Blocked Drains? Signs, Causes & How to Get Your Drain Cleared Fast

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When you have a blocked drain, it rarely happens out of nowhere. Most drain issues build up over time — until suddenly water stops flowing and you need urgent help.

If you’re searching for drain clearing, unblocking a drain, or an emergency plumber, here’s what you need to know.

Common Signs of a Blocked Drain

Catching a blockage early can save you time, stress, and money. Look out for these warning signs:

  • Water draining slowly from sinks, showers, or baths
  • Toilet water rising higher than normal after flushing
  • Gurgling noises coming from pipes or drains
  • Unpleasant smells coming from plugholes or outside drains
  • Outdoor gully trap overflowing or sitting full of water

If you notice any of these, your drain likely needs professional attention.

What Happens If You Don’t Clear a Blocked Drain?

Delaying drain unblocking can turn a minor issue into a costly repair.

Left untreated, blocked drains can lead to:

  • Sewage backups into your home
  • Foul odours caused by trapped waste and bacteria
  • Health risks from contaminated water
  • Leaks and flooding that damage floors, walls, and foundations
  • Higher repair costs if pipes crack or collapse

In short: the earlier you act, the simpler and cheaper the fix.

What Causes Blocked Drains?

Most blocked drains come down to a few common issues:

1. Build-Up of Waste and Debris

Over time, everyday materials accumulate inside pipes:

  • Grease and cooking oils
  • Soap residue and hair
  • Toilet paper and sanitary products
  • Food scraps

This gradually restricts water flow until a blockage forms.

2. Tree Root Intrusion

Tree roots are a major cause of blocked drains in New Zealand properties.
They can:

  • Enter pipes through small cracks or joints
  • Expand inside the pipe
  • Completely block water flow

3. Damaged or Collapsed Pipes

Older or damaged pipes may:

  • Crack
  • Shift
  • Collapse

This not only causes blockages but may require repair or replacement.

How Professional Drain Clearing Works

When you call a plumber for blocked drain repair, the process is typically:

Step 1: Initial Assessment

A plumber checks the symptoms and may attempt to clear the blockage using manual tools for a quick, cost-effective solution.

Step 2: CCTV Drain Inspection

If the blockage is stubborn, a drain camera may be used to:

  • Identify the exact cause
  • Locate the blockage
  • Assess pipe condition

Step 3: High-Pressure Water Jetting

For tougher blockages, high-pressure jetting is used to:

  • Cut through tree roots
  • Flush out grease and debris
  • Fully clear the pipe

Step 4: Repair and Clean-Up

If damage is found, repairs can be carried out. The area is then cleaned and disinfected to ensure hygiene.

Can You Clear a Blocked Drain Yourself?

For minor issues, you can try:

  • Boiling water (for grease build-up)
  • A plunger
  • Basic drain cleaners

However, if the problem persists, it’s best to call a professional. DIY attempts often only provide temporary relief and can sometimes worsen the blockage.

How to Prevent Blocked Drains

Reduce the risk of future blockages with a few simple habits:

  • Avoid pouring fats, oils, and grease down the sink
  • Use drain strainers to catch hair and debris
  • Only flush toilet paper (no wipes or sanitary items)
  • Schedule regular drain inspections if your property has trees nearby

Need Your Drain Cleared? Act Early

Blocked drains don’t fix themselves — and waiting usually makes things worse.

If you’ve noticed slow drainage, bad smells, or rising water levels, it’s time to get it checked. Early drain clearing is faster, cleaner, and far more affordable than dealing with major damage later.

Contact us today for fast, professional help with blocked drains.

Why You Should Clean Your Blocked Gutters – Before It’s Too Late

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As beautiful as Autumn leaves are, they often bring hidden problems for homeowners—especially when they end up in your gutters. Blocked gutters can quickly become a headache.

If you’re not a plumber, you may not realise how much damage a build-up of leaves and debris can cause to your guttering and drainage system. Ignoring your gutters could lead to problems such as:

  • Overflowing gutters during rainfall

  • Rust and deterioration of metal guttering caused by damp, trapped debris

  • Blocked downpipes and stormwater drains when leaves wash into the system

Signs Your Gutters Might Be Blocked

Not sure if your gutters need cleaning? Go and inspect your gutters and look out for these common signs:

  • Water spilling over the sides when it rains

  • Grass or small plants growing in the guttering

  • Damp spots or water pooling near the foundation of your home

Why Gutter Cleaning Matters

Regular gutter cleaning helps prevent expensive repairs and extends the life of your guttering. By removing leaves and debris, you’ll:

  • Reduce the risk of water damage to your home

  • Avoid costly drain unblocking services

  • Keep your downpipes flowing freely

  • Protect your roof, fascia boards, and foundation

If your home is surrounded by trees that frequently drop leaves into your gutters, you might also consider a gutter guard installation. Gutter guards prevent build-up and minimise the need for frequent cleaning.

