What could be causing your blockage?

Tree Roots
Tree roots are one of the most common causes of blockages. But how and why do tree roots find their way into your drainage system you ask? Trees, like all living things, need water and they do not discriminate to what type as long as it’s wet, the roots will find a way there! Tree roots find their way to our drainage system through the joins in our drain pipes. There is no real way to prevent this unless you remove the tree, which can be costly and subject to council approval. However, we can remove the roots using an eel and replace any damaged pipe, while there is no guarantee how long this will last it is the easiest and most environmentally friendly way of repairing your drainage and saving the tree, after all, they do provide us with shade and carbon dioxide.

Collapsed Pipes
Sometimes the cause of blockages can be a collapsed pipe. These can occur if the pipe is not buried low enough and a car or heavy vehicle run over them, tree roots can cause collapsed pipes and sometimes it is the movement of the ground. The best way to detect this is to investigate with a drain camera that goes down the stormwater or sewerage pipe.It can often show if in fact the pipe is collapsed and can also assist in the location of where the blockage has occurred.

Too Much Toilet Paper Or Putting Tissues Or Wipes Down The Toilet
Yes sometimes a blockage can be from using too much toilet paper. We have all done it, just wiped a couple of times extra and then as we flush see the rising water of the toilet bowl and think “Oh please just let it go down the toilet!” Or we run out of toilet paper and think ‘what can I use’??? Tissues! Wipes! While it will do the trick for cleaning your mess up, you could be creating a whole new problem for your sewerage pipes! So always remember only toilet paper down the toilet and it is always better to flush twice!

Ladies Sanitary Items
Some ladies still think it’s ok to flush their tampons and Pads (I know I am a lady). So for those who don’t understand how these items work and how they may because you plumbing issues here is the explanation: These sanitary items, as I am sure you are aware, swell up and expand with the more liquid they come into contact with. They are not biodegradable so therefore don’t break down once in the water. These items then at times can become caught in your sewerage pipes. Once one is caught it does not take long for the others to catch up and join the blockage. Furthermore what is more embarrassing is when a plumber turns up at your house, ladies, and clears your blocked pipes and finds a collection of your used tampons and pads! So read the instructions on the packet, place your sanitary items in the bin, save yourself the money and the embarrassment!! And Guys this goes for any birth protection you may use as well!!

Kids Toys
You know something isn’t quite right when you can’t hear your 3-year-old but you can hear the flush of the toilet and then all of a sudden the cry of ‘Mum! Henry the helicopter has been flushed down the toilet’! Kids love to play with water even if it’s not clean so if Henry is blocking the way AJB Plumbing can save the day!!

Hair
Hair is another drain blocker! It doesn’t happen overnight but it’s the accumulation of hair that can not only block your drain but can also cause an awful smell. So try not to wash your gorgeous locks down the drain and if there has been a buildup we can come and remove that unwanted hair and smell from your sink or floor waste.

Trade Waste/ Food Scraps
Food scraps or trade waste can accumulate in your sink especially if you pour fat and oils down the drain. Fats and oils solidify and can also give off a terrible odor. To prevent this from happening always use a strainer! Don’t tip oils and fats down the drain and scrape any food scraps into the bin before placing them in the sink or dishwasher.