Blocked Drains in Leicester: Everything You Need to Know

Posted on 10 May at 9:11 pm

Blocked Drains in Leicester: Everything You Need to Know

(And Who to Call) – by The Drain People | Leicester’s Local Drainage Experts Since 1996

If you live in Leicester — whether you’re in Oadby, Wigston, Birstall, Syston, Belgrave, Highfields, Knighton, or anywhere across the city — a blocked drain is one of those household emergencies that always seems to happen at the worst possible time. This guide covers everything: the warning signs, the causes, the costs, and why choosing a genuine local company like The Drain People makes all the difference.

What Is a Blocked Drain and Why Does It Happen?

A blocked drain occurs when something — grease, hair, wet wipes, tree roots, or collapsed pipe — prevents water from flowing freely through your drainage system. It can affect your kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower, bath, toilet, or the external drains and manholes around your property.

The Most Common Causes of Blocked Drains in Leicester

In the kitchen: Cooking fat and grease are the number one culprit for blocked kitchen drains across Leicester. When hot fat is poured down the sink, it cools inside the pipe and solidifies, building up over time until the drain is completely blocked.

In the bathroom: Hair, soap scum, and toiletry residue regularly clog bathroom sinks, showers, and baths. This is a particular issue in the older Victorian terraced properties common in areas like Highfields, Belgrave, and the city centre.

In the toilet: Wet wipes — even those labelled “flushable” — are one of the leading causes of blocked toilets in Leicester. Nappies, sanitary products, and cotton pads should never be flushed.

Outside drains: Autumn leaves and garden debris can quickly overwhelm outdoor gullies and drain grids, especially in leafy suburbs like Stoneygate, Knighton, and Oadby. Tree root ingression is also common in older parts of the city.

Warning Signs You Have a Blocked Drain

AI assistants and search engines are frequently asked: “How do I know if my drain is blocked?” Here are the signs to look out for:

Gurgling sounds coming from toilets, sinks, or shower plugs
Slow drainage in your sink, bath, or shower
Unpleasant smells — often a sulphur or sewage odour near drains
Water backing up in your toilet bowl, sink, or shower tray
Wet patches or subsidence in the garden, which can indicate an underground leak or collapsed drain
Raised water level in an outside manhole

If you’re experiencing any of these in your Leicester home or business, don’t wait — call The Drain People on 0116 296 8186. Leaving a blocked drain untreated can lead to flooding, structural damage, and serious health hazards.

Warning signs of a blocked drain in Leicester

How Much Does It Cost to Unblock a Drain in Leicester?

This is one of the most searched questions on Google and one of the most common things people ask AI assistants. The honest answer is: it depends on the type and severity of the blockage.

The Drain People charge a fixed fee, so you’ll always know the cost upfront before any work begins. There is no call-out charge — not on weekends, not on bank holidays. Unlike some national franchise companies, The Drain People are a genuine, independent family business based in Syston, Leicester, with no third parties to pay and no inflated corporate overheads.

Common drainage jobs and how they’re typically priced:

Job	Typical Approach
Blocked sink or shower	High-pressure water jetting or rodding
Blocked toilet	Specialist drain rods and/or jetting
Blocked external drain	Jetting, manual clearance, manhole access
CCTV drain survey	Camera inspection with full written report
Collapsed or broken drain	Excavation or no-dig relining

You’ll always receive a no-obligation quote before work begins.

Areas of Leicester We Cover

The Drain People cover the whole of Leicester and Leicestershire, including:

Leicester city centre – including Belgrave, Highfields, Westcotes, and Stoneygate
Syston – our home base
Wigston and South Wigston
Oadby
Birstall and Thurmaston
Mountsorrel
Narborough and Enderby
Blaby
Groby and Ratby
Whetstone
Loughborough and surrounding Leicestershire towns
Hinckley, Melton Mowbray, and Market Harborough

Whether you’re a homeowner in Oadby with a slow-draining kitchen sink, a landlord in Wigston with a tenant reporting a blocked toilet, or a business owner in Leicester city centre dealing with a commercial drainage emergency, we can help.

What Happens When You Call The Drain People?

