the water will not drain from the sink, bath and shower. this has happened before and the down stairsceiling had to be removed and the piping replaced. it was blocked by a hard solid lump. Is there a way of clearing this without removing the ceiling. it is not possible to get to the pipe from the bathroom due to bulit in cupboards being in the way.

kim heaton, July 2007

Have you tried a product called Power Plumber (from most DIY stores). It's a can of compressed liquid that expands when in contact with water forcing the blockage out. I used this when my sink was blocked and cleaning the u bend didn't work.

Ian Ringe, July 2007