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Surveys

How do I know if my drains are clay or plastic?

Lift an inspection chamber and look at the pipe: clay is buff or reddish-brown with visible joints, plastic is orange-brown or grey and smooth with sealed sockets. As a rule, properties built before about 1970 have clay drainage and those after have PVC.

Material matters because it changes both the failure modes and the repair method. Clay fails at joints; plastic fails at badly made connections and from crushing.

Pitch fibre — 1950s to 1970s — is black, lightweight and deforms into an oval. It needs specialist handling and low-pressure jetting only.

A CCTV survey records material and diameter for each run, which is useful information to have on file before any building work.

Still not sure? Just ask us.

We're a small, family-run team based in East Grinstead, on call 24/7 across East Grinstead and a 20-mile radius. No obligation — tell us what you're seeing and we'll tell you straight what it is.

0330 1331 347

Related service: CCTV Drain Surveys

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