Blocked Sink & Shower Drains Auckland

Kitchen Sink Blockages

Kitchen sinks block more than any other drain in the house. It's usually a combination of grease, food scraps, and soap that builds up inside the waste pipe over months or years. The grease coats the inside of the pipe and food particles stick to it until the opening gets smaller and smaller.

Common causes:

Cooking oil and grease — Poured down the sink, it cools and solidifies inside the pipe. Even small amounts add up over time.
Food waste — Rice, pasta, coffee grounds, and vegetable scraps that get past the plug hole. They swell with water and pack into the trap.
Soap buildup — Dishwashing liquid combines with grease and minerals in the water to form a thick sludge inside the pipe.

If your kitchen sink is draining slowly or backing up, we clear it with a drain machine or water jetter — not chemicals. Chemical cleaners only punch a small hole through the blockage, and it comes back within weeks.

Bathroom Basin Blockages

Bathroom basins block for different reasons than kitchen sinks. The usual culprits are:

Hair — Builds up in the pop-up waste and trap. Combine it with soap and toothpaste and you've got a solid plug that won't shift with hot water alone.
Soap scum — Bar soap especially leaves a residue that coats the inside of the waste pipe and hardens over time.
Toothpaste and product buildup — Thick products like face wash and shaving cream contribute to the buildup in the trap.

We clear bathroom basins by removing the trap or using a drain snake. If the pop-up waste is clogged, we'll clean or replace it.

Shower Drain Blockages

If water is pooling around your feet in the shower, the drain is partially blocked. Shower drains catch hair, soap, and shampoo residue every single day. Without a good hair catcher, it all goes down the drain and builds up in the trap and waste pipe.

In tiled showers, the problem is sometimes the floor waste grate — it gets clogged with hair and soap on the surface. Other times the blockage is further down the line, especially in older homes where the waste pipes are smaller diameter.

We clear shower drains and check the full waste line to make sure the problem won't come back next month.

Laundry Tub Blockages

Laundry tubs block from lint, detergent buildup, and small items that come out of pockets in the wash — coins, tissues, bobby pins. The lint from your washing machine accumulates in the waste pipe over time, especially if the machine drains directly into the tub.

If your laundry tub is draining slowly or not at all, we'll clear the line and check for any damage to the waste pipe.

How We Clear Blocked Sinks and Showers

Hand clearing — For surface blockages in pop-up wastes and traps, sometimes the quickest fix is pulling the trap apart and cleaning it out manually.
Drain snake / machine — A flexible cable that goes down the pipe and breaks through the blockage. Works well on hair, grease, and buildup.
Water jetter — High-pressure water that scours the full diameter of the pipe. Best for heavy grease buildup in kitchen drains.
CCTV inspection — If the blockage keeps coming back, we camera the line to check for pipe damage, bellies, or root intrusion that's causing the recurring problem.

Prevention Tips

Use a sink strainer — Catches food scraps before they go down the drain. Costs a few dollars, saves hundreds in plumbing.
Use a shower hair catcher — Silicone hair catchers sit over the drain and catch hair before it enters the pipe. Clean it after every shower.
Don't pour grease down the sink — Let cooking oil cool, wipe it into a container, and put it in the bin. Same goes for butter, lard, and fatty liquids.
Run hot water after dishes — Helps flush soap and small grease particles through the pipe before they cool and solidify.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my kitchen sink draining slowly?

Almost always grease buildup inside the waste pipe. Cooking oil, fat, and soap combine to coat the inside of the pipe over time. The opening gets smaller until water can barely get through. A drain machine or jetter clears it properly — pouring boiling water down helps temporarily but won't fix the problem.

Can I use drain cleaner to unblock a sink?

We don't recommend it. Chemical drain cleaners only dissolve a narrow channel through the blockage — the grease and buildup around the edges stays and the blockage comes back quickly. They can also damage older pipes, especially if you use them regularly. A mechanical clean is always better.

How do I stop my shower drain from blocking?

Get a silicone hair catcher that sits over or inside the drain grate. Clean it after every shower. That one thing prevents most shower drain blockages. If it's still blocking, the problem may be further down the line — older waste pipes or a belly in the pipe where water sits and debris collects.

Why does my sink smell bad even though it drains fine?

Usually a buildup of food waste and grease inside the trap or waste pipe that's starting to break down. The drain still works, but the organic matter is decomposing. A proper clean of the trap and waste pipe fixes the smell. It can also be a dry trap — if a drain hasn't been used for a while, the water seal in the trap evaporates and sewer gas comes up.

Do you clear laundry drains as well?

Yes — laundry tubs, washing machine floor wastes, and laundry waste pipes. Lint and detergent buildup is the usual cause. We clear the line and check for any issues with the waste pipe.

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