Do you need to trace the location of a drain?

If you need to find out where a drain at your London home runs to, Limehouse Drains can help. We have the necessary equipment and expertise to trace the location and depth of your drains.

How does drain tracing work?

A sonde is a signal transmitter that is attached to a push rod drain camera or a crawler camera (for larger pipes) and placed in the drain, pipe or sewer and sent in the direction required.

The transmitter emits a sonar pulse and a drainage engineer above ground traces it using a receiver. The receiver will give the exact location and equally important, the depth of the drain.

Why might you need drain tracing?

There are several reasons why you might need to trace the location and depth of the drain.

  • To locate the exact position of a collapsed drain before carrying out an excavation
  • To find the location and depth of a sewer or drain for a build over agreement.
  • To locate a buried manhole, interceptor or find where a drain leaves your property.

Do I need drain tracing for a build over agreement?

A build over agreement is required by Thames Water for any building work in London, that is to be carried out within 3 metres of a public sewer. If you have a sewer running through a garden, Thames Water will require the exact location and depth. We can help with sonde and trace.

How can I find a buried manhole?

Many properties in London have manholes that have been covered up with extensions, sheds or conservatories. A cctv camera will give an approximate location, but to expose the manhole, you want an exact location, so you know where to dig. Drain tracing will give the exact position.

Will drain tracing help me with a drain excavation?

Drain excavation is not cheap and can be labour intensive. If you know the exact location and depth of a collapsed pipe, you can be sure you are digging in the right place, saving time and money. So by using sonde and trace, you can pinpoint exactly where the repair is needed.

Do I need a manhole to trace a sewer?

People sometimes assume that we can simply trace a drain from above ground without having access to the pipe. As most drains or sewers are made of clay, pitch fibre or UPVC, they would not be traceable without a sonde in the pipe to emit a signal to the engineer above ground.

Can we plot the drain location on a cad drawing?

We mark the exact location of the drain on the ground and can measure the distance from the property on smaller properties. We do provide a schematic diagram with locations and depths. However, we are not surveyors and are not able to add the exact location to a scale drawing.

Get in touch

If you need help with tracing a drain or sewer in the London area, please call 020 8168 2345 or email info@limehousedrains.co.uk or complete the enquiry form below and we will be in touch.

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What areas of London can our engineers come out to help trace your drains?

Our engineers can use sonde and and trace to locate drains and buried manholes across London from Dagenham in East London to Brentford in West London, from Carshalton in South London up to Hampstead in North London, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
If you need to locate a drain or sewer on your property and are looking for a London drain company, call Limehouse Drains on 020 8168 2345 today for expert advice and a FREE no-obligation quote!