Sink, bath and shower wastes or overflows not draining or draining slowly

Sink, bath and shower wastes or overflows not draining or draining slowly

This can be due to a build up of food scraps, soap, grease or hair and can lead to flooding.

With modern showers you should be able to simply lift the trap out and clean it out.

With older systems, first clean out the trap or u-bend with a rubber plunger, which you can get from most DIY stores or plumbing retailers. You can also try pouring boiling water or an alkaline drain cleaner down the drain to clear it.

If this doesn’t get rid of the blockage it may indicate other problems such as sagging pipes or blocked drains or pipes under the house.

Check under the house to make sure the pipes have an even fall to the drain. Provide support under the pipes if necessary.