By Laurie Poulter, Website & Marketing, Happy Drains.
You may have lived in your home for years without knowing where its drains run, whether they connect to a neighbour’s pipes or when they were last repaired. Those details can become important when a toilet drains slowly or the same blockage keeps returning.
Before arranging work, it helps to find out what is already known about the system. Previous inspection reports, repair invoices and information from a landlord or managing agent can all help a contractor understand the problem.
For an older Brighton home, start with three questions: where do the pipes run, what condition are they in and who is responsible for repairing them?
The age of the house alone cannot answer those questions.
Older homes can have a mix of old and new drains
A Victorian house may have had new pipes fitted during an extension, a conversion into flats or a repair. Ask for records of that work. They may show which pipes were replaced and which were left in place.
An old pipe may still be in good condition. A new bathroom, meanwhile, may discharge into an older drain. You need information about the pipes themselves to judge whether work is needed.
If you are researching Brighton’s Victorian drains and the drainage firms that maintain them, ask contractors how they will check your property’s pipes. A useful inspection report should explain where the drains run, what they are made of and what condition they are in.
Check for existing reports before booking another inspection. Ask where contractors have previously accessed the drains. If a managing agent arranged the work, request the inspection findings as well as the bill, and pass them to the next contractor.
Keep a record of repeated blockages
When a blockage returns, write down what happens. Is it always the same sink or toilet? Does an outside drain fill at the same time? Does it happen in dry weather, or only after heavy rain? What did the previous contractor remove or report?
Keep dated notes and photographs with the repair records. This gives the resident, landlord and contractor the same information, without relying on anyone to remember the details of earlier visits.
Ask the contractor what caused the blockage and whether anything remains uncertain. Clearing a pipe gets water moving again, but it may not explain why the problem keeps returning. Before agreeing to further work, ask what it is expected to fix.
If an inspection finds roots inside a pipe, a joint that has moved out of position or a damaged section, ask to see it in the camera footage. The contractor should explain where the problem is and how the proposed repair will address it. A nearby tree alone is not evidence of roots in a drain.
Ask what a camera survey will check
A CCTV drain survey uses a camera to inspect the inside of pipes. It can only show the sections the camera can reach, so the report needs to explain what was checked and what was left uninspected.
Before booking, explain why you need the survey. You might be investigating repeated blockages, checking a home before buying it or locating pipes before an extension. Ask whether the proposed survey will provide the information you need.
Ask for a report that marks the inspected sections, explains any damage and records places the camera could not reach. If part of the drain could not be checked, ask whether another visit or a different method is needed.
If you plan to build near a public sewer, check Southern Water’s build-over guidance. It explains the approval process and when CCTV inspections are needed. Having a survey carried out does not itself give you permission to build over or alter a public sewer.
Record where floodwater comes from
If flooding happens during rain, describe where the water appears. Is it running down the basement steps, collecting outside a window or backing up through a sink or toilet? Take notes or photographs from a safe position. Do not enter floodwater to trace its source.
Brighton & Hove City Council’s summer 2023 flood investigation identifies surface water as the city’s main flood risk. This is rainwater that collects or flows over the ground. A property’s distance from the sea therefore tells you little about this particular risk.
A clear private drain cannot prevent all flooding from water arriving from elsewhere. If you are buying a basement flat, ask about both the condition of its drains and its history of flooding.
Check who is responsible before booking repairs
The water company may be responsible for a shared sewer even where it crosses private land. A drain serving only your home, within your property boundary, is normally your responsibility. Ask Southern Water if you are unsure which applies to the pipe needing repair.
Check before booking repairs. In a house converted into flats, you may also need the freeholder or managing agent to arrange access and approve the work.
Keep the reports, photographs and invoices together once work is complete. Make a note of any sections that still need checking and who is responsible for them. If another problem occurs, those records will help you explain what has already been investigated and repaired.
