How to clear a blocked drain...
Being Mr Drains, the leading drain specialist in Australia, you can imagine just how often we get asked to clear a blocked drain every day!
The method for clearing a blocked drain is simple;
- Find what fixtures are effected and then locate the common pipe they run into
- Check for inspection openings downstream of these fixtures to see if they are blocked
- Ask your neighbour if their drain is blocked too in case the problem is in the main line
- Run your drain cleaner through the inspection opening closest to the blockage
- Clear drain and test to ensure it is running properly by flushing half a bath of water or backwash the pool
There are several types of drain cleaners available;
- Plunger - Not very effective as it pushes the blockage further downstream and leaves the cause of the blockage behind. You'll be back the next day to clear it again!
- Electric Eel - This is the old way of clearing a drain using an electric motor and some cables to tear at the blockage. Because it only tears at the blockage the drain is left 70% clear.
- Water Jetter - Most plumbers preference, using water and a powered high pressure pump. It not only removes the blockage but it scrubs the pipe clean in half the time it would take an eel.
Although you can hire an electric eel to clear your drain yourself, it pays to use a licensed plumber to have the job carried out properly. I have seen many injuries caused by the incorrect use of an eel.
If your blockage is caused by tree roots you can expect the drain to block again soon. Depending on the species of tree, a drain can block within 3 months of having it professionally cleared. In most cases a drain will stay cleared for 12-18 months if cleared with a high pressure water jetter.
This drain blocked after Telstra 'tunnel-bored' a service straight through the drain!
Our client was fully reimbursed for our costs by Telstra.
After the drain has been cleared you have five options;
- Just leave it until next time it blocks and just hope it's not during Sunday lunch with the in-laws - Temporary
- Have it inspected with a drain camera to locate the cause and position of the blockage - Temporary
- Dig up the problem area of pipe and replace it with new plastic pipe - Permanent but disruptive
- Insert a new sleeve inside the old pipe without digging up your property - Permanent
- Apply a root foam agent annually to inhibit tree root regrowth - Temporary
This is a large root blockage I removed from a drain years ago using the water jetter.
An eel could not penetrate a blockage like this. Because the damage was caused by a
Council tree, we assisted our client in claiming all their costs back from the Council.
Read more at...
www.mrdrains.com.au/services/blocked-drains
