Blocked drain: fix it yourself or call a plumber?

Blockages you can try to clear yourself

• A single sink, basin or shower draining slowly
• Hair or debris visible at the plughole
• A blockage that started recently after something went down the drain

DIY methods that work

• Remove the strainer or pop-up plug and clean out hair and debris
• Use a cup plunger on sinks and showers, covering the overflow hole with a wet cloth
• Pour hot tap water slowly down a kitchen drain to soften grease
• Clean the bottle trap under a basin, with a bucket underneath

What to avoid

• Strong chemical drain cleaners: they rarely clear grease fully and can damage pipes and seals
• Boiling water in PVC pipes or porcelain toilets
• Wire coat hangers, which can scratch fittings and push the blockage further in
• Mixing different drain products, which can release harmful fumes

Signs you need a plumber

• The drain is still blocked after plunging
• Two or more drains are slow or blocked at the same time
• Water rises in the shower when you flush the toilet
• Gurgling sounds or a sewage smell
• The same drain keeps blocking every few weeks
• Any waste water coming back up into the property

Why blockages come back

Plunging and chemicals often only open a small channel through the build-up. The rest stays inside the pipe and catches new waste, so the drain blocks again. A proper clean removes the build-up along the pipe, and finding out what caused it stops it happening again.