If the water in your sink or shower doesn't empty or your gully trap is overflowing, you may have a blockage in the waste pipes or the sewer line. This is often caused by obstructions like food clogging up the pipes.
Use a plunger
To flush the gunk out, press a plunger firmly onto the plughole and pull upwards slowly. Keep doing this and you'll hear water gurgling as the blockage is released.
If you're trying to unblock a blocked sink, cover up the overflow holes with a damp cloth. This helps build up the pressure.
Rinse out the pipe
If plunging doesn't work, the problem may be a blocked pipe below the sink. Follow our simple instructions to solve the problem:
- Put the plug in the plughole.
- Place a bucket under the sink pipe.
- Unscrew the pipe carefully; ensuring the bucket is positioned below to catch any water.
- Rinse the pipe out thoroughly, removing anything that's blocking it.
- Try using a piece of stiff wire to poke out the blockage.
- Re-connect the sink pipe before emptying any waste water from the bucket.
- Pour boiling water and washing up liquid down the plughole to clear away any remaining debris.
If this doesn't work then the blockage may be in the waste pipe connected to the sink pipe.
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