Istanbul Manhole Unclogging
For manhole unclogging, Cantley clears your overflowing or slow-draining manhole and the pipes connected to it from above, without anyone going down inside. A manhole (called a logar or rögar in Turkish) is a covered inspection chamber found where building drain lines join or change direction. You will find them in gardens, site car parks, building entrances and basements. Normally the water running through is visible but never collects. If water has started to rise in the manhole, one of the lines leaving it has closed up. The water level you see when the cover is lifted gives the first clue about how big the problem is.
An overflowing manhole is more than a bad smell and an eyesore. Dirty water spreads across the garden, car park floor or basement, starts coming back up through the drains on the lowest floor of the building and soaks the ground around the foundations. Inside the manhole, toxic and suffocating gases build up. That is why our team always works from the opening, using long-cable machines, pressurised water and a camera. Neither our crew nor anyone you know goes down into the manhole. When the job is done, we show you on camera that the line is clear, seat the cover firmly back in place and leave the area clean.
What happens when your manhole is blocked?
A manhole is usually out of sight, so by the time you notice the problem the water has often risen right up to the cover. Knowing the early signs helps you prevent an overflow.
Water or sludge is seeping from the edge of the cover
A wet ring around the manhole cover, water bubbling up through the cover holes or dark sludge spread around it shows that the chamber is full. If you see this when it has not rained, the problem is the waste water line, not rainwater.
There is a heavy smell in the garden or car park
A strong rotten-egg smell around the manhole means the waste water sitting in the chamber has started to turn foul. The smell is more noticeable in enclosed areas and basements, and if it lasts a long time you should assume the line is blocked.
Ground-floor drains have slowed down
When the manhole is full, waste water from the building cannot move forward and is pushed back towards the lowest point. If sinks, showers and floor drains on the ground floor or in the basement are slowing down or backing up, the blockage is most likely in the manhole or the line leaving it.
The manhole overflows after rain
In some buildings rainwater is connected to the same manhole. If part of the line has narrowed, the problem stays hidden in dry weather, but the manhole overflows in the first downpour. If this keeps happening, one of the pipes connected to the manhole has a serious build-up.
Why do manholes get blocked?
A manhole is a place where the water passing through slows down. Waste water arriving in the chamber stands still for a short time, and the heavy material it carries sinks to the bottom. Wet wipes, sanitary pads, pieces of nappies and cooking fat stick together on the chamber floor and form a hard layer. When this layer reaches the mouth of the outlet pipe, water can no longer leave the chamber and the level starts to rise. The less material that does not dissolve reaches the manhole, the longer it stays clear.
In outdoor manholes, material coming from outside also plays a big part. Leaves, soil, sand and gravel fall in through the cover holes or past the edge of a loose cover. Mud brought in by car-wash water in car parks, soil washed in after watering in gardens and rubble left in the chamber during construction all narrow the outlet line over time. Keeping covers firmly seated and the surroundings clean noticeably reduces this build-up. Fine sand carried by rainwater adds to it.
Sometimes the problem is not in the manhole itself but in the pipe leaving it. Tree roots can enter through the joints and block the pipe like a net. The ground can settle and cause the pipe to break or collapse. In older buildings, clay pipes crack over the years. These blockages come back even after the manhole is cleaned, and they can only be cleared properly once they have been seen on camera. That is why we check the outlet line with a camera at the end of every manhole job.
How do we unclog a manhole without going inside?
Safety comes first on a manhole job. We carry out the whole intervention from the opening, above ground, and we never go down into the chamber in any way.
We open the cover and secure the area
Before opening the manhole cover, we move children and pets away from the area and stop vehicles passing through the car park. After lifting the cover, we wait for a while so the chamber can air, then look from above at the water level, which pipe the water is coming from and which one it should be leaving by. At this stage we never lean into the chamber.
We clear the outlet line with a drain snake
We guide the long-cable motorised drain snake from the opening into the manhole's outlet pipe. The snake breaks up the mass of wipes, grease and sludge blocking the mouth of the pipe so that water can flow again. Once the outlet is clear, the water in the chamber starts to drain away by itself and the floor of the manhole comes into view.
We wash the chamber and connected lines with pressurised water
After the water has drained, we send the high-pressure water hose into both the chamber floor and the pipes connected to the manhole. The pressurised water loosens the sediment settled at the bottom and carries it down the cleared line, and strips grease from the pipe walls. Large pieces that need to be removed by hand are lifted out from above with long-handled tools.
We check the line with a camera
Finally we send the camera into the pipe leaving the manhole and see that the line is clear all the way to the street connection. If there are roots, a break or a collapse, we show you on the footage. If the manhole keeps blocking, this check reveals the real cause. That way you do not run into the same problem again soon.
For your safety while a manhole is overflowing
- Do not open the manhole cover yourself. If it is already open, close off the area with a barrier or tape so that nobody goes near it.
- Never go down into the manhole under any circumstances, and do not lean over and look inside. The gases in there can cause loss of consciousness within a short time.
- Stop using the drains on the ground floor and in the basement, and ask neighbours on the upper floors to use less water.
- Keep children and pets out of the area where the overflowing water has spread, and do not touch the waste water with bare hands.
- In case water reaches the basement, lift items and electrical appliances off the floor and keep them away from sockets.
Pictures from the field
Inspecting a toilet drain with a camera and a drain snake machine 
Working on the drain line outside the building with a drain snake machine 
Checking the kitchen drain line with a drain camera
Manhole Unclogging by district
We provide this service in all 39 districts of Istanbul. Choose your district.
Frequently asked questions
How is a manhole unclogged?
Manhole unclogging is done from above, working through the opening. First the manhole's outlet pipe is cleared with a motorised drain snake and the water drains away, then the chamber and connected pipes are washed with high-pressure water. Finally the line is checked with a camera. Nobody goes down into the manhole during this process. At the end of the job the cover is seated firmly back in place.
How do you unclog a blocked manhole, and can I do it myself?
We do not recommend unclogging a blocked manhole yourself. The gases that build up inside a manhole are toxic and suffocating, and the heavy cover can cause injury. Attempts with a long stick or a hose usually cannot move the blockage. The safest way is to secure the area and call a team with machines. While you wait, close off the area and keep everyone away.
Is there a difference between a logar and a rögar?
In everyday use there is no difference: both words describe the same structure. A logar or rögar is a covered inspection chamber found where waste water lines join or change direction. Both words are widely used in Istanbul. In some places the same structure is also called a shaft or an inspection chamber. They are all covered chambers that do the same job.
The manhole in our site car park is overflowing. Who should I call?
If the manhole is on the site's own land, you can call us as the site management. Car park and garden manholes belong to the building's own line, and clearing them is the responsibility of the building's residents. If the manhole is in the street, on the municipal main line, the situation needs to be reported to İSKİ. If you are not sure which it is, we will come, take a look and tell you.
Why does my manhole keep blocking?
A manhole that keeps blocking usually points to a lasting problem in the pipe leaving it. Root intrusion, a collapsed section of pipe or insufficient slope make waste build up in the chamber again and again. Cleaning done without examining the line on camera and finding the real cause is soon repeated. Based on the footage, we explain the options for a lasting solution.
Does the smell go away after the manhole is cleared?
Yes, once the line is cleared and the chamber is washed, the smell largely goes. When the waiting waste water leaves the chamber, the source of the smell is gone. If there are other causes, such as a poorly seated cover or dried-out traps on the ground floor, we check those as well and tell you. The smell disappears completely within a few days.
Our other services
No-Dig Drain Unclogging
We locate the blockage with a camera, then clear it with a drain snake and pressurised water. Your tiles stay where they are.
See detailsToilet Unclogging
From an overflowing toilet to the building's shared stack, we clear the toilet drain.
See detailsWashbasin Unclogging
Whether the blockage is in the trap or in the line inside the wall, we clear it cleanly.
See detailsKitchen Sink Unclogging
We jet the whole kitchen drain line with high-pressure water to remove built-up grease and starch.
See detailsCommercial Kitchen Drain Clearing
In restaurant and cafe kitchens, we clear the floor drain, grease trap and shared line without interrupting service.
See detailsShower and Bathtub Drain Unclogging
We clear the hair and soap that build up in floor drains, shower channels and bathtub drains.
See detailsBalcony Drain Unclogging
We clear balcony drains clogged with leaves, soil and sand before the rain arrives.
See detailsDrain Unclogging
We work out which drain is blocked, then clear the line in your home or workplace.
See detailsBlocked Drain Clearing
Is the blockage in the trap, the shared stack or the building outlet? We find it and show you the cause so it doesn't come back.
See detailsPVC Drain Pipe Unclogging
We clear PVC drain pipes without breaking anything, using heads that won't damage them.
See detailsPipe Unclogging
PVC, cast iron, galvanised or concrete pipe: we clear the blocked pipe with a head suited to its material.
See detailsCCTV Drain Unclogging
We look inside the pipe together on a screen and clear the blockage exactly where it is.
See detailsSewer Line Unclogging
We clear the building's main sewer line all the way to the street connection.
See detailsChannel Drain Unclogging
We use high-pressure water to clear garden lines, ramp and car park grates, and storm drains.
See detailsSewer Cleaning
We regularly clean out sludge, grease and root build-up with high-pressure water jetting.
See detailsSewer Camera Inspection
We find cracks, collapses and root intrusion with a CCTV drain camera and show you the footage.
See detailsSewer Line Renewal
We locate the damaged section with a camera and replace only the part that needs it.
See detailsBackflow Valve Installation
We keep water that comes back up from the street in heavy rain out of your basement and ground floor.
See detailsPVC Drain Pipe Replacement
We replace PVC drain pipes that are cracked, leaking or laid with the wrong fall.
See detailsVacuum Truck Service
24/7 pumping with combination and mini vacuum trucks for septic tanks, manholes, grease traps and flooded basements.
See detailsSeptic Tank Pumping
We empty full or overflowing septic tanks by vacuum and take the waste to an authorised disposal point.
See detailsSeptic Tank Cleaning
We clean the sludge at the bottom, the crust on the walls and the inlet and outlet pipes with high-pressure water.
See detailsCombi Vacuum Jetting Truck
One truck jets the line clean and vacuums out the sludge, for blocked main lines and full manholes.
See detailsMini Vacuum Truck
Our small truck gets into narrow streets, steep hills, courtyards and low garage entrances.
See detailsCar Park Vacuum Truck
We pump out an enclosed car park flooded after rain and clear the grate and ramp channels.
See detailsVacuum Truck Hire
We assign an operator-driven vacuum truck to construction sites, factories and housing complexes for scheduled or regular work.
See detailsPrivate Vacuum Truck Service
A vacuum truck for your own property that comes on your schedule, with no waiting in a queue.
See detailsVacuum Truck Company
A vacuum truck company that asks about the job over the phone, picks the right truck and transports the waste according to the rules.
See detailsIf your manhole is overflowing, call us
For an overflowing manhole in your garden, car park or basement, call 0212 923 66 85 or send a photo on WhatsApp. We come, clear it without going inside and check the line with a camera.