Emergency Plumbing & Boiler Repair · Mitcham, London
Blocked Drains in Mitcham, London
A blocked drain announces itself badly: a bath that drains with a gurgle, a toilet that rises instead of flushing, or water welling up through a manhole in the garden. Left alone, it gets worse and smells. Emergency Plumber and Boiler Repair arranges blocked drain clearance across Mitcham, finding a partner company with the jetting and camera equipment to clear the line and show what caused it.
Most domestic blockages come from the same few causes: fat and grease solidifying in kitchen waste, wipes and sanitary products that do not break down, tree roots working into old joints and collapsed or misaligned sections of pipe. The partner works out which by starting with the simplest answer, and where the cause is not obvious, a camera survey shows the inside of the pipe.
Published 2026 London guides put drain unblocking at about £80 to £150, high-pressure jetting at £120 to £250 and a CCTV survey at £90 to £250, with 24-hour emergency call-outs from about £150 to £300 or more. Underground drains, tree roots and collapsed pipework cost more, so the partner's written quote after diagnosis is the figure that counts.
Who is responsible is the first question. Since 1 October 2011, shared drains and lateral drains outside the boundary of your property have been the responsibility of the water company, which for Mitcham is Thames Water, while the drain serving only your property inside the boundary remains yours. The partner will tell you which side of the line the blockage is on, and if it is Thames Water's, you can report it to them rather than pay.
Mitcham has its own pressures on drains. Merton's flood plan names the Three Kings Pond area of Mitcham town centre and the River Wandle corridor as areas exposed to surface water flooding, and Victorian and inter-war clay drains around Cricket Green and Figge's Marsh are old enough for joints to have shifted. The same number reaches Morden, Colliers Wood and Tooting. Call 07897 016796.
What We Do
What Blocks Drains Around Mitcham, and How They Are Cleared
The method depends on the blockage, and the partner picks the least invasive one that works.
Sinks, Baths and Toilets Backing Up
A blockage inside the house is usually grease, hair or wipes. The partner uses a plunger, drain rods or an electric drain machine from an access point, clearing the waste pipe back to the soil stack or the drain run. A toilet that will not clear after a plunge often has a deeper blockage in the soil pipe.
Outside Gullies, Manholes and Rodding Eyes
When water rises in a gully or backs up in an inspection chamber, the blockage is further along the run. High-pressure jetting washes out fat, silt and debris and can clear roots in a pipe. The partner will lift the chamber covers to see whether the water is flowing downstream, which tells them if the blockage is yours or the sewer's.
Tree Roots, Collapsed Pipe and Repeated Blockages
A drain that blocks again and again usually has a structural cause: roots in an open joint, a displaced pipe or a crack. A CCTV survey shows exactly where, and the fix may be root cutting, a patch repair or relining. Mitcham Common, the Wandle valley and mature street trees make roots a plausible cause.
The Benefits
Cost, Responsibility and When a Camera Survey Pays for Itself
A bit of homework before the visit saves money and arguments.
Whose Drain Is It?
A drain serving only your house within the boundary is yours; shared drains and lateral drains outside the boundary are the water company's. The partner will check and, where it is Thames Water's, tell you how to report it.
Cost Ranges to Expect
In London, simple unblocking commonly runs £80 to £150, jetting £120 to £250 and a survey £90 to £250, with night emergencies from around £150 to £300 or more. A repair or relining is quoted separately once the survey shows what is needed.
Why Repeat Blockages Need a Survey
Clearing a blockage that keeps returning only treats the symptom. A CCTV survey costs a modest sum and avoids paying for repeated call-outs, and it gives a record you can show a neighbour, a landlord or the water company.
Why Us
How We Arrange Drain Clearance Across Merton and Tooting
Drain work needs equipment, so we match jobs to partners who carry it.
Jetting and Cameras Available
We ask where the blockage shows and how long it has been happening, and pass that to a partner who has jetting and camera kit, so you do not wait for someone to hire it in.
A Written Quote Before Work
The partner quotes in writing before work starts and invoices you directly. We take no payment. If the work is on a shared drain, they will tell you who is responsible.
One Number if It Comes Back
If the blockage returns, ring 07897 016796 and we chase the partner. Our terms page explains where responsibility sits.
Five Questions That Tell the Partner Where the Blockage Is
A few minutes of looking before you ring saves the partner a good deal of guessing, and helps decide whether the fault is inside your boundary or beyond it.
- Is it one fixture or all of them? A single slow sink points to its own waste pipe, while a bath, basin and toilet all struggling points to the soil stack or the main drain.
- Does water rise at the lowest point? A ground-floor shower tray or gully filling when the washing machine empties suggests the main run is partly blocked.
- Is there a smell? A sewage smell near an outside manhole suggests a blockage downstream, and a smell inside suggests a dry trap or a cracked pipe.
