A slow-draining or completely blocked sink is usually caused by a build-up inside the waste pipe or trap rather than anything more serious, though the cause differs between kitchen and bathroom sinks. We clear blocked sinks across Cheam and Sutton.
Kitchen sinks most commonly block due to fat, oil and food debris building up in the pipework, while bathroom sinks more often block due to hair, soap residue and toothpaste combining inside the trap. Both can usually be cleared without needing to disturb the wider drainage system.
If a blockage is only in one sink, the cause is likely local to that fixture; if several fixtures are affected at once, it points to something further down the shared drain run.
Common causes by sink type
Kitchen sinks
Fat, oil and grease that solidify inside the pipe as they cool, along with food scraps that should go in the bin rather than down the sink.
Bathroom sinks
Hair combined with soap residue and toothpaste, which gradually narrows the pipe and trap until water can no longer drain freely.
What you can try first
Removing and cleaning the trap under the sink (the U-bend) is often straightforward and can clear the blockage directly, provided you place a bucket underneath first to catch any water and debris.
What an engineer does
If the trap is clear but the blockage persists, an engineer will check further along the waste pipe using rods or a small jetting hose, and will consider whether the blockage extends into the shared drain if more than one fixture is affected.
How charging works
Blocked sink clearance is charged at our daytime drainage rate, with a one hour minimum and 30 minute increments after that. See /our-rates for current pricing.
