Blocked Bath

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Licensed plumbers across Adelaide, Perth & Brisbane

G★★★★★
4.6 · 2,000+ Google reviews

A bath that drains slowly or not at all is almost always caused by hair and soap scum building up in the waste and trap. Our licensed plumbers clear the blockage properly with the right equipment, the waste and trap for a local clog, or a drain machine and high-pressure jetter for a deeper one, and find the cause so it does not keep happening. We clear the blockage and leave your bath draining freely, with an upfront fixed price. We clear blocked baths across Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, with same-day service where we can.

Why choose Same Day Trades for a blocked bath

We are local, licensed and insured plumbers who do this work every day, so we get it right the first time, with no mess and no surprises on the invoice.

Fully licensed and insured plumbers
Upfront fixed pricing before we start
Same-day service where we can, with 24/7 phones
Workmanship guaranteed and the job left clean
Servicing Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide

Whatever the job, you get honest advice and a tidy, professional result.

What causes a blocked bath

Baths block for a predictable set of reasons, almost all building up slowly over time:

Hair, by far the most common cause, which tangles and traps everything else
Soap scum, which coats the pipe and binds hair and debris together
Body oils, skin and grime washed down the drain
Bath products and residue
Mineral and scale build-up from hard water

Hair and soap scum together are the usual culprits, forming a dense clog in the bath waste and trap that slowly chokes the flow until the water drains slowly or pools around your feet and will not clear.

Signs of a blocked bath

A blocked bath rarely happens all at once, so watch for the early signs: water draining slowly and pooling in the bath, water taking longer and longer to clear after a bath, a gurgling sound from the drain, and a bad or musty smell from the waste. You may also notice the water level rising if you run the bath. Catching it at the slow-draining stage means it is usually easy to clear; leaving it until the water barely drains means a more stubborn blockage. If your bath is draining slowly, it is best to deal with it before it blocks completely and leaves you with a tub of dirty water.

Why hair and soap are the main culprits

Hair is the arch-enemy of bath and shower drains. Every bath sends strands down the waste, where they catch on the plug, the waste fitting and any roughness in the pipe. On their own they might wash through, but combined with soap scum they become a problem. Soap, especially bar soap, leaves a sticky, waxy residue that coats the pipe walls and acts like glue, binding the hair into a dense mat that traps still more hair, skin and grime. Over weeks and months this clog grows until it chokes the drain. This is why a simple hair catcher over the waste prevents the majority of blocked baths.

What you can try first

For a mild bath blockage, a few things are worth trying before you call:

Remove the plug and waste grate and pull out any visible hair and gunk
Pour a kettle of hot (not boiling) water down to soften soap scum
Try bicarb soda followed by vinegar, left to fizz, then flushed with hot water
Use a cup plunger over the waste, covering the overflow hole, and plunge firmly

Avoid harsh chemical drain cleaners, which can damage pipes and seals and are hazardous. If the bath still drains slowly after this, the clog is deeper in the waste and needs a plumber.

When to call a plumber

Call us if your bath will not clear after removing visible hair and plunging, keeps blocking, drains very slowly, gurgles, or smells, or if water backs up into the bath when you use another fixture. These point to a blockage deeper in the waste or the main drain that household methods cannot reach. A bath that repeatedly blocks usually has a build-up well down the pipe, or a pipe problem, that needs professional equipment to clear and diagnose. The longer a slow drain is left, the more solid the clog becomes, so it is better to call while it is still an easy job.

How we clear a blocked bath

We clear the blockage properly and find out why it happened. Depending on the job we check and clear the waste and trap, and for deeper blockages use a drain machine (electric eel) to break up and pull out the hair and soap clog, or a high-pressure water jetter to scour the pipe walls clean. If the bath keeps blocking, a drain camera can inspect the pipe to confirm the cause. Jetting is particularly effective on soap and hair because it washes the pipe clean rather than just punching through the clog, so it is far less likely to come straight back.

Hidden bath wastes and traps

Bath wastes are often harder to access than a sink, because the trap and pipework are hidden beneath the bath, under the floor or behind a panel. This is one reason clearing a stubborn bath blockage is best left to a plumber with the right tools, rather than attempting to dismantle the waste yourself and risk damaging the bath or the seals. We can clear the blockage through the waste itself using an eel or jetter, avoiding any need to remove the bath or open up the floor. If there is a deeper problem with the trap or pipe, our camera shows us exactly what and where it is first.

Recurring blockages and tree roots

If your bath keeps blocking no matter how diligently you remove hair, the cause is usually a heavy build-up deep in the waste line, or a problem in the pipe further down, such as tree roots or a damaged section. Roots are drawn to drains and grow in through cracks and joints, catching hair and soap and causing repeat blockages. A camera inspection shows exactly what is happening, and we can jet the line clean, clear any roots, and if the pipe is damaged, repair it with no-dig pipe relining so the blockages stop returning rather than coming back every few weeks.