- Is it worse after rain? A drain that backs up only in heavy rain can have a surface water connection or roots, and in Merton's flood-exposed pockets near the Wandle it can be a capacity problem.
- Do your neighbours have the same trouble? Several homes backing up together usually means a shared drain, which is Thames Water's responsibility and which you can report to them.
What Not to Do While You Wait
Chemical Drain Cleaners and Boiling Water
Strong chemical cleaners can damage old clay and plastic joints and are a risk to the partner who has to work on the drain afterwards, so tell them if you have used any. Boiling water poured down a blocked pan can crack porcelain and soften plastic waste pipes, so use hot tap water at most.
Flushing and Running Taps
Stop flushing and stop running taps into a drain that is already full, because every extra litre goes into the wrong place. Put towels at the base of a toilet that is rising and keep the bathroom door closed. If sewage reaches floors, keep children and pets away and wear gloves.
Lifting Manhole Covers
Leave heavy covers to the partner, who has the lifting gear and knows the risks of a full chamber. If you can safely see that water in the chamber is standing, rather than flowing, tell us on the call, because that shows the blockage is downstream of it.
If water is also escaping, see hidden leak detection or emergency plumbers. A toilet with a running cistern may need fixing taps and cisterns. The full list is on our services page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know whether a blocked drain is my responsibility or Thames Water's?
A drain that serves only your property, within your boundary, is your responsibility. Since 1 October 2011, shared drains and lateral drains outside the boundary have been the responsibility of the water company, which for this area is Thames Water. The partner will lift an inspection chamber and see where water is backing up, which tells them whether the blockage sits on your side or beyond. If it is Thames Water's, they can explain how to report it.
How much does it cost to unblock a drain in London?
Published 2026 London guides show standard unblocking at about £80 to £150, high-pressure jetting at £120 to £250, a CCTV survey at £90 to £250 and 24-hour emergency call-outs from about £150 to £300 or more. Underground drains, tree roots and collapsed pipes cost more. The partner company's written quote after diagnosis is the figure that counts.
My toilet is blocked and the plunger does not work. What next?
Stop flushing, because a full pan will overflow, and put towels around the base. A plunger clears most blockages inside the pan, but if it fails, the blockage is deeper in the soil pipe or the drain. The partner will use a drain machine or rods from an access point and, if the drain outside is also full, will jet the run. Ring 07897 016796 if water is rising.
What causes repeated blocked drains?
Repeated blockages usually have a cause the clearance does not remove: tree roots growing into joints, a sagging or displaced pipe that holds water, a cracked section, or fat building up in a rough section. A CCTV survey shows which. Without it, you pay for a clear-out that holds for a few weeks. With it, the partner can quote for a patch repair or relining.
Do tree roots really block drains around Mitcham?
They can. Roots seek water and enter drains through open joints in older clay pipes, particularly where mature trees stand close. Mitcham has Mitcham Common and tree-lined streets, and older Victorian and inter-war drains have more joints. A camera survey shows whether roots are present, and cutting or relining can follow. We do not claim roots are the cause of every blockage, only that they are a common one.
What is the difference between rodding, jetting and a CCTV survey?
Rodding pushes flexible rods through the pipe to clear a blockage, and works for simple obstructions. Jetting uses high-pressure water to clean the pipe wall as well as clear the blockage, and is the standard for grease and silt. A CCTV survey sends a camera along the pipe to show its condition. The partner picks the method after seeing the symptoms, and may combine them.
Can a blocked drain flood my house?
Yes, especially if the blockage is on a shared drain downstream and the gullies and toilets are the lowest outlets. Heavy rain adds to the risk, and Merton's surface water plan names the Three Kings Pond area of Mitcham town centre as exposed to flooding. If sewage is coming up, keep children and pets away, and ring us and, if the sewer is shared, Thames Water.
How can I stop my drains blocking?
Avoid pouring fat and cooking oil down the sink, and bin wipes and sanitary products instead of flushing them, even if the packet says flushable. Use a sink strainer and run hot water after washing up. A yearly look at external gullies for leaves and silt is easy. If a drain slows down, deal with it early, because a slow drain is cheaper to clear than a blocked one.
Do you work on commercial drains in Tooting and Mitcham?
The partner companies we coordinate handle some commercial drainage, and Tooting's busy high street kitchens and food outlets put a lot of grease into the drains. Commercial jobs can be larger and call for different equipment, so tell us what the premises are and what the problem is when you ring. We will match you with a partner who works on that kind of property.
Who does the work, and who do I pay?
An independently owned partner company clears the drain, quotes in writing before work starts and invoices you directly. We take no payment and send no invoices, and we text you the partner's name before they arrive. If it blocks again, ring 07897 016796 and we chase it. See the full process for the full explanation.
Drain Backing Up? Ring 07897 016796
Open 24 Hours. We find the nearest partner with drain equipment for Mitcham, Colliers Wood, Tooting and Morden.
07897 016796