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Plumbing and Drain Problems

Don't let plumbing or drain problems put a damper on your day - tackle the trouble with the right know-how.

Choose from the list below to get to the bottom of your plumbing or drain problem.

Also see our Video section to watch our professionals get the job done - Troubleshooting Leaking & Dripping Taps, How to Stop a Toilet from Continually Running & more...

If you have a plumbing emergency or prefer to GIS (get someone in) rather than DIY, you can book a fast fix with our Plumbing Engineers or Drain Engineers. Also find contact details of your Water Supplier and guidance on Burst or Frozen Pipes in our Instant Emergency Help section.

When the trouble is with your hot water supply, you may have a boiler fault. Bear in mind that only CORGI registered Heating Engineers are qualified to handle safe repairs of this sort. You can also troubleshoot possible boiler problems using our Appliance Fault Advisor, as well as see our related DIY videos such as Troubleshooting No Hot Water, How to Fix a Leaking Radiator Valve & more...

To protect your home against sudden problems that can hit the pocket hard, you might like to choose Plumbing & Drain Cover. Whether you rent a flat, own a house, or want to keep your tenants happy, we have a policy to give you peace of mind.

Choose from the following list to find the advice you're looking for:

Blocked Bath or Shower

The most likely explanation is a build-up of hair and scum blocking the waste pipe. If possible, you can try fish out any waste using a piece of wire by bending it into a hook to scrape out the gunk. It's a good idea to use a drop-in hair trap to sit over the plug hole and collect any loose hair. These are cheap to buy and if you empty it after every shower will be no more trouble with blockages. For more info see 'Blocked Drain'.

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Blocked Drain or Soil Pipe

To unblock your properties drain or soil pipe yourself, you'll need a power washer with a drain jett attached - it's best to hire one as they're not cheap. Lift the inspection cover on the drain or unscrew the cover of the soil pipe access point to insert the power washer and out the obstruction.

Unless you're a serious DIY enthusiast, this type of job is generally best left to the professionals.

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Blocked Sink

This is often caused by obstructions like food clogging up the pipes. To flush them out, press a plunger (found at most DIY stores) down firmly onto the sink opening and pull upwards slowly. Keep doing this you hear water gurgling as the blockage is released. If that doesn't work, the problem may be a blocked pipe below the sink - try the following:

  1. Put the plug in the sink hole.
  2. Place a bucket under the sink pipe.
  3. Unscrew the pipe carefully, ensuring the bucket is positioned below to catch any water.
  4. Rinse the pipe out thoroughly, removing anything that's blocking it.
  5. If it seems clear, then the blockage may be in the waste pipe connected to the sink pipe. Try using a piece of stiff wire to poke out the blockage.
  6. Re-connect the sink pipe.

Also see our video on How to Unblock a Sink.

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Blocked Toilet

This can often be caused by obstructions like a flushed nappy. Don't keep flushing to try clear it as this could cause it to overflow and flood the bathroom. To draw out the blockage and encourage it to go down the pipes, press a plunger (found at most DIY stores) down firmly into the toilet and then pull upwards slowly. Keep doing this (at least 10 times) until you hear water going down the pipes.

Also see our video on Troubleshooting the Toilet that Wont Flush.

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Leaking Overflow Pipes

A leaking Overflow Pipe is often caused by the Ballcock not fully shutting off the water tank's valve. This means water will continue to flow and cause overspill out of the pipe. This could be caused either by a damaged Float Valve or a worn Washer. Both these items can be purchased from a most DIY stores for replacement.

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Leaking Sink

If the pipe below the sink is leaking, first check whether the pipe is tightly secured. If it is, the pipe will probably need replacing - you can buy a new one at most good DIY stores. Also see 'Leaking Sink'.

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Leaking Soil Pipes

A Soil Pipe leak can be caused by a number of problems that are hard to pinpoint if you're not a trained professional. Also, because of the nature of the material that flows through them, repairs can end up being very messy if you don't know what you're doing. For a job of this sort, we recommend you call in a reliable plumber.

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Leaking Stopcock

First, try tightening the nut on the body of the Stopcock. Take care not to over-tighten as this restricts the stopcock's ability to open and close. The problem is often caused by the Gland Packing wearing out. This can be bought at most good DIY stores - replace it with the following steps:

  1. Turn off the water supply.
  2. Unscrew the gland nut and pick out the old packing with a penknife.
  3. Replace it with fibre twine wound clockwise around the spindle. Grease the twine first with petroleum jelly. Pack it down and retighten the gland nut.

Since a stopcock is used to shut off the water during an emergency, it pays to open and close the valve occasionally to keep it moving freely.

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Leaking Tap

Fixing a leaking tap is generally a simple matter of replacing the Washer. These can be cheaply bought at most DIY stores. Take these steps:

  1. Turn off the water supply
  2. Unscrew the nut on the tap - it's important to hold onto the spout of the tap while you're doing this because if you turn the body of the tap rather than the nut it could lead to all sorts of problems like a cracked basin or pipe leak.
  3. Once the valve is out you can check the condition of the washer - if it looks old and squashed you can be sure it's been causing the leak.
  4. Re-tighten the nuts on the tap.
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Leaking Toilet

The most common cause of a leaking toilet is a damaged Cistern. To easily repair any cracks, you can by a specialist putty that acts as a seal. Ask at your local DIY store to make sure you have thee right material for the job. Another problem could be a leaking overflow pipe (see the related section on this page).

Also see our video on How to Stop a Toilet from Continually Running.

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Leaking Water Tank

Firstly, make sure that the leak is originating from the tank itself and not from any other some other adjacent water pipe. You might also be fooled by condensation dripping down the side of the tank and pooling on the floor - this is caused by cold water entering the tank, especially in humid areas. To make sure, turning off your gas central heating for a few hours and see if there's still pooling water or water on the side of the tank.

If it's definitely a leak, the source if often the Temperature Pressure Relief Valve located at the top of your boiler. Tighten it down, but be careful not to make it too tight. When there's water leaking from the seams of the tank or you notice signs of corrosion, you'll need to call in a professional to replace the water tank.

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