Urgent unblocking: Fast and effective solutions

6 signs that your traffic jam is an emergency

If any of these situations sound familiar, don’t wait: every time you use water, the problem gets worse.

1. Wastewater is leaking from somewhere

Dirty water from the shower tray, a floor drain or overflowing from the toilet. As well as the risk of flooding, waste water contains bacteria and must not be left in the home.

2. Water is backing up through other toilets

wash on and it backs up into the sink. This indicates that the blockage is in a shared pipe and that whatever is used will end up coming out at the lowest point. We explain why this happens and why water backs up through the drain.

3. A manhole is overflowing

If you see water or debris coming out of a manhole cover in the garden, the garage or the street, the drainage system is completely blocked at that point. This is one of the situations that can quickly get out of hand. You can find more details under ‘blocked manhole’.

4. You’re left without the only bathroom in the house

A blocked toilet that cannot be unblocked in a home with only one bathroom cannot be left for several days, even if it hasn’t overflowed.

5. It affects a business or an entire community

A restaurant without a drain in the kitchen, a premises with out-of-order toilets or a blocked communal drainpipe can affect many people at once. In blocks of flats, the blockage may be in the drainpipe, so it is advisable to notify the property manager.

6. The water is approaching sensitive areas

If water is seeping towards sockets, electrical appliances, furniture or the floor below, the blockage is no longer just a plumbing problem: it is a risk to the property.

When a traffic jam can wait

There are annoying but non-urgent blockages. They usually affect a single drain and do not put the property at risk:

• A drain that drains slowly, but eventually clears.
• A blockage that can be cleared using a plunger or by cleaning the trap.
• There is another toilet available whilst this is being sorted out.
• There is no dirty water coming out anywhere.

In these cases, you can try to sort it out yourself by following the instructions for each appliance: the toilet that keeps getting blocked, the sink that keeps getting blocked, or the shower that drains slowly.

Please note: just because it isn’t urgent doesn’t mean you should ignore it. A slow drain is a partial blockage and, if left unresolved, will eventually turn into a complete blockage – usually at the worst possible moment.

How urgent is your traffic jam? Rate it in seconds

Look up your situation in the table to find out when to take action.

Situation	Level	What to do
Dirty water is coming out of the shower, a drain or the toilet	Urgent	Stop using the water and call an emergency service
A manhole is overflowing	Urgent	Call an emergency service
Water backs up through one toilet when using another	Urgent	Stop using the toilets and call us straight away
The only bathroom in the house is out of action	Urgent	Call an emergency service
A shop, restaurant or communal drainpipe without a drain	Urgent	Call an emergency service and notify the property manager
Several drains are blocked at the same time	Soon (in a few days)	Call for a review before it turns into a complete gridlock
A single drain that is slow to drain or can be unblocked with a plunger	You can expect	Try the solutions in the user guide for that appliance
The same traffic jam occurs every few weeks	Review	Request a camera inspection to identify the cause

What to do whilst you wait for the engineer to arrive

In an emergency, what you do in the first few minutes limits the damage and helps speed up the response:

1. Turn off the stop valve if there is an overflow. That way, nobody adds water by mistake.
2. Do not use the affected toilets or electrical appliances. No toilet, no shower, no washing machine, no dishwasher: it all goes down the same drain.
3. Clear the way to the manholes and inspection chambers. Remove any plant pots, furniture or vehicles that are on top: the technician will be working from there.
4. Protect whatever you can. Move rugs and other items off the floor and mop up the water with towels or buckets.
5. Do not pour in any chemicals. If the blockage is complete, they’ll get stuck and the plumber will have to work with them inside the pipe. We explain this in our guide to common mistakes when trying to unblock pipes yourself.

If the blockage isn’t too serious yet and you want to try to sort it out before calling, here are the steps to follow in the event of an urgent blockage.

What does an emergency drain unblocking service do?

When the blockage is serious, household tools aren’t enough: the blockage is usually in a main pipe, a downpipe or a manhole. A professional service can sort it out in a single visit, whereas doing it yourself could take hours without success.

At Limpiezas Domingo e Hijos, we use a tanker lorry and high-pressure water. An emergency call-out includes:

• Quick diagnosis of where the blockage is.
• High-pressure water cleaning of the blocked section.
• Suction of sludge and solids when required, including when a manhole has overflowed.
• Checking the flow to ensure that the water is running again.
• Recommendations to prevent this from happening again.

The combination of high pressure and suction usually resolves the emergency without the need for building work; building work is only considered if structural damage to the pipework is detected.

We deal with urgent drain blockages in homes, businesses and housing estates in La Marina Alta and La Safor, and we offer a 24-hour drain unblocking service for blockages that cannot wait until tomorrow, subject to availability. For emergencies, call 672 450 224.

After the emergency: how to prevent it from happening again

cause. If the blockage returns, there is something in the system causing it: roots, sediment, a blocked drain or a damaged pipe.

• If the blockage returns, CCTV pipe inspection allows you to see inside the pipe and find the cause without breaking anything.
• If the camera detects a break, in many cases it can be repaired without the need for building work. We explain how to tell in our guide on how to tell if a drainpipe is broken.
• If you run a business or manage a community where problems occur frequently, pipework maintenance contracts schedule preventative cleaning to prevent the next emergency from arising. We explain the benefits of regular pipework cleaning compared to dealing with emergencies.

Frequently asked questions about urgent blockages

Is a blocked toilet an emergency?

It depends. If dirty water is overflowing or it’s the only toilet in the house, then yes. If there’s another toilet available and the water isn’t coming out of the bowl, you can try to sort it out yourself or book a service call in the next few days.

What should I do if dirty water comes out of the shower?

Stop using the toilets, washing machine and dishwasher immediately, and call an emergency drain-clearing service. When water comes out of the shower, the blockage is usually in a shared pipe, and anything you use will end up coming out there.

Can I wait until the next day if the traffic jam happens at night?

If there’s no backflow and you can stop using that drain, then usually yes. If dirty water is coming out, a drain is overflowing or you’re left without a toilet, it’s not a good idea to wait: that’s when you should call a 24-hour drain unblocking service.

Why does the traffic jam appear out of the blue when there were no problems before?

It’s almost never sudden. The pipe gradually becomes blocked over a period of weeks by grease, paper, wipes or sediment, and the drain continues to work more or less fine until a final piece of debris blocks it completely.

Can a blockage damage your home?

Yes. If water overflows, it can cause flooding, damp and damage to floors, furniture or the flat below. And if it is sewage, the affected area will also need to be cleaned and disinfected.

If in doubt, it’s best to give them a ring

If dirty water is coming out, rising up through other toilets, overflowing from a drain or you’re left without a toilet, your blockage is urgent and every time you use water it gets worse. If it’s just one drain that’s running slowly, you’ve got time to try and sort it out yourself or book an appointment.

And if you’re not sure, give us a call and tell us what’s going on.

At Limpiezas Domingo e Hijos, we provide an emergency drain-unblocking service using a tanker lorry and high-pressure water in La Marina Alta and La Safor, with over 15 years’ experience.

Call us on 672 450 224 or 966 447 070, or request a quote.