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Plumbing

Blocked sink: what to try first and when to call a plumber

A sink that drains slowly or not at all is usually blocked by grease, food, hair or soap near the plughole or in the trap just below it. Stop running water, remove anything you can see and easily reach, and try a sink plunger. If that does not work, or other drains are slow too, the blockage is further along and a plumber should deal with it.

How this usually shows up

  • Water drains slowly or not at all
  • Standing water in the sink
  • Gurgling from the sink or other drains
  • A bad smell from the plughole
  • Water coming up in another sink or the shower

What may be happening

These are possibilities, not a diagnosis. Someone needs to see the problem to know which applies.

Grease and food waste
In kitchen sinks, fat cools and builds up inside the pipe, catching food particles.
Hair and soap
In bathroom sinks, hair and soap scum collect near the plughole and in the trap.
A blocked trap
The bend under the sink is where most blockages settle.
A blockage further along the waste pipe
If other fixtures are slow too, the blockage may be in a shared pipe.
Ventilation or a full septic system
Where the property has a septic tank or cesspit, a full system or a poorly vented pipe can also slow drainage.

What you can safely check

  1. Stop running water into the sink. If a dishwasher or washing machine drains into it, do not run them.
  2. Wearing gloves, remove any food, hair or debris you can see and easily reach around the plughole.
  3. Try a sink plunger with enough water to cover the cup, using steady pushes rather than force. A few attempts are enough.
  4. Check whether the other sinks, the shower, the bath or the toilet are also slow or gurgling. It points to a wider blockage.
  5. Try again after a while. Some blockages soften with time.
Please do not
  • Do not use chemical drain cleaners, and never mix cleaning products. They can be hazardous and can damage fittings.
  • Do not push rods or wire down the drain.
  • Do not take the pipes under the sink apart.
  • Do not keep running water to see whether it will clear.

When to get professional help

  • The plunger does not clear it after a few attempts.
  • Other drains are also slow or gurgling, or water comes up in another fixture.
  • Wastewater is overflowing, or there is a sewage smell.
  • Water is leaking from the pipes under the sink.
  • The sink blocks again and again, or the property is in a building with shared drains or has a septic tank or cesspit.

How BB Cyprus can help

Send BB Cyprus a request telling us which sink it is and whether other drains are affected. Drainage and sanitary fittings are areas we deal with. We review it, phone you back and tell you the appropriate next step. You get a written quote before any work starts.

This is part of our plumbing work.

BB Cyprus, also known as Bits&Bobs Cyprus, handles home repairs and property maintenance in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca. You do not need to know which trade you need.

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Every property is different, and electrical, refrigerant and pressurised-system work should be done by a qualified professional.