Why Do My Drains Keep Getting Blocked? Hidden Causes & Lasting Solutions
A blocked drain is one of those problems that seems simple at first… until it keeps coming back. Many homeowners call out a company to clear the blockage, only to face the same issue again weeks later. At ASL Limited, we’ve spent over 50 years solving drainage problems across Surrey, Hampshire, Sussex, and Berkshire. And we’ve learned one important truth: unblocking a drain is only half the job — finding the cause is the real solution.
1. Who’s been unblocking your drains?
Some insurance companies will send out contractors to clear the blockage, but they don’t always investigate why it happened. That means you could be stuck in a cycle of repeat callouts.
At ASL, when we unblock your drain, we go further: we’ll often carry out a free camera survey at the exact point of the blockage. That way, you know what caused it — and how to prevent it from happening again.
2. Old vs New Drains
If you’ve had new drains installed with the correct fall and gradient, blockages are rare. Problems usually come from old glazed pipes with multiple joints. Over time, joints shift slightly, creating lips where waste catches.
Our solution? A structural liner. This smooths out the pipe, seals the joints, and restores proper flow. Once lined, the pipe usually stays trouble-free for years.
3. Hidden Causes of Recurring Blockages
Here are the issues we most often find when drains keep blocking:
- 🌳 Tree roots breaking into joints.
- 🪵 Out of line or open joints in glazed pipes.
- 💥 Collapsed sections of pipe.
- 📉 Wrong gradients causing pooling.
- 🥓 Fat and grease build-up from kitchens.
- 🧻 Wipes and sanitary products that never break down.
- 🌍 Ground movement over time.
These aren’t always visible until a camera survey is done — but they’re the real reasons drains keep failing.
4. Prevention & Maintenance
Many callouts could be avoided with a bit of foresight:
- Survey before you buy a house — you don’t want hidden problems.
- Full drain survey every 3 years — it gives peace of mind and helps catch issues before they become costly. If you’ve had a blockage, at least have the length of pipe that blocked camera-inspected, so you know exactly why it happened.
- Septic tank emptying every 12 months — we keep this simple by booking you in with our office team (Dawn will even call you 2 weeks before the due date).
- Interceptor traps on old properties are a common blockage point — sometimes they need replacing.
5. Professional Solutions
At ASL we invest in:
- 📹 CCTV surveys — pinpointing the exact problem.
- 💦 High-pressure jetting — clearing fat and debris.
- 🧰 Lining vs Replacement — if a section has dipped and ponds water, we’ll replace that section and line the rest for maximum life.
- 👷 Experienced engineers — our blocked drain specialists all have 10+ years’ experience in problem solving. They’re well-paid, trained, and appraised — which means they take pride in doing it right.
6. Local Service, Fast Response
Our team lives within 10–15 miles of Guildford and the surrounding towns. Even if we send someone from a little further away, we don’t charge travel fees.
If you’ve had 2–3 blockages in the same place, give ASL a try:
- We’ll clear it.
- We’ll measure and survey it on the spot.
- We’ll explain clearly what’s going on.
Our office staff connect you directly with someone who understands drainage, not just a call handler. Same-day attendance is standard — early mornings are often our favourite.
Blocked drains aren’t just an inconvenience — they’re a sign of something deeper. Don’t keep paying for repeat callouts. Let ASL unblock, survey, and solve the root cause so you can move on worry-free.
📞 Call our Guildford office today to book your same-day engineer.
📍 Serving a 15-mile radius around Guildford (Surrey, Hampshire, Sussex, Berkshire).