Smelly bath drains

A smelly bath drain usually comes from hair, soap and skin rotting in the waste, or from a dry or faulty trap letting sewer gas through. If your bath smells even when it drains fine, the cause is often the build-up coating the pipe and waste. Clearing and jetting the line removes the rotting material and the smell with it. We also check the trap is holding water and sealed correctly, since a trap that dries out or is faulty will let odours up from the drain, common in a bath that is rarely used. If the smell persists after cleaning, it can indicate a venting problem, which we can investigate.

Blocked bath or blocked drain?

If only your bath is slow or blocked, the problem is usually in the bath waste or the pipe nearby. If your bath, shower, basin and other drains are all slow or backing up at the same time, especially if using one makes another gurgle or rise, the blockage is in the main drain or sewer line, which is a bigger job. Either way we can clear it. Our drain repair and camera services let us diagnose and fix the underlying cause, not just the symptom, so you are not calling us back about the same drain soon after.

How to prevent a blocked bath

Most blocked baths are easy to prevent. The single best step is to fit a hair catcher or drain protector over the waste and empty it regularly, which stops the main cause of blockages before it starts. Beyond that, switching from bar soap to a liquid body wash reduces soap scum, and periodically flushing the drain with hot water helps keep residue moving through. Rinsing excess hair and grime away from the waste rather than letting it go down also helps. These small habits save you the hassle and cost of a blocked bath, and keep the water draining freely after every bath.

How much does it cost to clear a bath?

A simple bath blockage near the waste is an affordable, quick job. Costs rise if the blockage is deep in the line, needs a drain machine or high-pressure jetter, or involves tree roots or a damaged pipe needing a camera inspection. Emergency and after-hours call-outs cost more than a standard appointment. Rather than guess, we assess the problem and give you an upfront fixed price before we start, so you know exactly what you are paying. If there is an underlying pipe issue, we will explain the options, including relining, so you can choose the best long-term fix.

Same-day blocked drain service

A blocked bath is more than an inconvenience, standing or bathing in water that will not drain is unpleasant, so we treat it as a priority. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and we can usually get a licensed plumber to you the same day across Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. We arrive with the drain machines, jetters and cameras to clear the blockage and find its cause in one visit, with an upfront fixed price before we start. Get your bath draining freely again fast, with a plumber who fixes the cause, not just the symptom, so it does not keep happening.

Licensed, guaranteed drain plumbers

Clearing a blocked bath properly takes the right equipment and a licensed plumber who can reach the clog without damaging your bath or waterproofing, and who finds the cause so it does not keep happening. Our team is fully licensed and insured, we clear the blockage, inspect the line and tell you honestly if there is a deeper issue. You get upfront fixed pricing, tidy work and a guarantee on what we do. For a plumber near you to clear a blocked bath, we cover Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Blocked bath FAQs

Why is my bath draining slowly?

The usual cause is a build-up of hair and soap scum in the waste and trap, which narrows the pipe until the bath drains slowly or blocks completely.

Can I clear a blocked bath myself?

You can try removing visible hair from the waste, flushing with hot water, and plunging. If it will not clear, the blockage is deeper and needs a plumber.

Should I use chemical drain cleaners?

We do not recommend them, they can damage pipes and seals, are hazardous, and often fail to clear a solid clog. Professional clearing is safer and more effective.

How do you clear a blocked bath?

We clear the waste and trap, and for deeper blockages use a drain machine or high-pressure jetter to scour the pipe clean, then check the cause.

How much does it cost?

Clearing a blocked bath is usually an affordable job. We give you an upfront fixed price before we start, with the cost depending on how deep the blockage is.

Why does my bath keep blocking?

Recurring blockages usually mean a heavy build-up deep in the line, or a pipe problem such as tree roots, which we can investigate with a camera and fix properly.

How do I prevent bath blockages?

Fit a hair catcher over the waste and empty it regularly, and flush the drain with hot water periodically to keep soap residue moving through.

Do you service my area?

Yes, we clear blocked baths across Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, with same-day service where we can.

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Guy Louanglath

Jordan Smith came out to quote on several jobs for me: replacing the pipes in my shower, fixing a leaking toilet, and installing an air conditioner. He was patient, thorough and took real time to explain everything, and I never felt rushed. The quote was clear and fair, and I felt genuinely looked after. You can tell he takes pride in his work and cares about his customers. I can't recommend Jordan and the team highly enough!

Wayne Crowe

Excellent service and knowledge

Esther Fiamengo

Great guys did an awesome job, very professional and double checked all work to make sure everything was in good working order. Highly recommended 👌😊

Dianne Yeates

Pleasant young man, great customer service, quick and thorough and explained things well. My mum Stella was very happy. Thank you.

Carl Bell

Fast, polite. John did a great job!

Ruth Ward

Great experience with Jack (who is lovely but did not do the work), Brodie and Austin ... who had to dig in our atrocious soil! Very happy with the results!