Before you call Prodrain Experts

When you encounter a common drain problem, your first instinct might be to reach for a chemical cleaner or keep flushing with water. However, the most important advice from Prodrain Experts is to stop adding water and stop using harsh chemicals.

Extra water can push a partial blockage into a full, stubborn obstruction, while off-the-shelf chemicals often cause more harm than good by damaging pipework and seals. They rarely fix the root cause and can even make professional repairs more dangerous and costly.

At Prodrain Experts, we believe in helping our customers save time and money by guiding them through safe initial steps. Explore this page for simple, effective actions you can take yourself before needing a professional call-out.

Your drainage questions answered

At Prodrain Experts, we understand that a blocked drain can be stressful. Often, a quick, safe DIY solution can resolve minor issues, saving you both time and money. Our goal is to empower you with the knowledge to tackle simple problems yourself, or to know exactly when it's time to call in the professionals.

What's the one key piece of advice before calling us?

💧 STOP adding water and stop using chemicals. 💧

When a drain is slow, smelly, or backing up, the worst instinct is to 🚿 keep running water or 🧴 pour in off-the-shelf drain chemicals.

Why this matters:

Extra water can force a partial blockage into a full collapse
Chemicals often burn seals, joints, and old pipework
They rarely fix the cause — just hide it temporarily
They make professional work more dangerous and costly

✅ What to do instead:

Stop using the affected drain immediately
Check visible traps (sink/bottle trap) for debris
Use a plunger gently (not aggressively)
Note any patterns: gurgling, smells, which fixtures are affected

🚩 Call a professional if you notice:

Repeated blockages
Bad smells that return
Toilets bubbling when sinks run
Water backing up elsewhere

At Prodrain Experts, we always say:

“Unblocking is easy — fixing the reason it blocked is what matters.”

💷 It saves you money and prevents the problem from getting worse.

Here’s how it helps you 👇

✅ 1. Small issues stay small: Early blockages (hair, food, grease) can often be resolved without a call-out, or at worst, with a quicker, lower-cost visit.

✅ 2. It avoids unnecessary damage: Safe steps (plunger, trap clean, hot water & detergent) prevent chemical damage, forcing debris deeper, or turning a simple blockage into a collapsed pipe. This keeps repair costs down.

✅ 3. It gives clearer information if you do call: If you've already checked the trap, noted affected fixtures, and avoided chemicals, it helps Prodrain Experts diagnose faster, leading to less time on site and lower labour costs.

✅ 4. It reduces stress and disruption: You feel in control and confident you've done the right thing. If professional help is needed, you know it's genuinely necessary.

💬 How we explain it at Prodrain Experts:

“If a simple fix works, you save money. If it doesn’t, you haven’t made it worse — and that’s the real win.”

What's the main benefit of trying these steps first?

Could you list simple, safe things to try yourself?

Here are 2–3 simple, safe things to try for minor drain blockages:

✅ 1. Gently use a plunger (the right way):

Ensure enough water to cover the plunger cup
Seal the overflow (sink/basin) with a cloth
Use slow, controlled plunges (10–15 is enough)

💡 Best for: food debris, soap build-up, light paper blockages.

🚫 Avoid: aggressive plunging – it can dislodge seals or joints.

✅ 2. Check and clean the trap (very common fix):

Place a bucket underneath
Unscrew the trap by hand
Remove grease, hair, food, or debris
Refit carefully and check for leaks

💡 Best for: slow kitchen sinks & bathroom basins.

⚠️ Tip: Take a photo before removing so you refit it correctly.

✅ 3. Hot water + washing-up liquid (kitchen sinks only):

Add a good squirt of washing-up liquid
Follow with very hot (not boiling) water
Repeat once if needed

💡 Best for: grease and fat build-up.

🚫 Avoid boiling water if you have older plastic pipework.

🚨 When to STOP and call for help: If you notice any of these, don’t keep trying:

Water backing up elsewhere
Bad smells returning quickly
Gurgling toilets when sinks run
Repeated blockages in the same drain

👉 That’s usually a sign of a deeper issue, not a simple blockage.

At what point should I stop DIY and call Prodrain Experts?

🚨 Stop DIY and get professional help immediately if:

❌ 1. Water is backing up somewhere else: Sink causes toilet to bubble, toilet flush sends water into shower or bath, or outside gully overflows. This usually means a main drain blockage.

❌ 2. The problem keeps coming back: Clears briefly then blocks again, smells return quickly, or slow draining never improves. This suggests root ingress, scale, a pipe belly, or damage.

❌ 3. You hear gurgling or air sucking sounds: Toilets gurgle, sinks "glug" when draining. This indicates the system can’t vent properly, often a deeper restriction.

❌ 4. There are strong sewage smells: Inside the property or around external drains. Smells mean standing waste or a failed connection – DIY won’t fix that.

❌ 5. You’ve already tried safe steps and nothing changed: If you’ve plunged gently, checked the trap, used hot water & detergent, and there’s no improvement, continuing DIY can make it worse.

💡 Why stopping early actually saves money: At Prodrain Experts, early call-outs usually mean faster diagnosis, lower labour time, and no pipe damage. Waiting too long often leads to collapsed pipes, internal flooding, and higher repair costs.

📞 Our simple rule for customers:

“If water goes where it shouldn’t, smells won’t go away, or the problem repeats — stop and call us.”

Need professional drainage help in Ringmer, East Sussex?

Even with the best DIY efforts, some drain problems require the expertise and specialised equipment only professionals can provide. If you've tried our safe steps and the issue persists, or if you notice any of the warning signs for deeper problems, don't hesitate. Prodrain Experts are here to offer reliable, efficient, and cost-effective drainage solutions across Ringmer and East Sussex.

Contact Prodrain Experts