Blocked Toilet, Sink or Drain? Cleared Fast in Southampton
Overflowing toilet? Gurgling sink? A bath that won't drain? We clear household blockages fast, day or night. Since blockages don't wait for a convenient time, we keep a team ready to respond.
Overflowing toilet? Act now.
- Stop flushing and stop running any taps that feed the same stack — more water only makes an overflow worse.
- Turn off the toilet's water supply at the isolation valve behind or beside the pan, if it's accessible.
- Lift the cistern lid and, if the pan is close to overflowing, hold the flap or float to stop more water entering the bowl.
- Mop up any water on the floor to protect flooring and stop it spreading — wear gloves.
- Get in touch. Don't keep plunging repeatedly if the blockage doesn't shift after a few attempts — it can push waste further into the pipe and make the job harder.
What we clear
We focus on in-home blockages. These are the things that stop your household running normally. Nevertheless, some jobs go beyond that, like shared sewers or major drainage work. For those, we'll always point you to the right specialist.
Blocked toilets
Sinks & basins
Baths & showers
Washing machine standpipes
Gullies & outside drains
Honest scope
Who is responsible for a blocked drain?
In the UK, responsibility for a blocked drain generally comes down to where the blockage sits:
- Inside your home, or in the pipework serving only your property — toilets, sinks, baths, and the drain run up to the boundary of your property. It's your responsibility, as the homeowner or tenant, to sort this out.
- Shared sewers are pipework that serves more than one property, including most of the pipe running under the street. These are usually the responsibility of your water and sewerage company (Southern Water, in most of Southampton and Hampshire). This follows changes to UK law in 2011 that transferred most shared "lateral drains" and sewers to water companies.
- Renting? Blockages caused by misuse (wipes, fat, nappies) inside the property are typically the tenant's responsibility to clear or pay for. Blockages caused by faulty or aging pipework are usually the landlord's.
If you're not sure where a blockage sits, we can usually tell quickly once we're on site. If it turns out to be a shared sewer issue, however, we'll say so honestly. We won't charge you to attempt work that's Southern Water's responsibility. In that case, you can report it directly to Southern Water's blocked sewer team.
Preventing blockages
Frequently asked questions
Can I unblock a toilet without a plumber? +
Often, yes. A good plunger or a toilet auger clears many simple blockages caused by paper or waste. If the water level doesn't drop after a few attempts, that's a warning sign. If the toilet keeps blocking again and again, that usually means a blockage further down the pipe. That needs proper tools to clear. It's worth calling us in, rather than risking an overflow.
Who pays — me, the council or Southern Water? +
The council isn't involved in drain blockages. What matters is where the blockage sits. If it's in pipework serving only your property, it's your responsibility. If it's a shared sewer, that's Southern Water's job. See the section above — we'll help you work out which applies before any work starts.
Why does my sink keep blocking? +
Recurring blockages are usually a build-up of grease, soap scum or hair. This narrows the pipe over time, rather than one single cause. A full clear of the trap and waste pipe usually stops it. Changing what goes down the plughole helps too.
Do you use drain rods or machines? +
We use whatever's appropriate for the blockage. For simple household blockages, that means hand tools and drain rods. For tougher or further-down blockages, we use mechanical drain-clearing equipment. However, some jobs need more. CCTV drain surveys or major sewer repairs are specialist drainage-contractor work. We'll refer you to the right person.