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It can be quite the surprise when a blockage occurs in your pipes and suddenly things you’d wish to never see again start overflowing back out of the drain. In this instance, calling a blocked drain plumber Melbourne service is probably the best thing to do.
However, not all blockages make themselves as immediately (and urgently) known. Some blockages may only cause a foul smell, strange gurgling noise, or maybe you notice that the water is taking far too long to drain. If you’ve noticed any of these symptoms in your drains, then you might have a blockage on your hands.
Below we have put together a short explainer on what to do when your drain is blocked.
If the blockage is in the trap (S bend) or the waste pipe between the amenity (i.e. basin, sink, shower, bath, etc.) and the sewerage drain, then you can first try a hand plunger. These can easily be purchased from a hardware store. If you are dealing with a blocked toilet, opt for the higher-quality plungers as they will work better.
If plunging isn’t working, you could try drain cleaning crystals. These can be purchased from hardware stores or supermarkets. Drain cleaning crystal products may also work on local grease blockages. If you opt to use these products be aware;
- It may damage plumbing systems. Some products sit in a pipe until the clog dissolves, continually reacting and generating heat. If the product sits in the pipe for too long, it could result in a number of other plumbing issues. Toilet bowls can crack. PVC pipes can soften and eventually break. Old, corroded pipes can be easily damaged, and can quickly eat away at the glue holding pipes together.
- Some products can be unpredictable if combined with other chemicals or equipment. When using plumbing tools, like a plunger or an auger, the product could splash up on to your skin, and get into your eyes and lungs. If even a small amount of product remains in the drain, and you use a chemical cleaning product soon after, the two products might react unfavourably to create toxic fumes. You never know what kind of chemical reaction you might get when introducing it to a plumbing system.
- Some products can burn the skin, irritate eyes, and damage your lungs. Some products are caustic, meaning it has the ability to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action. When a plumber gets called in to fix a clogged drain, they typically ask the customer if they’ve tried drain cleaning crystals already, because these products can make their working conditions unsafe.
Blockages in the sewerage or storm water drains generally require a plumber experienced in using either a cable machine or a water jet machine. These blockages are mostly caused by tree roots or breaks in the drains.
At O’Shea Plumbing, we will give the client options that include:
- Clearing the root growth from the drain with a cable or water jet machine
- Clearing the root growth from the drain with a cable or water jet machine and then follow up with RootX to inhibit root growth without damaging the trees and the environment
- Inspecting the drain with a Ridgid Drain Camera to locate breaks or defects in the drain with a Ridgid Navitrack
- Giving options to reline the drain
- Giving options to excavate and replace either sections or all of the drain with new PVC drain
If you are experiencing a blocked drain, call an emergency plumber Melbourne service immediately. O’Shea Plumbing are based in Mount Waverley Vic , Wantirna Vic, Bentleigh Vic, and Bundoora Vic. Call us on 03 9888 2887 for a fast quote.