'll find under our service area by city. Need help right away? Call 085 333 4698.