A guide to unblocking Drains from our friends at Homeserve UK

Slow draining or blocked sink/shower

A slow-draining sink is normally caused by a blockage that’s restricting water flow down the drain. If your slow-draining sink is in the kitchen, it may contain things like congealed fat and bits of food. In a bathroom sink, bath or shower drain, the blockage is more likely to be caused by knotted hair and soap. You can read more on how to unblock a bath or shower with our guide.

Clearing a blockage can be done in a variety of ways. The problem generally gets worse over time if it’s not dealt with, so it’s best to nip it in the bud as soon as you suspect there may be a blockage.

You can unblock a drain using (in order of increasing difficulty and danger):

Natural household items

A plunger

Plumber’s snake

How to unblock a sink, bath or shower drain using a plunger

It’s time to take the plunge! A bit of vigorous plunging can really help create that suction needed to dislodge clogs. So here are the steps:

1. Add petroleum jelly to the edge of the suction pad to improve the seal.

2. Make sure there is enough water in the sink or shower so that the end of the plunger is submerged.

3. Plunge vigorously.

WARNING: be careful with a plunger

Care needs to be taken when attempting to plunge a bath as most have combined overflows which are often concealed under the bath. These can sometimes pop off, potentially flooding the bathroom.

How to inspect the U-bend of a sink

The next thing to check is the U-bend (this is also known as the trap) of a clogged or blocked sink. There could be a big blockage here, so here are the steps:

6 steps to clearing the U-bend of a blockage

1. Put the plug in the plughole (or switch off the water supply) to make sure no water comes down your open pipe while you’re inspecting it

2. Remove the U-bend pipe. You may be able to untwist the fixings with your hands or use a pipe wrench

3. Inspect the pipe for any issues that may be causing the drain not to clear

4. Now clean the pipe fully to ensure when you reinstall the pipe it doesn’t occur again anytime soon. There will likely be some debris and grease that comes out of the pipe

5. Put the pipe back together and tighten

6. Unplug the sink/ switch your water back on and test the drain

What to do if your sink or drain is still blocked

If you’ve tried the natural household unblocking remedies, the plunger and the U-bend and no joy, your blockage is even further down the pipe than expected.

How to unblock your drain with a plumber’s snake

A plumber’s snake is made for stubborn blockages like this. Snakes are more effective than plungers – they’re about £20 from DIY shops. However, they’re much more challenging to use and come with a warning: using a snake incorrectly can damage your pipes further down and lead to major leaks.

You can avoid such problems by learning how to snake your drain the right way (or calling in an expert plumber).

What you need to know about snaking a drain

A plumber’s snake is a flexible, long metallic cable for cleaning blocked PVC pipes attached to basins, sinks and baths. At the end is an uncoiled spring or small auger, which is the bit you insert into your drain. The other end of the cable has a handle.

The snake works by getting right down into your pipe and getting into contact with the clog, cranking the handle so you catch the clog and clear it.

3 steps to snaking a drain

1. Insert the snake manually down the sink and into the drainpipe

2. Rotate the handle slowly and carefully to uncoil the snake

3. As it uncoils, the snake will move deeper into the drain until the auger moves through the clog and breaks it up.

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