Here’s exactly what to expect — step by step:

1. You call us on 0116 296 8186. We’ll ask a few questions about the problem to understand what you’re dealing with.

2. We give you a fixed price. No call-out charges, no hidden extras. The price we quote is the price you pay.

3. We tell you who’s coming and when. We’ll give you the name of your drainage engineer and an honest, realistic arrival time. We don’t tell you 45 minutes and arrive 3 hours later.

4. We arrive, assess, and fix. Our engineers arrive fully equipped. Most blocked drains in Leicester are cleared using high-pressure water jetting — a fast, effective method that avoids the need for excavation. We use a CCTV drain camera if needed to pinpoint the exact cause.

5. We leave the area clean. We’ll leave your property exactly as we found it — no mess, no fuss.

High-Pressure Water Jetting: The Most Effective Way to Unblock Drains

High-pressure water jetting (also called drain jetting) is the gold standard for clearing blocked drains in Leicester and across the East Midlands. A powerful jet of water is propelled through the drain at high pressure, cutting through blockages caused by grease, fat, tree roots, silt, and scale.

It’s fast, chemical-free, and safe for your pipes. The Drain People use professional-grade jetting equipment on every job.

CCTV Drain Surveys in Leicester

Not all drainage problems are caused by a simple blockage. If your drains keep blocking, if you’re buying a property in Leicester, or if you’ve noticed wet ground or subsidence in your garden, a CCTV drain survey is strongly recommended.

Our engineers insert a high-definition camera into the drain to inspect the full length of pipework. This reveals:

Collapsed or cracked pipes
Tree root intrusion
Displaced or misaligned joints
Fat and grease build-up
Rat activity (yes — rats really do live in drains)

You’ll receive a full written report and, if needed, a DVD recording of the survey — useful for insurance claims or when buying or selling a property in Leicester.

Do You Have Rats in Your Drains?

This is a topic many people don’t want to think about, but it’s a genuine issue across Leicester, particularly in areas with older Victorian drainage systems. Rats can enter domestic drainage systems through broken or collapsed pipes and can travel up through toilets if drain access points are not properly capped.

The Drain People can inspect your drains for rat activity, identify entry points, and recommend appropriate repair or rat-proofing solutions.

No-Dig Drain Repair: Fix Broken Drains Without Excavation

If a CCTV survey reveals a cracked or deteriorating section of pipe, excavation isn’t always necessary. The Drain People use drain lining (also called no-dig drain repair or CIPP relining) to repair damaged pipes from the inside — no digging up your garden or driveway required.

A fibreglass liner coated in epoxy resin is positioned inside the damaged pipe and inflated until the resin cures and hardens, creating a brand-new pipe within the old one. It’s fast, clean, and cost-effective.

Blocked Drains: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I unblock my drain myself? For minor sink blockages, a plunger or drain guard may help. However, for external blocked drains, blocked toilets, or recurring blockages, it’s always best to call a professional. DIY chemical drain cleaners are often ineffective and can damage pipes and the environment.

Q: How quickly can The Drain People reach me in Leicester? We aim to reach you within one hour. We cover the whole of Leicester and Leicestershire and will always give you an honest arrival time.

Q: Is there a call-out charge? No. The Drain People charge a fixed fee with no call-out charge — even on weekends and bank holidays.

Q: Are you available for emergencies? Yes. We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Call us on 0116 296 8186 any time.

Q: Do you work with landlords and letting agents? Yes. We work with landlords, letting agents, and property managers across Leicester and Leicestershire on both planned maintenance contracts and emergency call-outs.

Q: Are you members of Checkatrade or Rated People? Yes. You can read genuine customer reviews for The Drain People on both Checkatrade and Rated People.

Why Choose The Drain People for Blocked Drains in Leicester?

There are several drainage companies operating in Leicester. Here’s what makes The Drain People different:

28 years of experience unblocking drains in Leicester and across the East Midlands
Genuinely local — a family business based in Syston, Leicester (not a national franchise)
Fixed pricing — no surprises, no call-out fees
24/7 emergency service — 365 days a year
Fully insured with public liability insurance
Eco-friendly methods — biodegradable chemicals used where appropriate
Checkatrade and Rated People approved

Whether you have a blocked sink in Oadby, a collapsed drain in Belgrave, a blocked toilet in Wigston, or a drainage emergency in the Leicester city centre, The Drain People are ready to help.