Unblocking baths, basins, showers, sinks or toilets
Please note:
- The trap always holds some water which stops air or foul smells coming up the drain
- Blockages in basins, sinks or showers are usually caused by a build-up of trapped waste e.g. cooking oil, fat, tea leaves and hair. To stop this happening you should flush waste pipes and traps with hot water regularly. At least once a month, use a clearing product to clear them (do not use caustic soda as it destroys modern plastic fittings).
- If more than one fitting (bath, basin, sink or shower) is blocked, the blockage may be in the soil stack or main drain. This will need to be cleared by a contractor, so please report it as a repair.
- Blocked toilets are usually caused by unusual objects such as nappies, toys or toilet fresheners. To avoid this, do not flush anything other than toilet paper.
- If your property is connected to a sewage treatment plant then it is recommended to use products that are suitable for septic tanks and other non-collective sanitation systems. Household cleaning products that are environmentally friendly should be preferred.
You will need:
- A bowl/bucket, a jug/mug and a cloth
- A plunger (for the toilet you can use a toilet brush)
- Rubber gloves
- Towels
To unblock a bath, basin or sink:
- Scoop out most of the water from the bowl so you can easily get to the plughole.
- Hold the cloth tightly over the overflow opening.
- Place the plunger over the plug hole and pump it up and down quickly.
- If there is no improvement, you should contact us to report it as a repair.
To unblock a toilet:
- If the pan is already full, scoop out some of the water using a jug/mug and put this into a bowl/bucket.
- Push the brush or plunger to the bottom of the pan.
- Pump it up and down quickly about 10 times. This should shift the blockage.
- Flush the toilet to see whether the blockage has gone.
- You may need to repeat this process several times before the toilet flushes normally. If there is no improvement, you should contact us to report it as a repair.
- When you have finished, thoroughly wash your hands and equipment using cleaning products.