Blocked Drain? How to Fix It Fast (And When to Call a Plumber)

Article updated by David MacKenzie on Thursday, 25th June 2026

If your sink is draining slowly or not at all, or your toilet is backing up, there’s likely either a partial or complete blockage in the drain. While there are various methods available, choosing the wrong one can result in damage to the drain or a complete blockage.

Unsurprisingly, at DMACK, we’re unblocking drains on a daily basis. In the article below, David covers some of the most common blockage situations, those you can clear yourself and when it might be time to call a plumber.

Without further ado, let’s diagnose your drain and get that water flowing again.

Step 1: Quick Triage – Is this an Emergency?

Before you try to clear the drain, check your symptoms. If you are experiencing any of the following emergency triggers, turn off your water and do not try to flush the problem away:

Step 2: Have a Minor Clog? Try These Safe DIY Fixes

If the problem is isolated to just one sink or shower, and water is draining slowly but not overflowing, you likely have a soft, local clog. Here is what you can safely try right now:

• The Plunger: Fill the fixture with a little water to create a seal. Use a standard cup plunger for sinks/baths or a flange plunger for toilets. Plunge vigorously for 20 seconds to dislodge the blockage.
• Hot Water & Dish Soap (Kitchen Sinks): If grease is the culprit, a heavy squirt of dish soap followed by a kettle of boiling water can often melt the fat and restore flow. (Note: Do not pour boiling water on PVC pipes or cold porcelain bowls, as they can warp or crack).
• Baking Soda & Vinegar: Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by 1/2 cup of vinegar. Let the fizzy reaction sit for 15 minutes to loosen grime, then flush with hot water.

The methods above can be highly effective if the blockage is small. Plunging toilets, for example, is very effective in those sometimes unfortunate circumstances we all love 😉

Step 3: When to Stop Trying and Call the Professionals

If you have tried the DIY methods above and the water still won’t drain, or if the same drain keeps blocking up every few weeks, you are no longer dealing with a simple clog. You likely have a structural issue deep in the pipe.

Professional blocked drain plumbers don’t rely on guesswork. We use specialised equipment to fix the underlying problem so it doesn’t return, including:

• CCTV Drain Inspections: We send cameras down your pipe to see exactly where the blockage is and check for broken pipes.
• Hydro-Jetting: We’ll use high-pressure water jets to slice through stubborn tree roots and scour the inside of your pipes clean.
• Pipe Repair & Relining: If the pipe has collapsed, we repair or reline it in compliance with the Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA).

What Actually Blocked Your Pipe? (The Real Culprits)

If you are wondering how you got into this mess, blockages are almost always caused by one of the following:

• In the Bathroom: Hair binds with sticky soap residue to create dense clumps in your drain traps.
• In the Kitchen: Hot grease and fat cool inside the pipe, hardening and trapping food scraps (like rice and coffee grounds).
• In the Toilet: Thick “flushable” wipes and hygiene products do not break down in water and frequently choke sewer lines.
• Underground: Tree roots naturally seek out moisture, forcing their way into microscopic cracks in older pipes. If tree roots or crushed pipes are the cause, the blockage will keep coming back until the pipe is professionally repaired.

How to Stop Blockages Before They Start

Once your drain is flowing again, the best way to save money on plumbing is to prevent the next clog. Here are a few simple habits that make a massive difference:

• Use Drain Strainers: A cheap mesh strainer in your kitchen sink and shower will catch the vast majority of food scraps and hair before they enter the pipe. The more food that goes down the drain the greater the chance of blockage down the track.
• Bin the Grease: Never pour hot cooking oil or fat down the sink. You might have seen those giant fatbergs on Youtube – yes we agree, disgusting! But these are the culmination of entire neighbourhoods flushing oil down their sinks. While this example is extreme, the same effect can happen locally on your drain.

  Rather than putting your oil in the kitchen sink, instead pour it into an empty jar or container, let it cool and solidify, and throw it in the rubbish. And believe us, even following up oil with hot water won’t protect you in the long-term from this!

• Respect the Toilet: Treat your toilet with respect, and only flush toilet paper. Even if wipes or sanitary products claim to be “flushable,” they belong in the bin. While we understand you still may need these, be mindful that the more that are flushed the greater chance of blockage down the track.
• Clear Outdoor Grates: Keep your outdoor stormwater drains free of leaves, dirt, and sediment, especially before heavy rain. While you can’t stop them all, they will build up with time.
• Schedule Routine Inspections: If your property has older terracotta pipes or large trees near the sewer line, a periodic CCTV drain inspection can catch root intrusion before it causes a massive backup.