Get Your Gutters Ready for Winter

With Winter fast approaching, now’s the perfect time to book a professional gutter cleaning service. Craig is your local expert—tall, great with heights, and thorough. He can:

  • Clean out your gutters and downpipes

  • Check for leaks and blockages

  • Wipe your spouting clean

  • Install a gutter guard so you don’t have to think about leaves again

Contact Craig now, he’ll be very happy to come round and get your gutters ready.

Earthquake-Ready Plumbing Checklist: How to Protect Your Home from Damage

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Although we don’t like to think too much about it, we live on a faultline so our city is seismically active and earthquakes are frequent. Even seemingly small rumbles can compromise your home’s plumbing. With this in mind, it’s worth performing a few checks that could reduce the chance of water damage and increase the chance of having a usable plumbing system after an earthquake.

We recommend doing the following checks at least annually as well as after any significant shake.

Earthquake Plumbing Checklist
  • Pipework – check all visible pipes (including under the house and in the ceiling if accessible) for leaks/cracks.
  • Hot water cylinder – are there any leaks?  Is it securely strapped?  Does it have an overflow tray?
  • Water toby – do you know where it is and how to turn it off? Is it working properly? (See our post about water tobies here for more helpful information)
Emergency Water Supply

We have installed an emergency rainwater tank outside our own house. We wrote a post about it, which you can read here to learn more about how they work.   It’s reassuring to know we have 200 litres of water stored if we need it.

When using water from a tank to drink or brush your teeth, the usual precautions are recommended – either boil the water or add a few drops of household bleach. Rainwater tanks can be strapped to protect your extra water supply in earthquakes.

You won’t regret taking a little time to go through the checklist above. Attending to each point will reduce the plumbing issues you experience after an earthquake. There’s peace of mind knowing that you’ve done what you can to be prepared. If you spot something that you would like to have checked/fixed or you would like a rainwater tank installed at your place, please get in touch.  Craig would be very happy to help.

Rainwater Tanks – for Emergencies & General Purposes

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Be prepared! - Rainwater tank for emergency water storage.

Be prepared! – Rainwater tank for emergency water storage.

Craig has just installed a rainwater tank at the back of our house.  It will save us the tedious task of washing and filling numerous bottles of water each year for emergencies as we now have 200 litres of stored water.  It’ll be handy for watering the garden too and our boys will enjoy having water to use right by their play garden.

How do Rainwater Tanks Work?

Once the rainwater tank and supplied fittings are installed, rainwater travels off your roof, into your spouting, down your downpipe, through a diverter and into the tank.  Near the base of the tank is a hose tap through which water can be accessed.

Using the Rainwater Tank Supply for Emergency Drinking Water

When using water from the rainwater tank to drink, the usual precautions are recommended – either boil the water or add a few drops of household bleach.  Our tank holds 200l of water, giving us well over the advised 3 days’ worth of emergency water for each member of the family. The tanks can be strapped to protect your water supply in earthquakes.

Where Can I get a Rainwater Tank?

We got our rainwater tank from the Wellington City Council service centre for $105.  It came with the necessary fittings for a regular install.  Ours was a bit complicated and required Craig to use some extra plumbing know-how and fittings but most tanks should be straight-forward to install.  The WCC tanks come in two colours – light brown and dark green.  Some plumbing and building merchants sell them but we found it reassuring that these ones are endorsed by the council and they are well-priced.

Craig is keen to help others get prepared for emergencies by installing rainwater tanks.  For a usual, straight-forward install, he can get yours up-and-running within a couple of hours.

Be prepared,
Craig & Julie

Clean guttering: avoid blocked drains & protect your spouting

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Time to get the guttering cleaned out!

Now that Winter is here, the beautiful Autumn leaves have left their trees bare and…our guttering full of leaves.   If you’re not a plumber, you may not be aware of some of the problems these leaves can create.  If not cleared from guttering/spouting, they can cause:

  • guttering to overflow when it rains
  • deterioration & rusting of metal guttering (due to dampness caused by accumulated debris)
  • blocked downpipes and stormwater drain pipes (if the debris gets dislodged by heavy rain, for example, and travels through the system)
Is it time to get your guttering cleaned?

The most obvious signs that you may have a build-up of debris in your guttering or downpipes are:

  • guttering that overflows when it rains
  • grass or small plants growing in your guttering

By getting your guttering cleaned and your downpipes checked for blockages, you can protect your guttering to prolong its life.  You could also avoid blockages in your drain pipes, which can be difficult & expensive to clear.

If you have trees near your home that regularly deposit leaves in your gutters, you may want to consider having gutter guard installed to prevent blockages.

As Winter settles in, it’s a great time to get Craig to clean your guttering and check your downpipes for blockages.  Being over 6 foot tall and good with heights, he’s just the man for the job. He can also wipe your spouting clean while he’s up there to save you a job.   Or you may like him to install gutter guard so you won’t have to think about cleaning out your gutters again.

Keep dry,
Craig & Julie