Blocked Drains & Drain Unblocking
A slow sink, gurgling toilet or overflowing outside drain can point to a blockage. We clear blocked household and external drains across West Lothian and Central Scotland.
Blocked Drains & Drain Unblocking in Livingston & Central Scotland
Water draining slowly, a toilet that will not flush properly, gurgling from a plughole or wastewater rising at an outside drain are signs that a drain may be blocked. We trace where the flow has stopped, clear the obstruction with rods or high-pressure water jetting as appropriate, and check that water runs through again. If the same drain repeatedly blocks, a CCTV survey can show whether there is a defect behind it.
- Slow-draining sinks, baths and showers
- Toilets that back up or refuse to clear
- Outside drains and manholes that overflow
- Drain rodding and high-pressure water jetting
- CCTV investigation for recurring blockages
- Root ingress and fat or grease build-up
Signs of a blocked drain
A single slow sink may have a blockage in its trap or waste pipe. When several fixtures in the same property drain slowly, or water appears in a shower when the toilet flushes, the obstruction may be further along the shared pipe. Gurgling sounds happen when air struggles to move past backed-up water. A smell from an outside drain, standing water around a cover or a manhole that fills while appliances run deserves attention before wastewater reaches the property.
Try to note which fixtures are affected and whether the problem started suddenly or has been getting worse. That pattern helps distinguish a local blockage from a problem deeper in the drain run. Avoid repeatedly flushing a backed-up toilet or running more water into a drain that is already overflowing; it can push wastewater into places it should not go.
Why drains block
Kitchen waste can leave fat and grease on the inside of a pipe, where food particles catch and narrow the opening. Hair and soap residue can collect around bath and shower waste fittings. Toilets can block when wipes or other items that do not break down like toilet paper enter the system. Outside, roots may grow into an open joint, and a cracked or displaced pipe can trap debris even after the immediate blockage is cleared.
The location of the obstruction matters. Clearing a sink trap is not the same job as clearing a buried drain, and a drain that blocks again after cleaning may need an inspection rather than another attempt to move the same debris. We look at the symptoms and the access points before choosing a method; the aim is to restore flow without assuming every blockage has the same cause.
Rodding, jetting or a CCTV survey?
Drain rods physically break through or move a reachable obstruction. They can be useful when there is suitable access and the blockage is localised, but they do not wash deposits from the full inner wall of a pipe. High-pressure water jetting directs water through the drain to dislodge material and flush it away; it is especially useful for grease, silt and build-up along a run. The condition and access of the pipe influence which approach makes sense.
A CCTV drain survey does a different job: it lets us see inside the pipe. If the drain keeps blocking, a camera can reveal root ingress, an open joint, a crack or a collapse rather than treating the symptom again and again. We can record the inspection and provide footage and a report when a survey is needed. A camera does not itself clear a blockage, so cleaning may be needed before the pipe can be properly inspected. If the footage reveals damage, we can explain whether a local patch, relining or excavation is appropriate instead of recommending a repair without seeing the defect.
Keeping a cleared drain flowing
Put cooking fats in a container for disposal rather than pouring them into the sink. Catch food scraps before they reach the waste, remove hair from bath and shower fittings, and keep wipes and sanitary products out of the toilet. These steps reduce avoidable build-up, though they cannot fix a broken pipe or root ingress. If water slows again soon after a clearance, note which fixtures are affected and ask about a camera survey rather than relying on repeated temporary clearances.
For homes with an outside drain, check whether leaves and surface debris are gathering around its opening; keep the area clear without lifting a heavy or unsafe cover. For commercial kitchens with recurring grease-related blockages, planned cleaning may be more useful than waiting for another backup. We cover homes and businesses in West Lothian, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Lanarkshire and Fife, and there is no call-out charge.
Read more about clearing blockages
For a closer look at the methods, read our guide to jetting versus rodding. If only one fixture is affected, see the guides to a blocked bath or shower and a toilet that will not clear with a plunger. For local coverage and booking, see blocked drain help near you.
How to unblock a drain yourself, and when to stop
For a single slow sink or bath, start with the simple things. Clear hair from the plughole, take off and clean the trap under the sink, and try a plunger with the overflow covered. Hot water and washing-up liquid can help with soap build-up. If water still sits in the basin, or more than one fitting is affected, the blockage is further down the pipe and home methods rarely reach it.
Stop if water is rising in an outside chamber, if the toilet level climbs when you flush, or if you smell sewage. Do not lift a heavy manhole cover yourself, and avoid mixing chemical products. At that point a drain unblocking service is quicker and safer.
Domestic drain unblocking
Domestic drain unblocking covers kitchen sinks, baths, showers, toilets and the external gullies and chambers that collect them. We find which section is blocked, clear it with rods or high pressure water jetting, then run water through every fitting on the run to check it flows. If a toilet is the problem, see blocked toilet unblocking; if the cover outside is full or lifting, read about a blocked manhole. For pubs, restaurants and shops, see commercial drain unblocking.
Blocked drain questions
What is a blocked drain?
A blocked drain is a pipe that something is partly or fully stopping, so waste water backs up or drains slowly. It can be inside the house, in the garden or in a shared section further down.
What causes a drain blockage?
Usually fat, wipes, hair, food waste or silt building up, or roots getting in through a joint. A cracked or dipped pipe can also catch debris and keep blocking.
What is drain clearing?
Drain clearing means removing the blockage so water flows again, using rods to break up or pull out an obstruction or high pressure water jetting to wash deposits off the pipe wall.
Do shop-bought drain unblockers work?
They can loosen soap and hair in a sink trap. They rarely shift fat, wipes or roots further down, and pouring more in when water is standing can leave chemicals sitting in the pipe.
My drain is blocked outside the house. Is that my responsibility?
It depends where the blockage is. A pipe serving only your property is usually yours; a section shared with neighbours may be the public sewer. Our guide on who is responsible for a blocked drain explains the general position.
Need help with a drainage problem?
Professional drainage services designed to resolve drainage issues quickly and efficiently. From emergency drain unblocking and blocked drains to CCTV surveys, drain repairs, and commercial drainage services, Curran Drainage Services provides dependable support for homes and businesses throughout Central Scotland.