Block drain repairs
With 25 years of helping customers navigate drainage issues inside and outside homes, offices and other locations of all sizes around Brisbane, there's little we haven't seen or done when it comes to blocked drain repairs.
Blocked sewer drains
Sewer drains are used for transferring soil (toilet) and waste (grey) water through a network of pipes (referred to as the “house drain”), downstream away from your property. This water is taken to your network provider’s main sewer, where it will eventually end up at a sewage treatment plant.
Typical causes of a blocked sewer drain are foreign objects, oil/fat, tree roots and pipe damage.
How to detect a blocked sewer drain
Here are three signs of a blocked sewer drain:
Your drains are slow to drain or gurgle.
You notice water or sewage overflowing from an external grated opening outside.
Your toilet bowl fills when flushed but drains slowly.
If left untreated, the blockage usually becomes larger and can cause even more damage, including sewage overflow into your home. This is not only unsafe, but can completely ruin flooring, furniture, walls and more.
A new way to solve blocked sewer drain problems
Using a hand rod or eel only solves part of the problem. New technology and equipment provides more effective methods for unblocking sewer drains.
-- OLD WAY --
Hand rods and plungers only delay the inevitable.
Electric Eel or drain snakes punch a hole in debris but leave most of it behind, eventually causing blockages to reform.
Pouring bleach or Draino down the drain provides a temporary fix, only for the issue to reoccur at inconvenient times – after hours, on weekends or even worse, Christmas!
-- NEW WAY --
Specialised high-pressure water jetting equipment clears the blockage and cleans your pipes at the same time, so you can be sure the current issue is sorted while also preventing future problems.
We use high-pressure water jetting
By using high-pressure water jetting equipment, we can solve your problems today and keep them from popping back up tomorrow. When we're finished, we inspect your drains using CCTV drainage cameras to make sure the job's been done – that the blockage has been removed and there are no other issues with the drain.
If we do find an issue, we use high-tech sonar equipment to locate the position and depth of the problem so we can repair it quickly with as little intrusion as possible. This helps us keep repair costs down and provide more accurate up-front quoting.
How to prevent a blocked sewer drain
Remember that the 3 Ps (paper, pee and poo) are the only things you should ever flush down your toilet.
Don’t wash oil or fat down your kitchen sink. It will build up in the drain and eventually cause a blockage that will need to be cleared by a plumber. Instead, wait for fat and oil to solidify and bin it.
Don’t flush food scraps down your sink. Collect them and bin them as well.
Blocked stormwater drains
Stormwater drains use a network of pipes to transfer rainwater and/or surface water away from your home and down to your street kerb.
These drains generally terminate in three places:
At the kerb, with the water flowing down the street to the nearest stormwater grated drain.
Below ground, where they flow directly into the large grated kerb drains.
Directly into a main stormwater pipe through your neighbourhood via a connection often found in backyards.
If there is no direct connection between your stormwater drain and the kerb or main stormwater pipe, you might have a soakage pit. A soakage pit is generally a large underground hole with a minimum size of 1 cubic metre. It's lined with geotechnical fabric and filled with drainage aggregate gravel. Water flows into the soakage pit and is dispersed throughout a connected trench, which allows the water to gradually soak into the ground.
The water in some domestic stormwater drains flows away with the help of gravity, while other systems will hold a certain amount of water before transporting it away. These are called “charged” or “wet” systems.
Typical causes of a stormwater drain blockage are foreign objects such as tennis balls or small animals and debris such as soil, leaves and gravel. Blockages can also be caused by damaged or faulty pipes. This is often a result of poor installation or incorrectly repaired pipe damage.
How to tell if you have a blocked stormwater drain
You may only notice you have a problem with your stormwater drain during or after rainfall.
Common signs include:
Unusual water buildup in and around grated pits in the street or in your backyard trench.
Water flowing from the joints at the base of a downpipe.
Overflowing gutters.
If left untreated, the problem can get much worse. Blocked domestic stormwater pipes can become very difficult to clear without major excavation. Small amounts of soil and organic matter can continue to wash into the blocked drain, providing the perfect environment for roots to invade and grow.
A new way to solve blocked stormwater drain problems
Using traditional mechanical drain equipment such as Electric Eels can inflict major damage on PVC stormwater pipes, leading to bigger headaches and more costly repairs. By using cutting-edge equipment, we can keep your systems safer while getting the job done on time and on budget.
-- OLD WAY --
Electric Eels or other mechanical drain machines that cause more harm than good. Stormwater pipes are often made from smaller, thinner PVC materials which can be easily damaged.
-- NEW WAY --
Specialised high-pressure water jetting equipment is safe enough to keep more fragile PVC pipes from cracking. But it's still got the power to clear blockage and clean your pipes at the same time.
We use high-pressure water jetting
By using high-pressure water jetting equipment, we can solve your problems today and keep them from popping back up tomorrow. When we're finished, we inspect your drains using CCTV drainage cameras to make sure the job's been done – that the blockage has been removed and there are no other issues with the drain.
