Leaks & Blockages | Plumbing Solutions

Troubleshooting: Leaks & Blockages

Basic plumbing and blockage problems can be sorted out yourself, and save the money of hiring a professional. Here is a guide to some of the basic, household plumbing problems you may come across.

How do I unblock a drain?

Whether or not it is a toilet, a sink, a basin, a shower or another drain, blockage problems can occur if fat, food, hair or unsuitable material goes down the drain. The best method is prevention: be careful about what goes down your drain and keep plug holes clean of hair and debris. If a blockage does occur try these simple methods of unblocking before calling out a plumber.

Unblocking a drain using chemical products:

Especially if a kitchen sink, a drain could be unblocked using a chemical cleaning product. There are many available on the market that can include sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, caustic soda and bio-enzymes. If you think you know the cause of the blockage buy a cleaner specially designed for that purpose, for example there are specialised cleaners on the market for kitchen sink blockages designed to tackle food and fats. Be extremely careful when using chemicals to unblock a drain, wear gloves, protect your eyes and never mix different chemicals.

Unblocking a drain using a plunger:

If the blockage is within a couple of metres of the plughole this is the best method of unblocking. An ordinary plunger can be placed over the plug hole and pushed up and down. This creates suction and pressure that dislodges the blockages. You could also use a power plunger, which is pumped up before hand and then the compressed air is released down the drain, breaking up the blockage.

Unblocking a drain using a corkscrew cable:

For sinks, baths and showers a corkscrew cable can be used to dislodge and unblock clumps of debris and hair that tend to clog up bath and shower drains. The corkscrew cable is simply a flexible wire that is inserted down into the pipe, it physically breaks up the blockage from the plug end.

Unblocking a drain using a drain rod:

For blockages that aren’t near the plug end you can attempt to use a drain rod. These are especially useful for blockages in outside pipes reached by the manhole end. Drain rods are flexible rods that are about a metre long that can be screwed together and simply inserted into the pipe, they are flexible so move round bends to reach the blockage, enabling you to poke and prod to dislodge it.

How do I stop a leaking or dripping tap?

If you have a leaky tap the washer may need replacing or the valve seat may have become eroded from wear and tear so that it sits unevenly and allows water to leak through. You should change the tap washer and reseat the valve seat in the tap to rectify these problems.

How do I change a tap washer?

Your first step in a leaky tap situation is to replace the washer in the tap. Remove the cover (hot/cold) of the tap by hand and you should find the screw that can be undone. Lift the handle off. Next release the tap valve, undo it completely and remove it. Once the handle and valve have been removed you will reach the tap washer, which should either be held in place by a small nut or simply pushed on. Depending on the method, remove and replace it with a new washer.

How can I reseat the valve seat in the tap?

If you have replaced the washer but are still experiencing a leaky tap the problem could be with the valve seat. In hard water areas the metal erodes the level of the seat so it no longer sits evenly. In order to fix this problem you need to grind down the valve seat so that it is smooth and flat once again. This can be done using a seat grinder. Simply insert the grinder and push down as you twist to grind the surface smooth again. Check by running your fingers along the top of the seat, once smooth you can replace the valve and turn on the tap to check your handiwork.