Chokes and blockages
Clearing choked toilet bowls, floor traps, sinks, basins and drain pipes in Singapore homes. Most chokes are cleared in one visit, and we tell you the likely cause so it does not come back next week.
Services in this section
- Toilet bowl chokeA choked toilet bowl fills up instead of flushing away, or drains very slowly.Typically $80–$200
- Floor trap chokeA choked floor trap leaves water pooling on the bathroom, kitchen or service yard floor, often with a bad smell or gurgling.Typically $50–$180
- Kitchen sink chokeA choked kitchen sink holds water or drains very slowly, usually because grease and food scraps have built up in the trap or waste pipe.Typically $80–$220
- Wash basin chokeA choked wash basin fills up while the tap runs and drains slowly, often with a sour smell.Typically $80–$130
- Bathtub chokeA choked bathtub holds water long after you pull the plug, or drains in a slow trickle.Typically $80–$200
- Drain pipe chokeA drain pipe choke is a blockage in the branch pipe that carries waste water from your fittings to the stack or inspection chamber, so several fittings drain slowly at once.Typically $150–$500
- Water pipe chokeA water pipe choke is a blockage in the supply pipe feeding your taps, leaving weak flow at one tap or across the whole home.Typically $80–$400
- Drain cleaningDrain cleaning scours grease, scale and debris out of the pipes that carry waste water away, using high-pressure jetting, descaling and a camera to check the result.Typically $250–$500
- Bathroom floodA bathroom flood is water spreading across the floor and out of the bathroom, usually from a choked floor trap, a burst flexible hose or a leaking water heater.Typically $80–$250
- Kitchen floodA kitchen flood is water spreading across the kitchen or service yard floor, usually from a choked sink or floor trap, a washing machine hose or a burst flexible hose under the sink.Typically $80–$250
Before you call
A choke is water that drains slowly or not at all because something is stuck in the pipe or trap. In Singapore flats the usual culprits are kitchen grease, hair, wet wipes, sanitary products and food scraps. In older HDB blocks, scale and corrosion inside cast-iron or galvanised branch pipes make chokes come back faster.
Before you call, it helps to know where the choke is. If only one fitting is slow, the blockage is usually in that fitting's trap or branch pipe. If the floor trap backs up when you flush the toilet or run the washing machine, the blockage is further down, often in the shared branch or the common stack, which in HDB blocks may be the town council's job.
Each service page below explains what the problem looks like, the common causes, what a plumber will do, and a realistic price range.
Frequently asked questions
Is a choke in my HDB flat my responsibility or the town council's?
Pipes and fittings that serve only your flat, such as the toilet bowl, floor trap and the branch pipe up to where it joins the common stack, are generally the owner's responsibility. The vertical common stack serving the block is maintained by the town council. If water backs up from the common stack or several flats on the same stack have the same problem, call your town council first.
Should I use chemical drain cleaner before calling a plumber?
We would not. Strong caustic or acid drain cleaners rarely clear a solid blockage, can damage older pipes and seals, and make the job dangerous for whoever opens the trap afterwards. A plunger or a hot-water flush is safer for minor slow drains.
How long does it take to clear a choke?
Most single-fitting chokes take 30 to 90 minutes. Blockages deep in a branch pipe, or ones that need high-pressure water jetting, can take two to three hours.
Why does my choke keep coming back?
Repeat chokes usually mean the pipe was only punched through, not cleaned, or that the pipe itself is scaled, sagging or damaged. Ask for the pipe to be cleared to full bore and, for repeat cases, for a camera inspection to see what is inside.
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