Keys, hooks and lifters for manhole and gully covers, from a single T-key to a Manhole Buddy.
Shop All Manhole AccessDrain and Sewer Cleaning Equipment
Everything for the Job Below the Cover.
Rods, cordless drain machines, CCTV, jetting kit, test plugs and pipe repair for water companies, councils and drain engineers, backed by more than sixty years of supplying the drainage trade.
- 1,100+Products in the online shop
- 60+ YearsSupplying the drainage industry
- 4.9 StarsFrom 19 reviews on Yell
- 24 to 48 HoursUK courier delivery
Supplying
- Water and Wastewater Utilities
- Local Authorities
- Drain and Sewer Contractors
- Franchised and Independent Drain Companies
- Overseas Buyers and Distributors
Shop by Job
Start With the Job, Not the Catalogue.
Over 1,100 products is a lot to scroll through. Pick the job in front of you and go straight to the kit for it.
Find out where it goes before anyone digs: tracing dye, electronic tracing and listening sticks.
Shop All Drain TracingRods for every fitting and the spring and sectional machines for the stubborn ones.
Shop All Drain Cleaning and RodsFlexible shaft kit and chain knockers for scale, fat and roots, including our own Wards Flexible Rod.
Shop All Wards Flexible RodPush-rod CCTV and inspection cameras to find the fault without going in, show the customer and prove the fix.
Shop All CCTV EquipmentNozzles sized by flow and pressure, standpipes, hose protection and jetting safety kit. Nozzle in the pipe before the pressure goes on.
Shop All Jetting AccessoriesPatch repairs, couplings and clamps for drains, sewers and supply pipes.
Shop All Pipe RepairTest plugs, air bags, manometers and smoke kit for new and repaired drains.
Shop All Pipe TestingNon-return valves, flood pumps and rat flaps. Approved Document H lists one-way valves in drains as a rodent barrier.
Shop All Flood ProtectionSigns, barriers, cones and fall arrest grids for street works and open chambers.
Shop All Highway Safety and NRSWAOur Own Make
Turn Your Cordless Drill Into a Flexshaft Machine.
Wards Flexible Rod is our low-cost, shaft-driven cable for drain cleaning and descaling. It runs off the drill already in your van, and the heads fit other makes of machine with the same size cable.
- Pick Your Cable6mm by 15 m or 8mm by 20 m, sheathed in red plastic, with a hex connector for your drill.
- Choose Your HeadsChain knockers, carbide knockers and drill heads, sold separately so you build the set the job needs.
- Run It Off Your DrillHigh speed, screwdriver mode, forwards only, with the clutch set back halfway.
£178.23ex VAT for 15 m of 6mm cable. A bare cordless flexible shaft machine is £874.13 in the same shop.
Watch Wards Flexible Rod at Work (YouTube, opens in a new tab)
Build Your Kit
1 item
Kit total£178.23ex VAT
£213.88 inc VAT at 20%
Prices ex VAT from wardsflex.co.uk on 21 October 2026. Delivery is added at the checkout.
Drain Machines
Cordless Machines for the Bigger Jobs.
RRP £1,075.07RRP £3,093.98
Restock the Van
The Bits You Get Through Fastest.
Prices ex VAT from wardsflex.co.uk on 21 October 2026. Bestseller and New labels as shown in the shop that day.
Site Tool
Will It Pass the Air Test?
For new gravity drains up to 300 mm, Approved Document H asks the pipe to hold 100 mm water gauge, losing no more than 25 mm in 7 minutes. Run the clock here at the chamber, then put in your readings.
- 110 mm for About 5 MinutesPressurise to 110 mm water gauge and let it settle.
- Start From 100 mmBring it to 100 mm and start the clock.
- No More Than 25 mm Loss in 7 MinutesRead the manometer at the end of the 7 minutes.
Source: Approved Document H, 2015 edition, paragraph 2.60 (England). Larger pipes follow BS EN 1610 and BS 8000 Part 14. Your building control body has the final say.
Shop Test Plugs and Air Test KitAir Test Timer
ReadyPut in your two readings to check the result.
Brands
Names You Know, Plus Our Own.
Milwaukee and RIDGID machines, Scanprobe cameras, C.Scope locators, Fernco couplings, Kessel valves and the rest, alongside our own Wardsflex range of keys, grabs, pickers, dye and Wards Flexible Rod.
Utilities, Councils and Contractors
Buying for a Utility, a Council or a Fleet of Vans?
Water and wastewater companies, local authorities and drain contractors of every size buy from us. Send a list and we’ll come back with prices, stock and delivery, including items that aren’t in the online shop.
