As an emergency plumber we have received many phone calls, often late at night and on weekends, from homeowners who have found themselves in a plumbing emergency situation, where their toilet or sink are overflowing and unusable, due to a blocked drain. But could this nightmare scenario be avoided, and what can you do to ensure that this doesn’t happen to you?
As blockages generally build up slowly over time, early detection is critical in ensuring the blockage doesn’t become worse, and that you don’t end up with a messy and costly predicament.
Four warning signs of a blocked drain
There are four early warning or detection signs that we want to share with you, so that you and family don’t end up with the Stress, inconvenience, mess and cost of a blocked drain emergency:
Toilet water levels
The water level in the toilet bowl may appear to be lower than usual or when you flush the toilet the water may rise and then slowly drain away.
Slow draining water
You may experience slow draining water in your sink, bathtub or shower. Water can accumulate over the open drain or floor waste, then drain away slowly, rather than immediately, as would be the case when the drain was healthy and in perfect working order. Over time the blockage will worsen as any items that enter the pipe, such as food scraps and hair, will be unable to pass the obstruction.
Foul smell
Over time the items that become trapped behind the blockage begin to break down and decompose, and the water becomes stagnant, causing a foul smell around any affected drains, sinks, bathtubs and toilets.
Noisy/gurgling Drains
Any tub, sink or shower affected by a blocked drain, may create a gurgling noise as the water struggles to drain away freely.
Fix your blocked drain
Should you have become aware of one or several of the above symptoms, it is imperative that you contact your plumber as soon as possible to arrange an inspection, to diagnose any possible blockage. Any blockage left untreated will result in unsanitary water overflowing from your sinks, bathtubs and toilets. You may even encounter raw sewage overflowing from your inspection point/overflow relief gully into your yard.
In our experience, a blockage will go from being a small problem to an emergency situation at the worst of times – in the middle of the night, when you have friends or family staying with you or on a public holiday!
Can I fix my blocked drain myself?
You might be tempted to try to fix your blocked drain yourself. We all love saving a dollar!
At the first signs of a blocked drain, maybe your mate swears by pouring dishwashing detergent down your toilet to unlock it? Maybe your mum has always used a secret potion of white vinegar, baking soda and boiling water to solve gurgling drains?
Unfortunately, all these do is increase white vinegar sales at the supermarket. They won’t fix your drain.
Worse, when you pour these into your blocked drain, they can also get trapped behind the blockage, possibly compounding the issue.
These home remedies can even be dangerous if you’re using supermarket drain cleaner or caustic soda. These products often contain toxic and hazardous chemicals, which can release potent fumes into your home and harm the environment. Worst case, they can cause injuries and burns to you and your loved ones.
What you can try that does work, is the old-fashioned plunger. A plunger can move the blockage along the pipe, which can solve the immediate problem of water overflowing from your drain. Unfortunately, though, it’s unlikely that plunging will fix the cause of the problem.
Don’t risk it, and don’t waste your time and money. Rather than risking personal injury or further damage to your pipes, we suggest contacting a qualified Plumber.
At RD Plumbing Solutions, our qualified blocked drains specialists call upon our years of experience combined with the latest technology to solve the cause of your drain blockage rather than just addressing the symptoms.
We have access to all of the latest in drain technology, such as CCTV cameras, locators, Marco machines (otherwise known as snake machines), and the hydrojet. This set of tools allow us not just to locate the cause of your blocked drain, but help you find the best method of fixing the drain. We can fix any cause of blocked drain, including child’s toys, accumulated hair in bathroom pipes, or even tree roots damaging your pipes.
Once we know the cause of your blocked drain, the team at RD Plumbing Solutions can get to work on fixing your issue, because different problems respond better to different solutions. Potential solutions include:
- Hydrojet, which blasts your pipes with high-pressure water, and is effective in completely removing the blockage.
- Pipe relining, which replaces the inners of your pipes, which is an excellent solution if your pipes are damaged.
At RD Plumbing Solutions we endeavour to provide you with a fast and effective solution to your blocked drain problem and ensure that you and your family can get back to your daily routine, with little inconvenience! We are also able to offer you upfront costing, quality workmanship and a professional, friendly same day service.
We recommend that you act now and call your plumber if you have noticed any of the above warning signs before a small blockage becomes a big problem!
Call 0422 902 890 or contact us online.
