Emergency & immediate help
Blocked drain, septic tank or water tank in Mallorca
The systems in Mallorca are not the ones you are used to at home: many fincas are not connected to the mains drainage but to a septic tank (fosa séptica), and the drinking water comes from a cistern (aljibe) or a tank. If you do not know that, you will call out the wrong firm.
What you can do right now
- No supermarket drain cleaner when the water is standing completely still - the chemical simply sits in the pipe and puts at risk the tradesperson who later has to reach into it.
- If only one outlet is affected, the blockage is usually local: open the trap under the basin (bucket underneath) and remove hair and soap residue. That clears a large share of cases without a bill.
- If water backs up in several outlets at once or in the shower, the problem is the shared waste pipe or - in a finca - a full septic tank. Stop running any water and call a firm with a tanker (desatascos).
- In a finca: when was the fosa séptica last emptied? Usual intervals are one to three years depending on occupancy. With holiday guests it can fill up considerably faster.
- No drinking water at all? Check the level in the cistern or tank first, and whether the pressure pump (bomba) is running - it is often the pump or a tripped breaker rather than the pipework.
What a call-out should cost
For tanker call-outs the price usually depends on the volume and the journey. Give the type of property, the approximate tank volume and the access for a lorry when you ring - that way you get a reliable answer instead of a surprise on site.
The single best protection against overcharging: insist on a written quote before any work starts - in Spanish a presupuesto previo. Refusing to give one is the common thread running through almost every documented complaint. A reputable firm will state the call-out fee, the hourly rate and any night or weekend surcharge without being asked.
What to say on the phone, in Spanish
If only the technician on duty picks up, these sentences get you through the call. Read the Spanish out loud; the line underneath tells you what it means.
- Buenos días, tengo un atasco y sube agua por varios desagües a la vez.
- Good morning, I have a blockage and water is backing up in several drains at once.
- ¿Hacen desatascos y vaciado de fosa séptica con camión cuba?
- Do you do drain clearance and septic tank emptying with a tanker?
- Es urgente, no podemos usar los baños. ¿Pueden venir hoy?
- It is urgent - we cannot use the bathrooms. Can you come today?
- Estoy en [localidad], la dirección es [calle y número], y el camión puede llegar hasta la puerta.
- I am in [town], at [street and number], and the tanker can drive right up to the door.
- ¿Me pueden dar un presupuesto que incluya el desplazamiento y el vaciado?
- Can you give me a quotation covering the call-out and emptying the tank?
- Disculpe, no le he entendido. ¿Me lo puede repetir más despacio?
- Sorry, I did not catch that. Could you repeat it more slowly?
Companies that state out-of-hours availability
These companies state that they can be reached outside normal business hours. We show openly what that claim is based on, and we are working through them by phone to confirm it. If in doubt, call two.
- Servicios Mallorca Rapid advertises out-of-hours service
7009 Palma
States it can be reached 365 days a year and offers same-day emergency call-outs.
Other specialists for this trade
57 further companies in the directory, 16 of them German-speaking. These do not advertise out-of-hours cover - for an appointment on the next working day they are often the cheaper choice than a call-out.
Alou Barceló S.L.
Santanyí
A long-established building services firm in Santanyí with its own showroom, offering plumbing, electrics, air conditioning and solar in four languages.
Andreas Fiedrich
Port d'Andratx
Plumber right on the harbour promenade of Port d'Andratx, with a German-speaking owner.
Digital Electric
Santa Ponsa
Electrical and air conditioning business in Santa Ponsa (Gran Via de Formentera 30) with, by its own account, more than 30 years of experience.
DTR Servicios
Port d'Andratx
Multi-trade business in Port d'Andratx covering electrics, plumbing, air conditioning and the ongoing upkeep of residential complexes.
Electricidad y Fontanería JS
Son Servera
A trades firm from Son Servera covering electrics, plumbing, pool technology and air conditioning across the Llevant.
Electricista i Fontaneria Miquel Jaume Jaume
Sant Joan
Miquel Jaume Jaume is Sant Joan's local electrician and plumber, listed as an electricista in the official municipal directory.
Fernández y Balaguer S.L.
Andratx
Building services firm in Andratx carrying out plumbing, heating and air conditioning from a single source.
Fontana Instalaciones S.L.
Santa Ponsa
Authorised gas installer, founded in 1993, with around 15 employees.
Fontanería Bonaigo
Campos
Fontaneria y Electricidad Bonaigo from Campos is a specialist provider of plumbing, electrical and renewable energy installations in Mallorca.
Fontanería Jaime Flexas Vich
s'Arracó
Fontanería Jaime Flexas Vich is a long-established plumbing business in s'Arracó for plumbing, water and heating installations.
Fontaneria Llucmajor
Llucmajor
Fontaneria Llucmajor is a plumbing business in Llucmajor in Mallorca, founded in 1997 with many years of experience in water, heating and air conditioning technology.
Fontanería Porto Cristo S.L.
Porto Cristo
A plumbing and air conditioning firm in Porto Cristo since 1993 - small, long-established and reachable by phone.
Frequently asked questions
What is a fosa séptica and how often does it have to be emptied?
A fosa séptica is a septic tank - many fincas and houses inland are not connected to the public sewer and collect their waste water there. How often it has to be emptied depends on the size of the tank and on occupancy; one to three years is usual, and considerably more often with intensive holiday letting. The signs of a full tank are several drains running slowly at the same time and a smell in the garden.
My drain is blocked - what can I do myself?
If only one outlet is affected, open the trap underneath it and remove hair and deposits; that clears many cases. A plunger helps with soft blockages. Do without chemical drain cleaners when the water is standing completely still - the caustic liquid stays in the pipe and becomes a hazard for the tradesperson. Once several outlets are affected at the same time, self-help ends.
What is drain clearance called in Spanish?
The usual term is desatascos (clearing blockages), often combined with limpieza de fosas sépticas for emptying septic tanks. When searching locally, desatascos plus the name of the town most reliably leads to firms with a tanker. For ordinary plumbing work, fontanero (plumber) is the word you want.
No water in the house - is it the supply pipe?
Not necessarily. In houses with a cistern (aljibe) or a tank, the most common reason is simply an empty store or a failed pressure pump. Check the level first, then whether the pump has power and its breaker has not tripped. Only when both are in order does the pipework come into question. If you are connected to the public mains, it is also worth checking for maintenance work by the supplier.
Who is responsible when there is a smell in a block of flats?
In an owners' association (comunidad de propietarios) the shared waste pipes are common property - the managing agent instructs the work, not the individual owner. Only the pipework from your flat to the stack is your affair. Settle that with the administrador before you instruct anyone, or you will be left with a bill the association should have paid.