Clearing a blockage is the easy half. The half that matters is finding out why it blocked, because a drain that has blocked twice will block a third time, and tree roots do not get bored and leave.
In the older parts of Riverton, Ferndale and Parkwood we still find original clay and earthenware runs with root intrusion at the joints. In the newer Canning Vale estates it is far more often a build-up or a fall problem. The clearing method is the same; the conversation afterwards is completely different.
What we handle
- Sink, basin, shower and floor waste blockages
- Blocked toilets and overflowing gully traps
- Tree root intrusion, cut and cleared
- CCTV drain inspection to find the actual cause
- Sewer and stormwater line clearing
- Repairs to collapsed and misaligned sections
Worth knowing
More than one fixture affected
One slow basin is a local blockage. A slow basin plus a gurgling toilet plus a shower that backs up is a main line problem, and it needs finding rather than plunging.
Ask what caused it
If a drain is cleared and nobody tells you why it blocked, you have bought time, not a repair. A camera down the line answers this in minutes.
Common questions
What causes most blocked drains?
Tree roots, fat and food waste, wet wipes — including the ones sold as flushable — and hair. In older southern-suburbs homes with clay pipework, roots are the usual answer by a wide margin.
Will drain cleaner from the supermarket fix it?
Occasionally on a hair-clogged basin. On a main line it will not reach the blockage, and the caustic ones sit in the trap and make the pipe unpleasant and sometimes dangerous for whoever opens it next. Tell us if you have poured any in.
Do I need a camera inspection?
Not for a first-time kitchen sink blockage. Yes for anything recurring, anything affecting multiple fixtures, and before you spend money on excavation — it is the difference between repairing the right two metres of pipe and guessing.