Clearing a blocked waste or toilet
.gif)
General advice
- If more than one fitting (sink, basin, bath or shower) is blocked, the problem may be in the soilstack or main drain. Contact the repairs hotline.
- Blockages in basins and sinks are usually caused by a build-up of fat, tea leaves, hair and so on.
- If a wastepipe is slow to drain but not blocked, put a bowl under the trap and unscrew the joints. Remove the trap. Clean it and replace it, checking the seals are in place and all joints are screwed up tightly. You should clean wastepipes regularly with hot water or a drain-cleaning product.
- Blockages in toilets are usually caused by unusual objects such as nappies or air fresheners. You must not use toilets as bins.
- Do not balance air fresheners on cisterns or attach them to the rim of the pan as they may fall in.
You need
For a blocked waste
- Bowl
- Jug or cup to be used as a scoop
- Rag or dishcloth
- Plunger
For a blocked toilet
- Bucket
- Jug or bowl to be used as a scoop
- Toilet brush, plunger or mop
You may find it helpful to use drain-cleaning products you can buy in shops, but be sure to follow the instructions carefully.
What to do
Unblocking a bath, basin or sink
- Scoop out most of the water.
- Hold the rag tightly over the overflow opening.
- Place the plunger over the plug hole and pump up and down.
- After clearing the blockage, clean out the trap. See General advice above.
Unblocking a toilet
- If the pan is already full, remove some of the water into a bucket using some form of scoop, for example, a jug or bowl.
- Push the brush or plunger to the bottom of the pan and pump it up and down vigorously about 10 times. This may 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 after a couple of attempts, contact us.