- Quotes for Bigger OrdersPart numbers, a specification or a list for several vans: we’ll quote the lot.
- Not Listed? Ask.Not everything we supply is online. We may already have something that will do the job.
- Straight Answers on DeliveryUK couriers on a 24 or 48 hour service, with any surcharge agreed before we process your order.
Export
Shipping Worldwide From Suffolk.
We export direct and manage each shipment to suit you: sea, air or road freight, quoted and agreed before you confirm, or packed ex-works for your own agent. In Australia and Ukraine you can also buy Wardsflex products through our partners.
Want to distribute Wardsflex products? Email sales@wardsflex.co.uk.
About Wardsflex
Just Turn the Handle.
That was the promise in a December 1960 advert for the Wards Flexible Rod Co.: a rotary rod for drains and flues. More than sixty years on, our Wards Flexible Rod does the turning with the cordless drill already in your van.
We’re specialist engineers as well as a supplier. We design and make our own kit where we can and source the rest from suppliers we’ve vetted and trust, for the people who keep the drainage industry running: water companies, councils, and drain and sewer contractors from one-van firms to franchised networks.
- Based InMildenhall, Suffolk
- Online Shop1,116 products in 136 categories
- Rated4.9 from 19 reviews on Yell
1960Just Turn the HandleA rotary rod for drains and flues, turned by hand.
TodayJust Pull the TriggerWards Flexible Rod, driven by your own cordless drill.
Are Your Prices Shown With or Without VAT?
Prices in our online shop are shown without VAT, which is added at the checkout along with delivery.
How Quickly Will My Order Arrive?
UK orders go by recognised couriers, usually TNT, Yodel or XPD, on a 24 or 48 hour service, so we can’t promise next-day delivery. Long items going to Northern Ireland, the Scottish Highlands and Islands or the Channel Islands can carry a surcharge, and we’ll contact you before your order is processed if one applies.
Do You Deliver Outside the UK?
Yes. We get quotes from more than one shipping company and agree the cost with you before your order is confirmed. We can ship by sea, air or road, or pack your order ex-works, ready for your own shipping agent to collect.
Universal or Lockfast Rods: What’s the Difference?
Universal rods screw together, so they’re quick and easy to use. Lockfast rods lock together, so you can turn them in either direction. Both fit other makes and sizes of rod with the same type of fitting.
Will Wards Flexible Rod Heads Fit My Machine?
Our heads fit other makes of machine with the same size cable, 6mm or 8mm. If you’re not sure, call us with the make and model.
Which Cable Size Do I Need for Descaling?
As a guide, machine makers rate 6mm flexible shaft cable for 32 to 50 mm pipe (Milwaukee’s M12 machine and RIDGID’s K9-102+), and 8mm cable for larger pipes, up to 100 mm on RIDGID’s K9-204+ and 110 mm on Milwaukee’s M18 machine. Tell us the pipe and we’ll check before you buy.
How Much Drain Tracing Dye Do I Need?
Each 200 g jar of our fluorescein green powder traces up to 15,000 litres of water, used diluted. For bigger jobs there’s a 5 kg tub.
What Does a New Drain Need to Pass an Air Test?
Approved Document H (England, 2015 edition, paragraph 2.60) says that for pipes up to 300 mm diameter, the pipe should be pressurised to 110 mm water gauge and held for about 5 minutes. It should then hold an initial 100 mm with a maximum loss of 25 mm on the manometer in 7 minutes. Larger pipes follow BS EN 1610 and BS 8000 Part 14. Building control has the final say on your job.
Is the Red Book for Street Works Changing?
A revised draft of the Safety at Street Works and Road Works code of practice is out for consultation from 21 September to 14 December 2026. Until a new edition comes into force, the 2013 code still applies to signing, lighting and guarding.
I Can’t Find What I Need Online.
Not everything we supply is listed in the online shop. Call or email us with what you need: we may already have something suitable.
How Do Returns Work?
Contact us with your order number and the item you’d like to return, and we’ll send instructions. Refunds, less any restocking fee and delivery charges, usually reach you within three weeks of your return arriving. Please report shortages, errors or damage within 14 days of delivery.
Request a Quote
Send Us Your List.
Part numbers, sizes, a photo of a worn head, or just the job. Tell us what you need and we’ll come back with prices, stock and delivery.
- Call the Sales Line01638 778666
- Emailsales@wardsflex.co.uk
- Trading AddressWardsflex Limited, 43a Leyton Avenue
Mildenhall, Suffolk
IP28 7BL