Blockage? Everything by room

Before you check room by room, there's a question that almost always helps: is the problem in one drain, or in several at once? If only the kitchen sink drains slowly, the blockage is usually nearby, in the trap or the first section of pipe. If the shower and toilet also drain poorly, or there's gurgling or water coming up in a drain, the blockage is deeper: in the soil stack or the sewer. In the latter case, working on it yourself makes little sense. In the article blocked drain: DIY or call a plumber you can read how to tell the difference.

Kitchen

Typical cause: grease, starch and food waste that build up in the trap and the pipe. The dishwasher often drains via the same outlet and can worsen the problem or malfunction itself.

First step: scoop standing water out of the sink, try hot tap water with some washing-up liquid and then a plunger. If that doesn't help, clean the trap.

• Kitchen drain or sink blocked: causes and step-by-step plan.
• Dishwasher won't pump out: filter, drain hose or blockage?
• Grease trap or grease separator: for homes and commercial kitchens with a grease separator.
• Drain unblockers: what really works: soda, vinegar or chemicals?
• Our service: kitchen sink unblocking.

Bathroom

Typical cause: hair combined with soap residue, shampoo and bath oil. These form a blockage just below the drain, in the trap or in the basin waste.

First step: remove the grate from the shower or bath drain and remove the hair. For the washbasin, clean the drain plug and the trap. If water comes up in the shower when you use water elsewhere, the problem is deeper.

• Shower drain blocked: hair, trap and beyond.
• Washbasin blocked: clean the waste plug and trap.
• Bath not draining: what you can do with a slow bath drain.
• Water comes up in the shower: a sign that the blockage is further along.

Toilet

Typical cause: too much toilet paper at once, wet wipes, tampons or other items that don't belong in the toilet. Sometimes an object has fallen in.

First step: don't flush again if the water is high. Try a plunger with a flange. Don't use boiling water, as this can crack the porcelain, and no chemical drain cleaner.

• Toilet blocked: how to solve it: complete action plan.
• What can and can't go down the toilet: how to prevent a repeat.
• Drain or toilet gurgling: what it means and what you can do about it.
• Our service: toilet unblocking.

Utility room

Typical cause: lint, fibres, pet hair and detergent residue from the washing machine. Because a washing machine pumps away a lot of water in a short time, a partially blocked drain quickly overflows.

First step: switch the machine off, clean the lint filter and check that the drain hose is not kinked or inserted too far into the drain. Then clean the trap of the washing machine drain if it's accessible.

• Washing machine drain blocked: causes and solutions.

Outside and in the garden

Typical cause: leaves, sand, moss, twigs and potting soil that wash into gullies, downpipes and balcony drains. With a combined sewer, a blockage outside can also have consequences inside.

First step: remove the grating from the gully and scoop out the dirt. Clean the gutter and the leaf guard of the downpipe, but only work on a safe ladder. If there is water in the inspection chamber or rodding point, the blockage is further into the sewer.

• Outside drain blocked: garden, patio and driveway.
• Downpipe blocked: gutter, leaf guard and drain.
• Balcony drain blocked: water remains standing on the balcony.
• Our service: drain unblocking.

Sewer and soil stack

Typical cause: an accumulation of grease and wipes from multiple drains, a subsided pipe with insufficient fall, or roots that have grown through a joint in the pipe. In flats the shared soil stack becomes blocked, which residents on the lower floors notice most.

First step: stop using water to prevent water damage. Check whether the neighbours are also affected. In a flat, report it to the owners' association (VvE) or the landlord. In a detached house you can check the inspection chamber, but leave the actual unblocking to a tradesman.

• Soil stack blocked: what's going on in a flat or apartment.
• Sewer subsided or roots in the sewer: causes of a recurring blockage.
• Sewer smell in the house: where the odour comes from.
• Unblock the sewer yourself with high pressure or auger: what works and what doesn't.
• Sewer blocked: who pays: tenant, owner, owners' association (VvE) or municipality.
• Cost of sewer unblocking: what the costs depend on.
• Our services: drain unblocking, sewer camera inspection and sewer repair.

What to do in an emergency

Is sewage coming up into the house, is the toilet overflowing or is there water in the cellar or crawl space? Then it's important to limit the damage:

1. Stop using water in the house immediately: no taps, shower, washing machine or dishwasher and don't flush.
2. Warn household members and, in a flat, the neighbours and the VvE or landlord.
3. Keep children and pets away from sewage water and wear gloves if you need to clean anything up.
4. Take photos of the situation for your insurer.
5. Contact a tradesman. See our emergency page for how to reach us.

Prevention is better

Many blockages can be prevented with a few regular habits: no grease in the kitchen sink, hair catchers in the shower, only toilet paper in the toilet and keeping outside drains clear. In preventing blockages you will find tips for each room and a checklist for every month and every year.

Do you live in The Hague, Delft or the surrounding area? Also see drain unblocking in The Hague city centre or drain unblocking in Delft.