Blocked Drains

The most common causes of blocked drains in Adelaide’s homes

Blocked drains are unsightly, smelly and can wreak havoc in your home’s floors and walls.

The most common causes of blocked drains in Adelaide homes are from everyday household items or waste - hair, tissues, toilet paper, grease and fat, food scraps and other small debris. They are also common in streets with well established trees that have deep root systems which can break into the underground piping.

Negative effects of blocked drains on your home and health

Attending to blocked drains immediately will prevent damage to the home and unnecessary health risks to yourself and your family. Just like a human body has a mechanism and network of channels to remove waste efficiently, so does your home.

If these mechanisms are obstructed, in humans it causes digestive problems, colds and allergies. In our homes, waste water that cannot make its way out of your home efficiently causes the waste to flow back into your drinking supplies, bacteria to grow, insects and other bugs to accumulate, dampness and swelling in the walls and foundations. This ultimately affects the structural integrity of your house and causes cracks in the walls.

The initial tell-tale signs to watch out for are:

• smelly odours
• water draining too slowly
• the water in the toilet is being sucked back after flushing.

Types of blocked drains and plumbers to help prevent them

The best solution is preventive, to minimise blocked drains from happening in the first place. Let’s have a look at the most common types of blocked drains:

Blocked toilet plumber

Blocked toilet drains can occur from nappies, baby wipes, sanitary napkins and other bulky items which should be disposed with in the garbage. It’s important to discuss with the family or other people in your household and explain the expense of unblocking toilets because of trying to flush away items that should not be in the loo!

Blocked sink plumber

Items such as food scraps, oil and fats are the most common reasons for blocked sink drains. It is best to place fats and oils in a jar and dispose of in the garbage, and to use proper kitchen waste plugs that collect food scraps instead of allowing them to go down the sink.

Blocked laundry plumber

Common reasons for blocked laundry drains are hair and detergent. Soap scum and hair builds up over time from the washing machine or from whatever goes down the sink and causes blocks. Cleaning the filter in the washing machine regularly is advised – something we all forget about because it is not always so obvious.

Blocked shower plumber

Showers are notorious for blockages caused by hair, soap, conditioner and other products. Although you cannot avoid using general products, you can make sure that hair is removed from the drain to allow other waste out.

Blocked stormwater plumber

Tree roots, garden waste, dirt and general rubbish all get into the stormwater system and can stop the drains from guiding storm water away from your home. The smallest cracks in your pipes will attract tree roots and once in there, they can grow quickly.

Stormwater can make its way to your home’s foundations and cause cracks in the floors and walls. The best way to prevent this is to ensure you get your gutters cleaned at the start of winter every year.

Ken Hall has sophisticated technology to unblock drains – no job is too small or too big

We have many vans on the road equipped with state-of-the-art drain cleaning tools, so we get to your job on time and the blocked drain can be fixed on the spot in most cases with minimal disruption to the plumbing infrastructure.

Hand-held cleaners – for smaller jobs such as sinks, basins and floor drains, our hand-held drain cleaners effectively remove blockages with minimal impact on the surrounding pipes.

Electric drain cleaner – our plumbers are trained to use this technology for many household and stormwater drains. It extends down a long section of a curved pipe and has a cutter on the end, so is designed to chop tree roots or other solid objects and flush them out.

Hydro-jet – for tougher stormwater blockages, we use the latest in hydro-jet technology which uses a high-pressure water jet which basically sends a powerful shot of water to disperse tree roots or any other blockage. It is gentler on PVC pipes or older pipes so depending on your property, this might be preferable to an electric drain cleaner.

Sewer cameras – we have a CCTV sewer camera to explore problem drains if the blockage persists. These cameras have location heads so that we can pinpoint the exact location of the block, intrusion, or leak.

Don’t wait for emergency plumbing – get your blocked drains attended to sooner than later

Call Ken Hall Plumbers in Adelaide today on 8364 5855 if you suspect you have a blocked drain. Our plumbers have the tools on hand to unblock even your stickiest of problems. Save yourself unnecessary expenses - best to get on top of blocked drains sooner than later!

On a final note, drain cleaners purchased from local stores can seem like an easy option but be mindful to read instructions carefully. Use with caution as there is the potential for them to cause more harm than good. If you are unsure or need assistance give us a call on 8364 5855.