In some cases you might find that your waste pipe is blocked, if this is the case then use a hand operated hydraulic pump. Like the technique for unblocking a sink with a sink plunger, cover the overflow with a damp rag. Fill the pump with water and place the nozzle over the outlet, now to remove the blockage use a downward action on the pump so that water will powerfully force itself through it. If this hasn’t changed anything then using an upward motion, produce enough suction to unblock the blockage still keeping the device in place. Unfortunately, if this doesn’t work then it’s required that the trap found under the waste outlet needs clearing. A trap is U-shaped tube made to hold water so that the stench from the drain doesn’t creep into the room. Make sure you have a bucket underneath when clearing the trap.

If you have a lead or brass trap then it’s important that you take care when dealing with them to prevent damage. Undo the clearing eye situated at the bottom of the trap and use a pipe cleaner to get rid of any waste remaining. Now clean the clearing eye thread and use PTFE tape to wrap around it to avoid any leaks.

If you own a plastic trap then you will need to detach it as it doesn’t hold clearing eyes. To do so, undo the lock nuts located either side of the trap, if they don’t budge then apply boiling water over them. Once removed wrap some PTFE tape around the thread of the lock nut to avoid any leaks and replace.

If it’s a bottle trap you have then your able to undo the whole base of the trap by hand. Bottle traps are the most simplest therefore are the quickest in unblocking waste pipes, when the waste has been cleared from the trap use a pipe cleaner to catch any excess waste. Clean the trap with disinfectant and rinse thoroughly, also use PTFE tape to wrap around the cover thread previous from replacing.

When the trap has been replaced, check that the connections are watertight by running water through the system. If so, you have now unblocked your waste pipe.

If your having trouble with your basin unclogging then there’s a few procedures you can do to fix that problem. Firstly get rid of any waste substances found trapped in the plughole, common substances found are hair and food. The more these substances build up is the slower the water will flow, this is because of how small the gap inside the pipe will become. You can do this by using a chemical cleaner found at your local convenience, but make sure it’s appropriate for the type of plug hole you own.

If that doesn’t change anything then you might need to use a sink plunger as the problem is not found on the surface. To use the sink plunger, lay a damp cloth over the overflow first to keep it secure because this will hopefully allow the air produced to clear the blockage. Now place the cup of the plunger over the plughole and using a up and down motion plunge energetically for a few minutes.

In case this fails and it hasn’t unblocked your basin then it may be your waste pipe that’s blocked.  Locate the trap under the basin and detach it. Water will flow from the basin so put a bucket under the trap so that the water doesn’t go on the floor. Find out if the trap is still blocked, if so then use a pipe cleaner to get rid of the excess blockage. If the problem still stands then it may be your drain that’s blocked.