Drain unblocking, fast and professional

One slow drain, or several at once?

Before the plumber unscrews anything, they want to know where the blockage is, and you can often tell that yourself from how many drains are affected.

Just one drain is slow

If only the washbasin, bath or shower is blocked, the problem is close to the plughole: in the trap, the shower drain or the first stretch of pipe. Those spots are usually easy to reach, and the blockage can often be cleared quickly.

Blocked soil stack

If the bathroom and kitchen fill up at the same time, or water comes up in the lowest drain in the house, the blockage is further down. In a block of flats, it's often the soil stack: the vertical pipe that every floor drains into. If the soil stack is blocked, the flat at the bottom gets everyone else's water.

In that case, warn the VvE (owners' association) or the landlord and ask the neighbours upstairs to go easy on water for the time being. In a house, the cause is more likely to be in the pipe running outside, and then unblocking the sewer is what's needed.

What gets left behind in your drains

Every room in the house has its own kind of blockage:

• Bathroom: hair and soap residue combine into a tough, slimy plug in the shower drain or the bath trap. You can read more about this under shower drain unblocking.
• Washbasin: toothpaste, shaving residue and hair build up in the trap and in the section of pipe behind it.
• Kitchen: grease and food scraps that set in the cold pipe. How we deal with them is explained under kitchen sink unblocking.
• Utility room: the washing machine sends lint, hair and detergent residue down the drain, in large volumes at once.

Limescale also plays a part, especially in areas with hard water. It makes the inside of the pipe rough, so dirt catches more easily. And sometimes the drain itself is the problem: a pipe without enough fall, or a joint that wasn't fitted properly during a renovation.

A smelly or gurgling drain: what does it mean?

Not every drain that's playing up is blocked. Sometimes a drain smells simply because the water seal in the trap has dried out. That happens with a drain that hasn't been used for weeks, for example in a guest room or utility room. Run the tap for a moment and the smell is usually gone in no time.

If the smell persists, or you hear gurgling when water drains away elsewhere in the house, there's more going on. Gurgling points to air that can't escape, because of a partial blockage or a problem with the pipe's venting. A sewer smell that comes back after cleaning can point to dirt rotting in the pipe or a joint that doesn't seal properly.

The clearest sign is still water that drains away more and more slowly: at that point it's only a matter of time before the drain blocks completely.

What you can do yourself, and where to stop

Unblocking a drain yourself often works if only one drain is slow. In that case, try the following first:

• Remove hair and dirt from the shower drain or from under the washbasin plug; the blockage is often just below the grate.
• Use a plunger on the washbasin, bath or shower. Cover the overflow with a wet cloth, or the pressure will escape through that opening.
• Undo the trap under the washbasin over a bucket and clean it.

Why we don't recommend chemical drain cleaners

Drain cleaners based on caustic soda or acid are corrosive. If they don't work, you're left with a dangerous liquid in your washbasin or shower that can splash up the next time you try a plunger. Some products get hot as soon as they come into contact with water, and they can damage old metal pipes and rubber seals. What's more, they won't clear a blockage in the soil stack or deep under the floor.

Where DIY ends

Stop if the trap is clean but the water still won't drain, if several drains are affected at once or if water is coming up where it shouldn't. A trap that leaks after you've refitted it is another reason to call. In the meantime, use as little water as possible: the longer you carry on, the greater the chance that the bathroom floor floods or the water seeps through to the neighbours below.

How we tackle drain unblocking

The plumber starts close to the problem. They open the trap or the drain, remove the blockage and check that the water then drains freely. If the blockage is deeper in the wall or floor, they use a drain snake or an electric drain machine with a rotating head. A dirty soil stack or a drain with a thick layer of build-up is cleaned with a high-pressure water jetter.

If a blockage keeps coming back in the same place, a camera inspection can show why: a sagging section, a badly fitted reducer or a bend that's too sharp. And because it's a plumber who comes out, they can often replace a worn trap or a leaking coupling there and then. If a section of pipe needs to be re-laid with a better fall, they'll discuss it with you first.

How much does drain unblocking cost?

What you pay depends on where the blockage is. For a simple job, such as a blocked trap or a silted-up washbasin waste, prices start at €89. The call-out charge isn't included in that price and is charged separately.

Outside office hours, an out-of-hours rate applies. You'll get a price estimate over the phone in advance.

For a blocked soil stack in a block of flats, a pipe that needs cleaning along a long stretch or changes to the pipework, you can ask for a quote. The plumber checks what's needed first, and then it's up to you.

Had a blocked drain? Here's how to stop it happening again

• Put a hair catcher in the shower and the bath.
• Rinse the washbasin with hot tap water after shaving or brushing your teeth.
• Clean traps and drains a few times a year, before a blockage has a chance to form.
• Every now and then, run some water down drains you rarely use, so the water seal doesn't dry out.

After every job, the plumber explains what caused the problem, so you know exactly what to keep an eye on in your own home.

Drain unblocking out of hours and near you

A drain that blocks on a Friday evening has the whole weekend to get worse. That's why you can call us 24/7, public holidays included. After your call, the plumber is usually with you within the hour, even in the middle of the night.

We work in Rotterdam, Nijmegen, Amersfoort and Hoofddorp, among other places. Live somewhere else? You can still call us, because we cover the whole country. Some cities are described in more detail on our service area page. Call 085 115 0249 and briefly explain which drain is giving you trouble.