If we do find an issue, we use high-tech sonar equipment to locate the position and depth of the problem so we can repair it quickly with as little intrusion as possible. This helps us keep repair costs down and provide more accurate up-front quoting.
How to prevent a blocked
stormwater drain
Regularly clean your roof and gutters to prevent debris flowing into the drains.
Clear around pits and channel grates on a regular basis, or at least before storms, to prevent leaves, gravel, dirt or other debris flowing into the drains during heavy rainfall.
Clogged sinks and drains
Sinks and drains collect waste water from kitchens, bathrooms and laundries and transport it into the sewer (house) drain.
Typical causes of clogged sinks and drains include fats/oils, soap, food and hair.
How to tell if you have a clogged sink or drain
Common signs of clogged sinks or drains are:
Water drains slower than usual.
A gurgling sound, as if the water is having difficulty passing through your pipes.
Odour coming from your sink or drain.
When these blockages occur, many of your everyday fixtures and appliances – from sinks and washing machines to showers and baths – can become unusable and unsanitary. It can be both inconvenient and unsafe.
How we unclog sinks and drains
With our decades of experience and top-of-the-line equipment, we're ready for whatever's clogging your sinks and drains. Here's how we'll tackle your blockage.
High-pressure water jetting or hydro-jetting
One of the best ways to unclog sinks and drains is by using high-pressure water jetting, also known as hydro-jetting. Similar to pressure cleaners you'd use on your sidewalk or driveway but with a much higher level of pressure and increased flow rate, these tools deliver precise power to attack blockages.
A jetting machine hose is fed into a drain. When turned on, the powerful stream of water will penetrate, break up and flush away the blockage. A variety of nozzles can be attached to the end of the hose and fed down the drain depending on the type of blockage or debris.
CCTV Drainage cameras
CCTV drainage cameras are used to inspect the internal length and width of a pipe or drain. They can be submerged in water or sent into a clear drain. They are often used in conjunction with a high-pressure water jetting machine – beforehand to determine the type and size of blockage and afterwards to ensure any issues have been removed correctly.
These cameras can also reveal any damage to the pipe or drain.
How to prevent a clogged sink or drain
Remember that the 3 Ps (paper, pee and poo) are the only things you should ever flush down your toilet.
Don’t wash oil or fat down your kitchen sink. It will build up in the drain and eventually cause a blockage that will need to be cleared by a plumber. Instead, wait for fat and oil to solidify and bin it.
Don’t flush food scraps down your sink. Collect them and bin them as well.
Other services
Drainage inspections and design
Drainage inspections are used to report on the internal condition and position of drains throughout your property. This can help ensure you don't damage drains when you make changes to your home or its surrounds.
For example, you might need to dig to install the footings of a new shed. Using a CCTV drainage camera and locating equipment, we can plot out the position and depth of the drain so you can avoid damaging it while digging.
We also offer full drainage design services, including but not limited to:
New stormwater systems to alleviate overland flow from storms.
Design and installation of new bathroom drains to avoid ugly pipes from being visible.
Full sewer and stormwater drainage design for your new home build.
Drainage location services
Find drains before you dig
Drainage location services are used to find out exactly where underground drains are located. Used in conjunction with a drainage camera, our locating equipment uses sonar to determine precise position. For example, you might need to identify the location and depth of a drain before digging footings for a new fence, building or other structure. Our locators can further pinpoint the location for safer excavation. We can also use these cameras to determine the type of damage discovered during the clearing of a blocked drain. This can mean less costs and time spent on repairs.
Pipe relining
(“no dig” repairs)
Pipe relining is used to repair damaged sewer or stormwater drains, as an alternative to excavation. In some instances, excavating a drain is not possible without causing extensive damage to existing finished surfaces. For example, where sewer or stormwater drain damage is under a house or decorative concrete driveway or path. Relining the pipe involves inserting an inner lining into the damaged drain, which is impregnated with an epoxy-type resin. Once the resin has hardened, the liner essentially becomes a new pipe within the old. Pipe relining can be performed as a short patch or long seamless runs to repair damaged pipes. Most relining products come with a 50-year material guarantee, which is longer than most PVC products.
FAQs
How to fix a clogged or blocked drain?
Blocked drains are best fixed with the use of a high-pressure water jet or hydro-jet machine. This will clear the blockage and clean the pipe by flushing away debris.
How to fix a clogged kitchen sink?
Sinks, basins or baths are best cleared with the correct use of a plunger. Pressure is used to loosen the blockage until it gives way and water begins to flow again, flushing the blockage downstream. In some cases, pipework below the sink, basin or bath may need to be removed for access to the blockage, and either a mechanical or jetting drain machine used to clear it.
How to fix or repair a clogged toilet?
A blockage affecting a toilet bowl and no other pipes will generally indicate that the debris causing the blockage is close to the toilet bowl. The use of a specialised plunger can often dislodge the blockage and allow water to resume passing through. If that is not successful, the toilet will sometimes need to be removed to gain access to the drain below, where the debris can be removed manually or jetted clear.