There's no sugarcoating the situation; blocked drains can lead to frustration and unexpected financial cost
It’s a nuisance that every homeowner encounters once in a while that is downright disgusting. It is a pressing matter that is relatively manageable and easy to fix, but when not taken action at the early appearance can cause more damage to the plumbing system and introduces a potential threat to health.
It may take some time before any blockage signs and symptoms to manifest, however, when it starts to take its toll, that can imply a serious problem down the line. Therefore, it is essential to become attentive to the warning signs and symptoms as this will enable you to respond to the situation quickly.
What are the signs and symptoms of a blocked drain?
Sight – One of the most evident signs and symptoms of a blocked drain is an overflowing sink, toilets backing up, and bathroom not draining away at all. If the sign is showing in one fixture, most likely the problem is just within the local pipe connected to the fixture. However, when all of them are backing up, there’s a good chance that the problem is down the sewer pipe.
Smell – Some unpleasant smells may arise before any visual signs of blockage. Therefore, it is important not to disregard any unusual or unpleasant smell coming from your kitchen sink, toilet, or bathroom.
Sounds – While the unpleasant smells and visible signs are indications that are easy to tell, gurgling sounds from toilet flushes, drains, and pipes are also early warning signs that you need to look out for. This noise is caused by air being pushed through the water in the drain trap.
A blocked drain may start as a minor issue but can immediately escalate into a major one, worst it will completely result in a blocked sewer drain situation. Understanding not just the signs but as well as the causes can be an opportunity to better guard against it.
What are the top common causes of a blocked drain?
Leaves and tree roots
Drains outside the house are bound to clog due to buildup of dead leaves and even tree roots making its way to the pipe. Tree roots penetrate the pipe through cracks and produce a blockage. Clearing root intrusion is a complex job and requires a professional to eliminate the blockage.
Hair
Hair falling off in the shower is another known culprit for blocked drains. It is easy to fix, but it is also often overlooked. It is important to install a trap to catch the hair, or quickly remove it before it reaches the entry point of the drains pipe. The incorrect practice of using chemicals later to dissolve the buildup can only worsen the problem.
Dirt
A typical misconception that you can wash away anything on the drain is one of the causes why dirt has earned a spot as one of the common contributors of blocked drains. Dirt can build up especially when combined with soap, hair, and grease. It will help before washing clothes or cleaning to shake the dust, mud, and dirt off first outside your home.
Foreign objects
Rule of the thumb, nothing else should go down your toilet, drain or sink other than water, toilet paper, and human waste. Foreign objects such as soap, children’s toys, or sanitary items can make their way to the drain and can immensely contribute to a blocked sewer pipe. It can cause immediate blockage, thereby causing water backup or overflowing drains.
Food waste
Food wastes are commonly a problem that affects kitchen drains. While food waste garbage disposal is a good addition to your fixtures at home, grease, fats, and even some foods like coffee grounds and tea leaves that don’t break down can escape, get flushed down, and eventually clog the pipe.
Soap
Traditional soap bars have grease or fat elements. The fat in the soap combined with the minerals in the water makes a hard residue or soap scum. Soap scum in the laundry, shower, and bathroom drains, can form a buildup over time and cause slow drainage or water backups.
Toilet buildup
Flushing toilet paper in moderation is acceptable, but when it’s in an excessive amount, it can clog up the drain pipe. Some toilet stuff such as nappies, tampons, face wipes, and even diapers found during sewer pipe repairs are also capable of jamming the toilet drain, thereby causing it to overflow.
Having an idea of the culprits behind any blocked drains serves you well when going about the repairs. Additionally, it can also help you better assess the necessary blocked drain repair cost if you understand whether or not it is something that can be fixed with a clearing procedure or a more intensive repair. It also helps to have an idea of whether the repair is your responsibility.
Is blocked drain repair your responsibility or not?
Who takes care for plumbing repairs is not a problem when you’re a homeowner, but when it comes to a rented place, responsibility for plumbing repairs becomes a frequent point of discord between tenants and landlords, therefore, knowing who is responsible is an important question to ask when the homeowner of the residential or commercial unit is other than you.
Blocked drains repair can sometimes become confusing for most tenants and landlords because of the processes necessary in diagnosing this kind of problem. Therefore, before you engage with a plumbing company for any repair deal, it is imperative to review any tenancy agreement first. The more familiar you are with the agreement, the less likely you will find yourself stuck in an undesirable situation.
Generally, the landlord is liable for ensuring the property is in a safe state and is suitable for tenants to occupy, while the responsibility for maintenance is a shared obligation. As often the case during the lease term, it is the tenant’s liability to ensure the property is in a functional manner. This includes being diligent in preventing plumbing issues from occurring, which includes blocked drains problems.
How to handle blocked drain repair in Sydney?
If the repair is necessary at the property, the tenant should call the landlord or the property manager, in cases of real estate, so they are alerted and can arrange a plumber visit to diagnose the problem. However, if the plumber comes back reporting the issue was caused by tenant negligence such as foreign objects has blocked the drain in the toilet, it would be the tenant’s responsibility to pay for the blocked drain repair costs.
Overall, if you’re a tenant and there’s a major plumbing problem that isn’t your fault, the responsibility specifically lies with the landlord. On the other hand, if you’re the owner of the residential or commercial property, a call to the experts of blocked drains repair in Sydney is all that it takes to fix the problem.
With all of this information in mind, your next step should now be clear. If the problem is within your jurisdiction, then you should take action directly to prevent more problems from arising. On the other hand, if it’s not, then don’t hold it off too long. Contact the necessary people to organize an immediate inspection or repair.
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