How to Clear a Blocked Drain at Home

A slow sink or a shower that leaves you standing in a puddle is one of the most common jobs we see around Geelong. The good news is that plenty of blockages sit close to the plughole and can be sorted with a few basic tools. Here's how to have a go safely, and how to tell when the problem is further down.

Before you start

• Skip the harsh chemical cleaners. Caustic drain products can burn skin and eyes, damage older pipes, and make things risky for whoever works on the drain next. Never mix different products.
• Grab some basics: rubber gloves, an old towel, a bucket, a cup plunger (for sinks and showers), a flange plunger (for toilets) and a cheap plastic drain-cleaning strip or hand snake from the hardware store.
• Stop running water into the blocked fixture. More water just means more to bail out.

Step 1: Work out how big the problem is

Check the other fixtures in the house. If only one sink or shower is slow, the blockage is almost certainly in that fixture's own pipe, which is the easy kind. If the toilet gurgles when the shower drains, several fixtures are slow at once, or water is coming up somewhere it shouldn't, the blockage is likely in the main sewer line. Skip to "When to call us" below.

Step 2: Clear what you can see

Take out the plug or strainer and pull out any hair, soap scum or food scraps by hand. In showers, a plastic drain strip with little barbs on it works wonders. Push it down, twist, and pull out the hair that's wrapped around the waste. It's not pretty, but it often does the job.

Step 3: Use a plunger properly

1. Leave a few centimetres of water in the sink or shower base so the plunger can seal.
2. Block the overflow hole with a damp cloth. In a double sink, plug the other bowl too. Otherwise you're just pushing air around.
3. Seat the plunger over the plughole and give it 10–15 firm, steady pumps, then pull it off sharply.
4. Repeat a few times before you give up.

For toilets, use a flange plunger (the one with the extra rubber lip) and work slowly so you don't splash. Don't keep flushing a blocked toilet. It'll only overflow.

Step 4: Try bicarb and vinegar for greasy, slow drains

For a kitchen sink that's slow rather than fully blocked, pour half a cup of bicarb soda down the drain, follow it with a cup of white vinegar, and cover the plughole. Leave it for half an hour, then flush with a kettle of hot (not boiling) water. Boiling water can soften plastic pipe joints. This is a gentle maintenance trick, not a cure for a solid blockage.

Step 5: Clean the trap under the sink

1. Put a bucket under the U-shaped or bottle trap below the sink.
2. Unscrew the trap by hand (most modern ones are plastic and hand-tight).
3. Tip out the gunk, rinse the trap, and check the pipe going into the wall.
4. Refit it, making sure the rubber washer sits flat, then run water and check for drips.

Step 6: Try a hand snake

If the blockage is past the trap, feed a hand snake into the pipe, turning the handle as you go. When you feel resistance, keep turning to break it up or hook it, then pull back slowly. Stop if you meet something hard and solid. That's often a root, a collapsed pipe or a foreign object, and forcing it can make things worse.

When DIY stops working

Household tools only reach so far. Blockages in the main sewer or stormwater line are usually caused by tree roots, built-up fat, wipes, or pipes that have cracked or shifted with age. Those need proper equipment:

• High-pressure drain jetting scours the inside of the pipe clean and cuts through roots and fat, rather than just poking a hole through the blockage.
• A drain camera (CCTV) inspection lets the plumber see inside the line, find exactly where the problem is, and tell you whether the pipe itself is damaged. We do this as a free drain camera inspection (more on our CCTV page), so you can see what's going on before deciding anything.

You can read more about how we handle drains on our blocked drains page.

When to call us

• More than one fixture is blocked or gurgling
• Sewage smell inside, or water coming up through the floor waste or the outdoor overflow gully
• The same drain keeps blocking every few weeks
• You've hit something solid with a snake
• A toilet won't clear after a few goes with a plunger

If sewage is spilling inside the house, stop using water and see our emergency plumbing page.

Need a hand?

If you've tried the steps above and the water still won't go down, that's what we're here for. Our drain work starts from $120, and we offer a free drain camera inspection so you know exactly what's happening in your pipes. Call 1800 224 229 or book a quote and one of our local Geelong plumbers will take it from there.