Blocked drain? Three things to try before you ring anyone

Most blocked drains we are called to in Bristol are one of three things, and two of them you can often clear yourself.

Start with hot water and washing-up liquid

For a slow kitchen sink, this clears more blockages than anything else. Fat and grease set solid as they cool; hot water and detergent soften them enough to move. Give it fifteen minutes and repeat once.

Try a plunger properly

Block the overflow with a wet cloth first, otherwise you are just pushing air around. Seal the plunger over the plughole and use short sharp pushes rather than long ones.

Check the outside gully

If more than one thing is draining slowly, the blockage is further out. Lift the drain cover outside and look. Standing water means the run to the main sewer is blocked, not the sink.

What not to do

Caustic drain crystals are worth avoiding. They can damage older pipework, and if they do not clear the blockage, whoever comes out is now working with caustic standing water.

If the outside chamber is full or more than one appliance is affected, that is the point to call a drainage engineer with a rod set and a camera.

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