Blocked drains are among the most commonly reported plumbing emergencies in Australia. It’s sometimes possible to unclog the drain yourself, but it's also very possible that you can end up making the situation much worse if you don't know exactly what you're doing. The good news is that there are a few easy ways to tell whether or not you have a blocked drain in your home.

In this brief article, we will go over the four signs of a blocked drain so that you can identify if this is what you're dealing with and contact a professional plumber to resolve the situation before the problem escalates any further.

4 Signs of a Blocked Drain

As mentioned, there are a few different ways to tell whether or not you're dealing with a blocked drain in your home. In fact, there are four specific signs that are very clear indicators that one or more of your drains has a blockage or is otherwise backed up. Let’s go over the four signs of a blocked drain now so that you can diagnose this problem at home.

Foul smell

The first and potentially most unpleasant sign of a blocked drain is a foul smell coming from your sink. Specifically, the smell that is most commonly associated with a clogged drain is the smell of sewage. So, if you notice the smell of sewage coming from your kitchen or bathroom sink, there is a very good chance that you are dealing with a blocked drain, and you should contact a plumber for emergency assistance immediately.

Overflowing

The second and most severe sign of a blocked drain is overflowing. If your sink, bathtub, or shower begins spewing water onto your floor, then you most definitely have a blocked drain, and you shouldn't hesitate to contact a professional plumber immediately as overflowing water can damage your home severely, necessitating costly repairs. What’s worse is that sometimes it's more than just water that begins overflowing, and obviously, this is a situation that you don't want to deal with. Your first course of action should be to try using a plunger to resolve the problem, but if that fails, then you should contact a plumber immediately.

Gurgling sounds

Bizarre gurgling sounds can also be a great indication that one of your drains is clogged up. There are commercial drain unclogging products that may be able to remove the blockage, but if these products fail to resolve the situation, then you should definitely reach out to a professional plumber and let them know that you're hearing gurgling sounds from your sink. Chances are they will need to come out to your home and unclog your drain professionally.

Slow draining

Finally, if your sink is draining very slowly or won't drain at all, then there is a very good chance that it is blocked up and will require the services of a professional plumber in order to restore it to its normal working condition. Any number of things can cause a blocked drain, but if you can see for yourself that the water isn't going down as quickly as it normally does, then odds are what you're dealing with is a blockage, and you shouldn't take any chances with this sort of situation.

Conclusion

In some cases, a professional plumber will need to come out to your home, but other times just by calling a plumber, you may be able to find out how to unblock your drains at home by yourself; it really all depends on how bad the blockage is and how severe the situation has become. When in doubt, trust a professional plumber to tackle the problem for you.