Clogged Drain: 7 Warning Signs You Should Not Ignore

Every day, our technicians visit clients who say: 'It had been draining poorly for weeks'. A clog detected early is easier to fix and costs less. Here are the 7 unmistakable signs.

1. ABNORMALLY SLOW DRAINAGE

The most common sign and the first to appear. Water takes longer and longer to drain.

What is normal:

• A sink empties completely in 10-15 seconds
• A shower drains water as fast as it arrives
• A bathtub empties in 2-3 minutes

Warning signs:

• Water sits for a few seconds before going down
• You see the water 'swirling' above the drain
• The level rises slightly when you turn on the tap

At this stage: A simple baking soda/vinegar cleaning may be enough. The longer you wait, the more compacted the clog becomes.

2. GURGLING SOUNDS

Your drain is making gurgling noises? That is air forcing its way through a narrowed passage.

When to be concerned:

• Gurgling when a fixture drains : Water pushes air through a restriction.
• Gurgling in another fixture : If your sink gurgles when you flush the toilet, the clog is in the shared drain.
• Persistent gurgling : The venting of your system may be obstructed.

3. BAD ODOURS

A sewer smell rising up is unpleasant and often a sign of a developing problem.

Possible causes:

• Partial clog : Decomposing residue (food, hair, soap) produces odours.
• Dried-out trap : If a fixture has not been used for a long time, the water in the trap evaporates and odours come up.
• Faulty seal : The seal between the pipe and the fixture is no longer effective.

4. WATER BACKUP

Water is rising instead of going down? This is a serious sign. The clog is preventing drainage and the water is looking for another way out.

Types of backup:

• Backup in the same fixture : Localised clog, relatively simple to fix.
• Backup in another fixture : Clog in the shared drain, more complex.
• Backup with solids : Serious problem on the main stack or sewer line.

5. MULTIPLE FIXTURES AFFECTED AT THE SAME TIME

If your sink AND your shower are draining poorly at the same time, the problem is not the fixtures but the pipe connecting them.

How to diagnose:

1. Test each fixture one by one
2. Note which ones have slow drainage
3. Are the affected fixtures on the same drain line?

Typically: kitchen sink + dishwasher share one drain. Basin + shower + bathtub share another. Toilet is often separate.

6. STANDING WATER

Water no longer drains at all and remains in the bowl, the shower tray or the sink.

At this stage:

• The clog is complete or nearly complete
• DIY methods will have little effect
• The risk of overflow is imminent

Do not wait for the overflow. Every hour that passes, the clog compacts further and becomes harder to fix.

7. FLIES AND INSECTS

Small black flies around your sinks or shower? These are drain flies (or moth flies). They lay eggs in the organic residue inside drains.

What it indicates:

• Build-up of organic matter in your drains
• Partial clog forming
• Thorough cleaning required

Killing the flies is not enough. You need to eliminate their source: the deposits in the drain.

WHEN TO ACT?

The longer you wait, the more complex and expensive the intervention will be. Here is our urgency scale: