Blocked Drain Repairs

Nothing throws a house into chaos like a blocked drain. If the drain is blocked it usually means it’s overflowing somewhere too.

Sewer overflowing outside through a gully or a boundary trap creates a serious health risk for your family and neighbours, then there is the issue of the smell!

The fact is, drains block all the time.

• Small shower drains will eventually block with hair.
• Basin drains will block with hair and toothpaste.
• Larger drains outside will block from tree roots getting into old terracotta pipes.
• Larger drains that are PVC can still block if things like feminine hygiene products or diapers are flushed down the toilet.
• Stormwater pipes that take rainwater and stormwater collection pits will block up too if they are not regularly cleaned out.

Tree roots can cause havoc with stormwater pipes too. It usually takes torrential rain to show up deficiencies in a stormwater system. In the worst cases, water can flood the inside of a house in heavy rain if the stormwater drains are blocked.

Most Common Blocked Drains

Most of the blocked drains we deal with on a daily basis are sewers, this counts the small basin and shower drain too. The smaller drains are easier for us to clear. We have an extensive arsenal of air pumps and plungers that we use in conjunction with concentrated Sulphuric acid. We use Sulphuric acid because it will eat through anything organic such as hair and not damage the composition of the pipe.

When the sewer is blocked outside we are very well equipped to deal with the problem. We are class leaders in the field of sewer maintenance and defect repairs. We are able to clear sewer blockages with very powerful high-pressure water cutting tools. These tools are especially effective for clearing tree roots as they skim the inside of the pipe clean to fully open the inside diameter of the pipe again. This is a large reason why we ceased using the old fashioned electric eel, as the electric eel simply pushed passed the roots to clear a blockage but left too many of the roots behind.

Clearing Tree Roots from Blocked Terracotta Pipes

It’s very important to realize that when you are clearing tree roots from an old terracotta pipe you are merely giving the tree roots a haircut. They will grow back. This is a fact that is lost on many people that think clearing a sewer is a permanent solution. The roots will grow back, the only variable will be how quickly or slowly they grow back.

Tree roots only found their way into terracotta pipes for two reasons; the pipe is cracked, or the rubber ring the joined the two pieces of pipe has perished, which isn’t uncommon considering the pipe maybe a hundred years old.

When a terracotta pipe has been freshly cleaned it presents the best opportunity to insert a special heavy-duty CCTV inside the pipe to have a look at the condition. Nine times out of ten a blockage is caused by one defect.

By having a look inside the pipe you can find the defective section and then make a plan to repair it. We have special transmitters that work in tandem with our drain cameras that can reveal at ground level exactly where the broken pipe is beneath the ground and exactly how deep it is. This information makes it very easy for us to give accurate quotes to carry out repairs.

As a rule of thumb, we like to carry out a CCTV inspection on our first visit to a new property for a blocked drain. We do this because we can accurately see if all of the blockages are removed and we can provide a solution to fix any pipe defects immediately. We find this proactive method saves the customer money in the long term. We always cringe when a customer tells us that they have had their sewer cleared out more than four times a year.

Because of our extensive experience in the area of sewer clearing and defect repair we have built a well-earned reputation as the plumbers in Sydney that can provide a solution quickly. We even provide this service to other plumbers that do not have the high level of specialized drain clearing equipment that we have.

We strongly believe that getting Highlander Plumbing involved as soon as you encounter a drain problem could save you a lot of money. Our experience cannot be matched.

Why Choose Us for your Blocked Drain Plumbing?

• All of our service trucks are equipped with water jetting equipment (also known as high-pressure water jetters or water blasters) and drain cameras. We can clear blockages, cut tree roots, clear tree root blockages, clear grease blockages.

• We have been using water jetters longer than most plumbers. We also invest a huge amount in having the latest equipment to get your job done properly. Don’t risk your job with someone without the experience or the right gear. Don’t let a bum crack plumber near your drains!

• Our water jetting machines with root cutting technology are a far superior way of clearing drains than electric eels. We have not used an electric eel since 1997 and we won’t be using one any time in the future.

• Contrary to old school thought, a water jetter does not blow pipes apart, nor does it break pipes. If anything a mechanical dinosaur like an electric eel with its metal cables thrashing around would be more likely to cause pipe damage.

• We can use the water jetter in conjunction with a drain camera to fully clear and guarantee a sewer. Just like a surgical operation. We always recommend using the camera at the same time with the water jetter – would you let a surgeon operate on your body without any vision?
  With our camera technology, we are able to isolate the problem-causing areas. We can then use our locating equipment to pinpoint exactly at ground level where the problem is and how far below the surface it is. This saves time and money. Perhaps only a small section of an old sewer was in need of repair – Don’t replace the sewer unless we see inside it with a camera first! – We could save you thousands of dollars and save your beautiful landscaping and driveway too!

• We can help with blocked small drains as well. We can use chemical drain clearers such as “Mo-Flo” or we can use our new Handheld power “mini eels”.

• All of our equipment can be used on blocked stormwater drains as well. Water jetting is very effective to remove dirt and leaves from the drains.

Did you know 90% of all rising damp issues are related to faulty stormwater lines?

Stormwater drainage is not regulated and inspected by Sydney Water the way sewer drains are. Dodgy, broken connections are quite common. Our camera technology can let you know where you stand. Remember – rising damp is bad news, so is a roof leak caused by blocked or broken stormwater drains.