When a drain starts playing up, most people just want it fixed — fast. But drainage engineers often talk about two very different services: CCTV drain surveys and high-pressure jetting. They’re not interchangeable, and understanding the difference can help you get the right fix the first time, instead of paying for repeat call-outs.
What Is a CCTV Drain Survey?
A CCTV drain survey uses a waterproof camera on a flexible rod, fed directly into the pipe, to give engineers a live, close-up view of what’s happening inside your drainage system. It’s a diagnostic tool, not a repair — the goal is to identify the exact cause and location of a problem before any work begins.
A CCTV survey can reveal:
- Tree root intrusion
- Cracked, collapsed, or displaced pipe sections
- Grease and scale build-up
- Misaligned joints
- Foreign objects causing a blockage
- The general condition of ageing pipework (common in London’s older properties)
Because London has such a mix of Victorian terraces, converted flats, and modern builds, drainage layouts vary hugely street to street. A survey takes the guesswork out of the job.
What Is High-Pressure Jetting?
High-pressure jetting is a clearing technique, not a diagnostic one. A specialist jetting hose is fed into the pipe and blasts water at very high pressure to break up and flush away blockages — grease, silt, scale, and general debris that builds up on pipe walls over time.
Jetting is typically used for:
- Recurring slow drains
- Grease blockages in kitchen waste pipes
- General maintenance to prevent future blockages
- Clearing a confirmed blockage once its location is known
Unlike rodding, which can sometimes just push a blockage further along, jetting clears the full diameter of the pipe and removes built-up residue from the pipe walls themselves.
Do You Need One, or Both?
For a straightforward, one-off blockage — like a blocked toilet or slow-draining sink — an engineer may be able to clear it on-site without a full survey.
But for recurring issues, unexplained odours, or drains that block again shortly after being cleared, a CCTV survey first is the smarter approach. It tells the engineer exactly what they’re dealing with, so the jetting (or repair) targets the real cause rather than just the symptom.
A common sequence for a stubborn problem looks like this:
- CCTV survey to locate and diagnose the issue
- High-pressure jetting to clear the blockage
- A follow-up survey (if needed) to confirm the pipe is clear and undamaged
- Drain repairs and relining if the survey reveals structural damage
What About Cost?
Costs vary depending on property type, access, and the severity of the issue, which is why we always agree a fixed price with you before starting any work — never an hourly rate that creeps up as the job goes on.
Book a Survey or Jetting Service in London
Whether you need a diagnostic CCTV survey, a jetting service, or both, our Gas Safe registered, fully insured engineers cover all 32 London boroughs, 24 hours a day.
Call 020 8064 0422 or book online for a fixed-price visit.