Guides · Drains
A blocked drain, whether it's a shower, a sink, a toilet or a drain outside the house, is one of the most common calls we get. Some blockages clear with a simple, safe fix. Others are a sign of something further down the line that needs a proper look. Here's how to tell which is which.
Where the blockage usually is
- Shower and bath drains block mostly from hair, soap residue and skin oils building up in the trap just below the plug.
- Kitchen sink drains block from fat, oil and food particles that solidify inside the pipe, this is one of the most preventable blockages, and one of the most common.
- Toilet blockages are usually caused by too much paper at once, or by something flushed that shouldn't have been, wipes are the most common culprit, even ones labelled "flushable."
- Outside and sewer drains block from tree roots finding their way into older pipe joints, from ground movement cracking a pipe, or from a build-up further down the line that's been developing for a while before it finally blocks completely.
What's safe to try yourself
For a slow-draining sink or shower, pouring very hot tap water (not boiling) down the drain in two or three stages can help clear a mild build-up of grease or soap. It's a genuinely useful first step for a minor, recent blockage. Keep it below boiling: most waste pipes in Cape Town homes are plastic, and boiling water can soften the pipe and loosen glued joints. A plunger, used correctly with enough water in the basin to seal around it, can also clear a simple trap blockage.
When it needs a professional look
If a blockage keeps coming back after you've cleared it, if more than one drain in the house is blocked at the same time, or if there's a bad smell coming up from a drain, that usually points to something further down the system, not just the fixture itself. Multiple blocked drains at once is a particularly useful sign, it usually means the problem is in a shared line, not in any one sink or shower individually.
How we actually clear it
For a straightforward blockage, drain rodding or high-pressure jetting clears it directly. For a recurring or unclear blockage, we use a drain camera to see exactly what's happening inside the pipe, a root intrusion, a cracked joint, a collapsed section, so you get an accurate diagnosis rather than a repeat call-out for the same problem a few months later.
Blocked drains across the Southern Suburbs
We clear blocked drains throughout the Southern Suburbs, from Plumstead and Diep River through to Rondebosch, Observatory and Mowbray. Older housing stock in parts of this area means tree root intrusion into ageing sewer pipes is a genuine, recurring issue, which is exactly the kind of problem a camera inspection identifies properly rather than guessing at. We cover the South Peninsula on the same terms, including Muizenberg, Noordhoek, Kommetjie, Simon's Town and Scarborough.
Common questions
Why does my drain keep blocking in the same spot?
A recurring blockage in the same place usually means there's a partial obstruction, a root, a section of scale build-up, or a slight pipe defect, that catches debris repeatedly. Clearing the immediate blockage without addressing the underlying cause means it will likely happen again.
Can I use a chemical drain cleaner?
We'd rather you didn't. The reaction gives off enough heat to soften plastic pipes and weaken joints, and it corrodes old metal pipes, so it can turn a blockage into a leak. Try very hot (not boiling) water or a plunger first. If that doesn't clear it, call us instead of adding more down the line.
How do you unblock an outside drain?
Outside drains are usually cleared with rodding or jetting equipment run from the nearest access point. If the blockage is severe or recurring, we'll use a drain camera to find the actual cause before recommending a fix.
Drains in the Southern Suburbs
Many Southern Suburbs homes are decades old, with sewer pipes laid in short lengths and mature trees in the garden. That combination makes roots one of the most common causes of repeat blockages here. In leafy areas like Pinelands, it's the first thing we check. Winter rain adds another problem: where a downpipe runs into a sewer gully, heavy rain can overload the drain, and connecting stormwater to the sewer isn't allowed under the City's by-law anyway.
Managing rentals? Here's how we handle maintenance for letting agents, with the cause of every blockage recorded in the report.