Blocked Sink Chatham | Kitchen & Bathroom Sink Unblocking

Name: Chatham Plumbing Services
Address: Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TR, GB
Telephone: 01634 123456

Blocked sinks are usually caused by grease and food waste in the kitchen, or hair and soap scum in the bathroom. The blockage is often in the trap (the U-bend under the sink) or in the waste pipe just beyond it.

We'll take apart the trap, clear it out, and if that doesn't sort it, we'll rod or jet the waste pipe. Most sink blockages are cleared in under an hour.

No call-out fee when you book with us. We'll give you a fixed price before we start, and our 12-month guarantee is included with our membership plan.

Signs Your Sink is Blocked

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Water draining very slowly

If the sink takes minutes to empty instead of seconds, there's a partial blockage. It'll get worse if you don't sort it. Common in kitchen sinks where grease has built up over time.

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Water pooling in the sink

If water sits in the sink and won't drain at all, the blockage is complete. It's usually in the trap or just beyond it. Don't use chemical unblockers, they make it worse.

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Gurgling sound when draining

Gurgling means air is trapped in the waste pipe because water can't flow freely. Often happens in bathroom sinks where hair has caught in the trap and formed a mesh that catches everything else.

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Bad smell from the plughole

A sewage or rotting smell coming from the plughole usually means there's a build-up of organic matter in the trap or waste pipe. Grease, hair, soap scum, food waste, all decomposing. Needs clearing out properly.

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Water backing up into another sink

If you run the kitchen sink and water comes up in the bathroom sink (or vice versa), the blockage is in the shared waste pipe. This needs sorting quickly before sewage backs up into the house.

What to Do Before We Arrive

1

Stop using the sink

Don't keep running water into a blocked sink. If it's not draining, you're just filling the trap and waste pipe with more water that has nowhere to go. It'll overflow or back up into another drain.

2

Bail out standing water

If there's water sitting in the sink, bail it out into a bucket so we can work on the trap without water everywhere. Makes the job quicker and cleaner.

3

Clear under the sink

Move bottles, cleaning products, bin bags, whatever's stored under the sink. We'll need access to the trap (the U-bend under the sink) to take it apart. Clear space makes the job faster.

4

Don't use chemicals

Drain unblockers and caustic soda don't work on grease or hair blockages. They just make the water in the trap caustic, which is dangerous for us when we take the trap apart. Leave it for us to clear mechanically.

5

Check other sinks and drains

If multiple sinks or the shower/toilet are draining slowly, the blockage is in a shared waste pipe or the main stack, not just the one sink. Tell us when you call so we know what we're dealing with.

How We Clear Blocked Sinks

1

Remove and clear the trap

We'll put a bucket under the trap, undo the compression nuts, and pull the trap off. Most blockages are in here: hair, grease, food waste, soap scum. We'll clear it out, rinse it, and refit it.

2

Rod the waste pipe if needed

If the trap's clear but the sink's still not draining, the blockage is further down the waste pipe. We'll use a flexible drain snake or rods to push through and break up the blockage.

3

Check the fall and joints

If the waste pipe has insufficient fall (not sloping down enough) or there's a dip where waste collects, the sink will keep blocking. We'll check the pipework and advise if it needs re-routing.

4

Test and advise

Once we've cleared it, we'll run water through and check it's draining fast and smooth. We'll also tell you what caused it and how to prevent it happening again (usually don't pour grease down the sink, use a hair trap, etc.).

Common Causes of Blocked Sinks in Chatham

Kitchen sinks block from grease and food waste. Bathroom sinks block from hair and soap scum. Both are preventable if you're careful about what goes down the plughole.

Grease and cooking oil

Pouring grease, fat, or cooking oil down the kitchen sink is the main cause of blockages. It cools and sets solid in the trap and waste pipe, catching everything else. Wipe greasy pans with kitchen paper and bin it, don't rinse grease down the sink.

Hair in bathroom sinks

Hair washes down the bathroom sink and catches in the trap, forming a mesh that traps soap scum and toothpaste. Over time it builds into a solid mass. Use a hair trap over the plughole, or pull the trap apart and clear it every few months.

Food waste in kitchen sinks

Tea leaves, coffee grounds, rice, pasta, potato peelings, all cause blockages. Modern waste disposal units help, but older Chatham properties don't have them. Scrape plates into the bin before washing them.

Soap scum and toothpaste

Soap and toothpaste combine with hair and limescale to form a sticky sludge in bathroom sink traps. Rinse the sink with hot water after use to help dissolve it, but eventually you'll need to clear the trap manually.

Blocked Sink Pricing

Upfront prices, no nasty surprises

We'll always tell you the cost before we start. These are typical price ranges, your exact quote depends on the job.

Service	Typical Cost
Blocked sink clearance (trap)	£85 – £120
Blocked sink clearance (waste pipe)	£100 – £140
Trap replacement	£60 – £100
Waste pipe rodding	£80 – £130

All prices are estimated. Final costs depend on the specific job. We provide detailed quotes before starting work.

Common Questions

Got questions? Here's the quick answers.

How much does it cost to unblock a sink in Chatham?

If the blockage is in the trap (the U-bend under the sink), it's £85 to £120 to clear. If the blockage is in the waste pipe beyond the trap, expect £100 to £140 depending on how stubborn it is. We'll quote you before we start.

How long does it take to unblock a sink?

Most sink blockages are cleared in 20 to 40 minutes. We'll take the trap apart, clear it, and test it. If we need to rod the waste pipe, it might take an hour.

Can I unblock a sink myself?

If you're handy, you can try taking the trap apart yourself. Put a bucket underneath, undo the compression nuts at each end, pull the trap off, clear it, and refit it. But if you're not confident or the blockage is in the waste pipe, call us.

Do drain unblockers work?

Not really. Chemical drain unblockers don't dissolve grease or hair effectively, and they make the water caustic, which is dangerous if we need to take the trap apart. They can also damage old pipes. Save your money and call us.

Why does my sink keep blocking?

Recurring blockages mean you're either putting stuff down the sink you shouldn't (grease, food waste, hair), or the waste pipe has insufficient fall and waste is collecting in a dip. We'll check the pipework and advise if it needs fixing.

Can you clear a double sink?

Yes. Double sinks often share a trap or have two traps feeding into a shared waste pipe. If one side's blocked, it's usually just that trap. If both sides are blocked, it's in the shared section. We'll work out which and clear it.

What if the blockage is in the outside drain?

If the sink won't drain and the outside gully is overflowing, the blockage is in the external drainage, not the sink trap. We'll need to rod or jet the outside drain. That's priced separately at £95 to £160.

Will you make a mess?

We'll put a bucket under the trap to catch any water and gunk. There'll be a bit of dirty water and debris, but we'll clean up after ourselves. If the blockage is really grim (months of grease and hair), it'll smell bad for a minute, but we'll bag it and bin it.

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Get In Touch

Request a free quote

Tell us what you need and we'll get back to you with a no-obligation quote, usually within the hour during working hours.

01634 123456

Mon–Thurs 8.30am–6pm, Fri 9am–4pm

Covering all Chatham postcodes

Blocked sink clearance across Chatham