Frequently Asked Questions

No, Arma-Rod does not charge a call-out fee for visiting your property. You only pay for the time and work required to resolve your drainage problem. We provide transparent, upfront pricing before any work begins.

We cover the entirety of Greater London and Hertfordshire. This includes major areas like Watford, St Albans, Hemel Hempstead, Enfield, Barnet, and all central and outer London boroughs.

We operate a 24/7/365 emergency response service. In most cases, our local engineers can be at your property in London or Hertfordshire within 1 to 2 hours of your initial call.

Yes, absolutely. All Arma-Rod engineers are highly trained, fully certified, and carry comprehensive public liability insurance. We adhere strictly to UK health and safety regulations.

Yes, we offer extensive commercial drainage solutions. We work with restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals, and industrial estates, providing everything from emergency unblocking to pre-planned maintenance (PPM) contracts and large-scale tanker services.

A CCTV drain survey involves inserting a high-tech camera into your drainage system to visually inspect its condition. You might need one if you experience frequent blockages, suspect structural damage (like collapsed pipes or tree root ingress), or if you are buying a new property and need a homebuyer’s drain report.

In many cases, yes. We specialise in ‘no-dig’ drain repairs, such as structural patch lining or full length epoxy resin lining. This allows us to repair cracked or damaged pipes from the inside without expensive and disruptive excavation.

The most common culprits in domestic properties are wet wipes (even those labelled ‘flushable’), fat, oil, and grease (FOG) poured down the kitchen sink, hair build-up in showers, and occasionally invasive tree roots.

We utilise High-Pressure Water Jetting (HPWJ) which blasts water at thousands of PSI through the pipes. This cuts through tree roots, dissolves fatbergs, and clears hard scale, restoring your pipe to its maximum flow capacity.

Yes. Drainage emergencies don’t wait for business hours. We are fully operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including all weekends and bank holidays.

Yes. If an external drain is blocked, venting improperly, or if a pipe has collapsed, foul sewer gases can travel back up the pipes and enter your home through sinks, toilets, or floor drains.

PPM is a scheduled cleaning and inspection service typically used by commercial clients (like restaurants or facilities managers). We regularly clean the drains and empty grease traps to prevent unexpected, costly emergency blockages.

Yes. Rats often enter properties through compromised drainage systems. We can conduct a CCTV survey to find their entry points and install rat blockers (non-return valves) to prevent rodents from climbing up your pipes.

If you are planning an extension within 3 metres of a public sewer, Thames Water requires a Build-Over Agreement. We provide the mandatory pre-build and post-build CCTV surveys required to secure this approval.

Costs vary depending on the severity and location of the blockage. Standard rodding is generally cheaper than High-Pressure Water Jetting. We always provide a clear, upfront quote before starting any work.

Generally, you are responsible for the drains inside your property boundaries serving only your home. If a drain is shared with a neighbour, or lies outside your property boundary, it is usually the responsibility of the local water authority (e.g., Thames Water or Affinity Water).

Over time, hard water scale, rust, and uric acid can build up on the inside of pipes, reducing their diameter and causing snags. Pipe descaling uses specialist rotary chains and jetting to scrape the pipe walls clean and restore full flow.

Yes. Arma-Rod operates a fleet of vacuum tankers capable of removing thousands of gallons of liquid waste. We use these for flood clearance, emptying septic tanks, interceptors, and large commercial grease traps.

This is a classic sign of a blockage in the main soil pipe or external drain run. The water has nowhere to go, so it backs up into the lowest point of the system. This requires immediate professional unblocking before raw sewage overflows.

Yes. Our permanent structural drain repairs (such as drain lining and patch repairs) come with a comprehensive guarantee, giving you complete peace of mind.

First, stop using all water facilities in the house (sinks, toilets, washing machines) to avoid adding to the flood. Keep clear of the floodwater as it may be contaminated, and call our 24/7 emergency line immediately.

Yes. Tree roots are naturally drawn to the moisture and nutrients inside drains. They can easily squeeze through tiny hairline cracks or faulty joints, expanding over time until they shatter the pipe and cause a complete blockage.

We strongly advise against them. Store-bought chemical cleaners are often highly corrosive and can eat away at older pipework, causing expensive leaks. They are also rarely effective against solid blockages or tree roots.

Drain mapping involves using sonar transmitters attached to our CCTV cameras to precisely plot the layout, depth, and direction of your underground drainage system. This is crucial for architects and builders before starting major construction work.

You can call us directly on our Freephone number, use the local London or Hertfordshire numbers, or fill out the contact form on our website. Our team is ready to dispatch an engineer or provide a quotation immediately.