Signs you have a blocked drain

Blocked drains are one of the most common call-outs I get across Melbourne, and the frustrating thing is that most people don't notice the warning signs until it's too late. By the time the shower won't drain or the toilet's overflowing, the blockage has usually been building for weeks or months. Knowing the early blocked drain signs can save you a lot of mess, stress, and money.

Here's what to watch for.

Slow drainage

This is the earliest and most obvious sign. If your sink, shower, or bath is draining slower than it used to, something is narrowing the pipe. It might be hair, soap scum, grease, or tree roots working their way in. It won't fix itself. It'll only get worse.

A lot of people reach for the chemical drain cleaner at this point. I'd say be careful with that. Those chemicals can damage older clay and PVC pipes if used regularly, and they rarely clear anything more than a surface-level blockage. They're a bandaid, not a fix.

Gurgling noises

If you hear gurgling or bubbling sounds coming from your drains, especially when you flush the toilet or run the washing machine, that's air being trapped and pushed through water in the pipe. It means something is blocking the normal flow and forcing air backwards.

Gurgling from multiple fixtures at once is a sign the blockage is in your main sewer line, not just one drain. That's a bigger job, but catching it early makes it a lot easier to clear.

Bad smells

A properly functioning drain shouldn't smell. If you're getting a rotten egg or sewage smell from your drains, waste is sitting in the pipe instead of flowing through. It could be a partial blockage, a broken pipe, or a dry trap (the U-shaped bend that holds water to block sewer gas).

If the smell is coming from an outside drain or gully trap, check if there's standing water or debris. Sometimes a simple clean-out of leaves and muck fixes it. If the smell persists after cleaning, the problem is further down the line.

Water backing up

When water comes up through a drain (in the shower, laundry floor waste, or outside gully trap) you've got a blockage that's serious enough to cause a backup. This is the point where most people call me. Sewage backing up into your home is not just unpleasant, it's a health risk.

If this happens, stop using water in the house until the blockage is cleared. Every flush and every tap makes it worse.

Soggy patches in the yard

If you've got a patch of lawn that's always green and soggy, especially when everything else is dry, you might have a broken or blocked underground drain leaking into the soil. Tree roots are the usual culprit in Melbourne. They find the tiniest crack in a clay pipe and force their way in, eventually filling the pipe completely.

This is one of those signs people overlook for years because it's outside and out of sight. But a broken sewer pipe in your yard can contaminate soil and cause subsidence over time.

When to try a DIY fix

If it's a single slow drain, say a bathroom sink, and you can see hair or gunk near the opening, by all means pull it out. A plunger can also shift minor blockages in toilets and sinks. These are fair game for a DIY fix.

But if the problem is in multiple drains, keeps coming back, or involves sewage, call a plumber. You can't fix a tree root intrusion with a plunger.

CCTV drain inspections: worth every cent

One of the best tools in modern plumbing is the CCTV drain camera. I push a small camera through your pipes and see exactly what's going on: blockages, cracks, tree roots, collapsed sections. No guessing, no digging up the yard to find the problem. I use CCTV on most blocked drain jobs because it means I can show you the problem on screen and fix it properly the first time.

It's also smart to get a CCTV inspection before buying an older property. A pre-purchase drain inspection can save you from inheriting someone else's plumbing problems.

Don't ignore the signs

Blocked drains don't fix themselves. The longer you leave it, the worse it gets and the more it costs. If you've noticed any of these signs (slow drains, gurgling, smells, wet patches) give me a call on 0418 340 501. I'll find the problem and sort it out. That's what I do. Steve Kovac, Kovele Plumbing.