Blocked drains are one of the most common service requests in Malta — and one of the most avoidable. The combination of hard water, older shared drainage in townhouses, and kitchens that see a lot of olive oil gives Maltese drains a harder life than most.
Why Maltese drains block more than they should
- Hard water scale. Malta's water is heavily mineralised. Scale narrows pipes over the years, so a pipe that once shrugged off grease now catches everything.
- Cooking oil and fat. Oil poured hot down the sink cools and sets further down the line — often in the shared section, where the argument about whose fault it is gets complicated.
- Hair and soap in showers. The classic. Ten minutes with a hair trap saves a €60 call-out.
- Old shared drainage. In terraced houses and older blocks, several kitchens and bathrooms may feed one line. Your blockage may not even start in your home.
What you can safely try first
- Boiling water in stages — three or four kettles, a minute apart — softens fresh grease blockages.
- A plunger with a proper seal. Block the overflow hole with a wet cloth first or you will just pump air.
- A drain snake or zip-it strip for hair blockages within reach of the plughole.
Skip the caustic soda. In older Maltese pipework, aggressive chemical uncloggers can damage pipe joints, and a half-dissolved chemical blockage is more dangerous for the plumber who eventually has to clear it — many charge extra when chemicals have been used.
When it is a professional job
Call a professional when water backs up in more than one fixture (a blocked shower and toilet together means the blockage is downstream in the main line), when blockages recur in the same spot within weeks, or when there is any smell of sewage. Recurring blockages usually mean scale, a sagging pipe or root intrusion — problems that a camera inspection finds in minutes and guesswork never does.
Describe the symptoms precisely when you post the job on Qabbad's plumber page: which fixtures back up, how fast water drains, whether it gurgles. That tells an experienced plumber where the blockage sits before they arrive.
What drain clearing costs in Malta
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Simple sink or shower unblock | €40 – €80 |
| Toilet blockage | €50 – €100 |
| Main line jetting | €100 – €250 |
| Camera inspection | €80 – €150 |
Prices climb for night and weekend call-outs — see our emergency plumber guide for what to expect out of hours, and the wider Malta plumber price guide for context on rates.
Keeping drains clear
A monthly flush of boiling water down the kitchen sink, a €2 hair trap in every shower, and a strict no-oil rule cover most of it. If you live in an older house in localities with mature housing stock like Ħamrun or Qormi, an annual preventive jetting of the main line is cheaper than one Sunday-night emergency.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to unblock a drain in Malta?
A straightforward sink or shower unblock typically costs €40 to €80. Main-line blockages needing jetting equipment run €100 to €250. Out-of-hours emergencies carry a premium on top.
Why does my drain keep blocking in the same place?
Recurring blockages are almost never bad luck. Scale build-up, a bellied (sagging) pipe section or an intruding joint catches debris in the same spot every time. A camera inspection identifies the cause so you fix it once instead of paying to clear it quarterly.
Who pays when a shared drain blocks in an apartment block?
If the blockage is in the shared line, clearing it is normally a common expense handled through the block's administrator or shared between owners. If it is clearly traceable to one apartment's misuse, that owner usually carries it. Keep the plumber's report — it settles the discussion.