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FEDURCO DRAINAGE

Problem guide

Slow Drains

Water that drains more slowly than it used to — in a sink, shower, bath or outside gully — can be an early sign that flow is restricted somewhere in the system.

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Shower tray with water pooling slowly around the plughole

Recognise the problem

What slow drainage can look like

Slow drainage is easy to live with — which is exactly why it often gets worse before it gets attention.

  1. 01

    Water pooling in the shower

    Ankles in water by the end of a shower, or a tray that empties slowly afterwards.

  2. 02

    A bath that takes ages to empty

    Especially if it used to drain quickly.

  3. 03

    A sink that swirls but lingers

    Water drains, but noticeably slower than it should.

  4. 04

    A gully that fills when it rains

    Outside drains that cope less well than they used to.

  5. 05

    Gurgling after draining

    Air being displaced past a partial restriction.

Possible causes

Common possible causes

Slow drainage does not mean a failure is imminent — but it does mean something is worth understanding.

  • Hair and soap build-up

    The usual cause in showers and baths, collecting in the trap and waste pipe.

  • Grease and food debris

    The usual cause in kitchen sinks, coating the inside of the pipe.

  • Scale and silt

    Gradual accumulation that narrows the pipe, especially in older drainage.

  • A partial blockage downstream

    A restriction further along the run that slows everything upstream of it.

  • Roots or a defect

    Less commonly, root ingress or a damaged section catching debris — more likely if the problem keeps returning.

A single slow fixture is usually a local issue. Several slow fixtures at once can indicate a restriction in the shared drainage run.

Engineer inspecting an open drain chamber

One drain or several?

Why the number of affected fixtures matters

If one sink or shower is slow and everything else is fine, the cause is usually close to that fixture — a trap or waste pipe that needs cleaning.

If several fixtures are slow at the same time, or using one affects another, the restriction is more likely to be in the shared pipework or the main drain run. That is a different scale of problem, and it is worth investigating before it becomes a full blockage.

Either way, the pattern of symptoms helps narrow down where to look — tell us what you have noticed and we can advise on the next step.

Related services

Services that may be relevant

Common questions

Slow drain questions

Usually not immediately — but it rarely improves on its own. Dealing with it while it is still draining is normally simpler than waiting for a full blockage or overflow.

When several fixtures slow down together, the restriction is often in the shared drainage run rather than any single fixture. That is worth investigating promptly.

For a local build-up near the fixture, sometimes. For build-up further along the pipe, they rarely reach it — and chemical cleaners can damage pipework. If the problem returns quickly, the cause is still there.

It can be one possible cause, particularly in older pipework with cracks or displaced joints — but symptoms alone cannot confirm it. A CCTV survey is how root ingress is actually confirmed.

We start with the symptoms and the layout of your drainage. Where the cause is not obvious, a camera survey shows the inside of the pipe so any work is based on evidence.

Next step

Need the drain cleared?

If build-up or a partial blockage is slowing things down, our Drain Unblocking service can clear it and restore the flow.

Drain Unblocking

Get a quote

Tell us about the slow drainage.

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0800 677 1321

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