Blocked sink repairs
Blocked Sink Repairs
A sink that drains slowly or not at all brings a kitchen or bathroom to a standstill. We clear the blockage, check the waste and trap, and leave the sink draining freely again.
A blocked sink usually creeps up on you. The water drains a little more slowly each day, then starts to sit in the bowl, and one morning it does not clear at all. Underneath the sink is the trap, the U-bend or bottle shape that holds a little water to keep drain smells out of the room, and this is where blockages gather most often. Past the trap, the waste pipe carries the water on to the drain, and an obstruction can sit anywhere along that run.
Once we know what is causing it, most blocked sinks clear without any major work. We deal with blocked kitchen and bathroom sinks for homeowners, tenants, landlords and businesses, freeing the obstruction and then checking that the trap and waste are sound and watertight, so the sink drains properly and does not start dripping underneath.
Kitchen and bathroom
Different sinks, different blockages
Kitchen sinks
Kitchen blockages usually come from fat, oil and grease rinsed off pans and plates, together with food scraps, coffee grounds and tea leaves. The grease cools and sets on the pipe walls and traps everything else until the flow slows to a trickle. A blocked kitchen sink often goes hand in hand with wider kitchen plumbing issues, such as the waste and appliance connections under the unit.
Bathroom basins
Bathroom blockages tend to be hair, soap and toothpaste knitting together in the plughole and trap. Over time that forms a dense clump that catches everything draining past it. Basin blockages are a common part of wider bathroom plumbing problems, from a sluggish waste to a leak under the pedestal.
What causes it
What makes a sink block?
- Fat, oil and grease poured down the kitchen sink that sets hard as it cools.
- Food waste such as rice, pasta, peelings and coffee grounds swelling in the pipe.
- Hair and soap gathering in the plughole and trap of a bathroom basin.
- Scale and residue narrowing the pipe over time, especially in hard-water areas.
- Small objects slipping down the plughole and wedging in the trap.
- A blockage further along the drain, which can affect more than one appliance, see emergency drain unblocking.
Our approach
How we clear a blocked sink
Start at the trap
We begin at the trap under the sink, where blockages most often sit, and clear anything caught there by hand.
Clear the waste pipe
If the obstruction is further along, we use a plunger, a drain snake or flushing to shift it without damaging the pipework.
Check the drain
We make sure the waste runs freely into the main drain, and flag it if a wider drain blockage is at play.
Reseal and test
We refit the trap, check for leaks underneath, and run the sink to confirm it drains quickly and stays dry below.
Before we arrive
What to do while you wait
A few sensible steps make the visit quicker and keep things tidy in the meantime.
- Stop running water into the sink so it does not overflow.
- Bail out any standing water if the bowl is full, so the trap can be reached.
- Clear the cupboard under the sink to give easy access to the trap.
- Keep chemical drain cleaner out of a fully blocked sink, where it only sits in the water and can splash back.
Watch for a leak underneath
If water is also escaping from under the sink, stand a bucket beneath the trap and move anything stored there that could be spoiled. A leak that keeps going after the blockage clears may need more than unblocking. In that case we treat it as one of our leaking pipe repairs, checking the trap and waste connections and renewing any tired seals or fittings while we are under there.
Keep electrical items and sockets near the sink dry, and switch off at the consumer unit if water has reached them and it is safe to do so.
Getting a quote
What does clearing a blocked sink cost?
A blockage sitting in the trap is a quick job, while one further along the waste, or a leak that turns up once the water is flowing again, takes a little longer. We would rather give you an honest idea than a number plucked out of the air, so tell us which sink it is, how far it drains, and whether anything is leaking underneath. Email us with your postcode or use the quote form at the top of the page, and we will come back to you. If it helps to see how urgent plumbing tends to be priced, our guide on emergency plumber costs runs through it.
Frequently asked questions
Blocked sinks, answered
Why is my sink draining slowly?
A slow-draining sink is usually a partial blockage building up in the trap or waste pipe. In a kitchen this is typically fat, grease and food debris; in a bathroom it is more often hair and soap. Clearing it while it is still partial is far easier than waiting until the sink stops draining altogether and water sits in the bowl.
Can I use chemical drain cleaner on a blocked sink?
We would advise caution. Chemical cleaners can sometimes shift a mild blockage, but on a fully blocked sink they tend to sit in standing water without reaching the obstruction, and they can damage older pipes and splash back when the sink is later opened up. If a cleaner has already been used, tell the plumber so the trap can be opened safely.
How do you clear a blocked sink?
We start by checking the trap under the sink, as blockages often collect there and can be cleared by hand. If the obstruction is further along the waste pipe we use a plunger, a drain snake or flushing to clear it, and we check the connection to the main drain. We then run the sink to confirm it empties quickly and the trap is sealed and leak-free.
How can I stop my sink blocking again?
Keep fat, oil and food scraps out of the kitchen sink by wiping pans and plates into the bin and using a plughole strainer. In the bathroom, clear hair from the plughole regularly. Running hot water through the kitchen sink after washing up helps move grease along before it sets. These simple habits prevent most repeat blockages.
Sink blocked or draining slowly?
Email our team for immediate help and safety guidance, or request a call back and we’ll get the information we need to arrange assistance in your area.