Drainage Drama

Even though humans have been devising methods of moving water around since Roman times, this art has still not been perfected. Every day, somewhere, a drain or sewer becomes partially or completely blocked. This can have dire consequences, including leaks and complete system failures resulting in localised flooding and water damage.

Below, the common causes of blocked and damaged drains are explained in depth. This is so you can take preventative measures to protect the drainage systems on your property – prevention is always better than a cure! Following this, there will be a brief explanation of how problems with drainage are commonly fixed, should you be unfortunate enough to experience any.

Common Causes Of Blocked Drains And Sewers

Drains and sewers are quite resilient if properly installed, however there are an umber of common faults that can occur. By taking preventative measures now, you can often avoid costly repair bills.

The most common reason for blocked or damaged drains, are tree roots. Trees, though seemingly harmless, are actually surprisingly destructive. Their roots can grow very deep underground alongside pipes. Whilst it doesn't happen quickly, over time,  tree roots can damage, crack and even entirely block off pipes and drains. The only way to prevent this from occurring is to avid planting trees and plants too close to known locations of pipes and drains.

After tree roots, the most common way for a drain to become blocked, is a build up of sediment or debris in the pipelines. This can range from a small blockage in a bathroom sink, all the way to a blocked main drainage pipe buried meters underground. This can occur simply due to regular use, but more commonly is the result of too much soil and other sediments being allowed to enter the drainage system, due to inadequate filtering. To avoid this occurring, you need to be very careful about what you put down the drain!

Fixing the Problem

With luck, you will never have a major problem with drainage, because plumbing work is always going to be expensive! However, if you do have to repair broken or damaged drainage systems, there are some very innovative methods which have considerably reduced costs. Traditionally, a blocked or damaged drain would often require excavation and replacement. But now due to modern technology, this is the very last resort for plumbers.

The first piece of innovative machinery used to unblock drains is called an 'electric eel'. These are long eel like devices, which can be fed down the blocked pipe. When activated, a number of oscillating steel cables come into action, in an attempt to cut away or dislodge blockages. These machines can be large enough for main pipes, or small enough to be used for internal plumbing such as sinks.

The second piece of equipment is called a 'high pressure water jetter', and is particularly useful for removing tree roots from outdoor pipes. As the name would suggest, this piece of machinery can direct a very high pressured jet of water down a pipe. This jet of water is so powerful, that it can cut and clear tree roots – even quite large ones!

For more information, or if you need a drain unblocked, contact your local plumbing contractor today.

A blocked drainage or sewer can pose for a major hindrance in our everyday life. For any form of plumbing problems, seek assistance of accredited emergency plumber in Canberra/ACT. For more details on same, visit this site.