Blocked kitchen or bathroom sink — Oldham & Manchester
A sink that drains slower every day, or a kitchen sink that's stopped taking water altogether, is one of the most common calls I get. Most are quick to sort properly with the right tools — the trick is clearing the actual blockage rather than just pushing it further down the pipe.
What a blocked sink usually looks like
Kitchen and bathroom sinks tend to block for different reasons, but the warning signs are similar:
- Water sitting in the bowl and draining away much slower than it used to
- A gurgling sound from the plughole after the water finally goes down
- A bad smell coming up from the plughole, especially in the kitchen
- Water backing up into the bowl when the washing machine or dishwasher empties
- The sink drains fine on its own but backs up when another appliance runs at the same time
- A blockage that clears briefly after using a chemical drain cleaner, then returns within days
- Standing water that won't clear at all, even overnight
Clear quote before any work starts. A call-out fee may apply — always confirmed on the phone before we travel.
How I clear it
I work from the sink outward, so I'm not disturbing pipework further down the run unless it's actually needed.
- 01
Check the trap first
The U-bend under the sink is the single most common place for a blockage — food, fat, soap and hair collect there. It's quick to open, inspect and clear, and often solves the problem on its own. - 02
Clear the waste run
If the trap is clear but the sink still won't drain, I run a drain auger or rod through the waste pipe to the point it joins the main stack or an external gully, breaking up whatever's built up along the way. - 03
Check for a shared blockage
Kitchen sinks in particular often share a waste run with a dishwasher or washing machine. If one backs up when the other empties, the blockage is usually downstream of where they join, and I'll trace it from there. - 04
Jet it if the build-up is heavy
Where fat and grease have built up along the length of a kitchen waste pipe rather than sitting in one spot, a mini jetting attachment clears the pipe walls properly rather than just punching a hole through the middle of the blockage. - 05
Refit and test
Once clear, I refit the trap with fresh sealant if needed, run the tap for a few minutes and check underneath for any leaks before I consider the job done.
Why kitchen sinks block more than bathroom ones
Fat, oil and food scraps are the main culprit in kitchens. Fat goes down as a liquid when it's hot, then sets hard as it cools inside the pipe, gradually narrowing the waste until almost nothing gets past it. It builds up in layers over months, which is why chemical cleaners often only buy a few days before the same blockage returns.
Bathroom sinks are usually a different problem — soap scum and hair binding together in the trap or the first section of waste pipe. It's a slower build-up but just as effective at stopping the flow, and it's rarely helped much by pouring anything down the plughole.
If a sink keeps blocking every few months despite regular clearing, it's often a sign the waste pipe has a poor fall or an awkward bend that's collecting debris rather than letting it flow through — and that's worth fixing properly rather than booking the same call-out repeatedly.
Is this an emergency, or can it be booked in?
Both are fine — but it helps us prioritise if you know which one you're describing.
- The kitchen sink is the only usable sink and is completely blocked
- Water is backing up onto the worktop or floor
- A bad smell from the drain has suddenly got much worse
- Multiple sinks or appliances are backing up at once, pointing to a bigger blockage
- The sink is draining, just slower than it used to
- You've noticed gurgling but nothing has backed up yet
- You want a recurring slow drain properly diagnosed rather than temporarily cleared
- It's an occasional-use sink that's blocked but not urgent
Emergency? Here's what to send us
A photo or short video helps too. The more we know before setting off, the less time is wasted when we get there.
Your postcode
So we can tell you straight away whether you're inside the radius we cover.
What the problem is
In your own words — where the water is coming from and how long it's been going on.
A phone number
The best number to reach you on when we're close, so nobody is left waiting at the wrong door.
House or flat
Flats, shared risers and upstairs neighbours change how a leak has to be isolated.
Blocked Sink — common questions
Should I keep using chemical drain cleaner?
I'd avoid repeated use — it rarely clears a proper blockage fully, it's unpleasant and slightly risky to have sitting in a bowl when someone opens the trap, and it can degrade some older plastic pipework over time.
Why does my sink only block when the washing machine runs?
That usually means they share a waste run and the blockage sits downstream of where they join. Clearing the sink's own trap won't fix it — the shared section needs rodding through.
Can you unblock a sink without taking the trap apart?
Sometimes, using an auger through the plughole, but checking the trap first is usually quicker and lets me see exactly what's built up, which helps avoid the same blockage coming straight back.
Is a blocked sink covered by a fixed price?
You'll always get a clear quote before I start work, and a call-out fee may apply — that's confirmed on the phone before I travel out.
Do you deal with outdoor drain blockages too, or just the sink itself?
Both — if the sink blockage turns out to be further down in the external drain run rather than the waste pipe itself, I'll trace it out to the gully or chamber and clear it from there.
More answers on our plumbing FAQ page and in how it works.
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You get a clear quote before work starts. A call-out fee may apply — confirmed on the phone before we travel.