Blocked Drain: What to Try and When to Call a Plumber

Most household drain blockages can be cleared without a plumber, provided you work through the basics in order and stop before you make things worse. Run through these steps first, and if the drain is still blocked after them, the problem is likely deeper in the system.

1. Plunge the drain firmly, 10 to 15 pumps.
2. Clean out the trap, the U-bend under the sink or basin.
3. Use a zip-it tool or drain snake for hair blockages.
4. Check whether more than one drain is affected.
5. Lift the manhole cover outside and check the level.
6. Call a plumber if the main drain is blocked.

Kitchen sink blockages are almost always caused by grease, fat and food debris building up in the trap (the U-bend under the sink) and the waste pipe. Start with a plunger: place it over the plughole, fill the sink slightly with water, and pump firmly 10 to 15 times. If that fails, put a bucket under the trap, unscrew it and clean it out directly.

Never pour boiling water into a plastic waste pipe, as it can soften and distort the pipe. Hot (not boiling) water with a little washing-up liquid is fine and can help shift grease. Avoid chemical drain cleaners on a regular basis as they are corrosive to older fittings.

Bathroom blockages are usually hair and soap scum. Remove the plug or pop-up stopper and clean out the trap directly. A drain snake or zip-it tool (available at any hardware shop for under €5) is excellent for pulling out hair blockages without disassembling anything.

Avoid chemical drain cleaners in bathrooms. They are harsh on older chrome waste fittings, rarely clear hair blockages properly, and can cause problems if your drains back up.

For a partially blocked toilet, a flange plunger (the type with an extended rubber cup, not a standard sink plunger) is the correct tool. The extended cup creates the right seal in the toilet bowl. Push slowly at first to remove air from the cup, then pump firmly. If the water level drops after plunging, flush carefully.

If plunging does not clear the blockage after several attempts, do not keep flushing, as continued flushing risks overflow. Call a plumber, as a closet auger (toilet snake) will clear most toilet blockages in minutes.

If multiple drains in the house are slow or backing up at the same time, the blockage is in the main sewer drain, not individual waste pipes. This cannot be cleared with a plunger or domestic drain cleaner. You need a plumber with a drain rod set, a high-pressure jetter, or both.

If you have a manhole in your garden or driveway, lift the cover and check. If sewage or water is backing up into the manhole, the blockage is downstream of the manhole and needs professional clearance. If the manhole is empty, the blockage is between the house and the manhole.

A backing-up main drain will not wait, so this is often an emergency plumber callout. You can also find a local drain plumber through our county listings.

Once a blockage is beyond DIY, a plumber has three main tools for the job. Which one they reach for depends on the severity of the blockage and whether it keeps coming back. Our drain unblocking service page covers what each visit involves.

Drain rods

A drain rod set clears most main drain blockages between the house and the manhole. The rods are pushed through the pipe to break up and move the obstruction.

High-pressure jetting

For serious or recurring blockages, high-pressure jetting scours the inside of the pipe and clears build-up that rods cannot shift.

CCTV drain survey

If the cause is not obvious (recurring blockages, suspected pipe damage, roots in the drain), a CCTV drain survey is worth the cost. It gives a video record of the pipe condition and identifies exactly where the problem is, which can save significant money on unnecessary digging.

Sink or bath drain clearance typically costs €60 to €100. Toilet blockage clearance is €80 to €120. Main drain clearance with rods is €100 to €180 depending on severity. High-pressure jetting for serious or recurring blockages costs €150 to €280, and a CCTV drain survey is €180 to €350. All figures are for the Republic of Ireland in 2026 and include labour and VAT.