BLOCKED DRAINS AND TOILETS  

Blocked Drains and Toilets
BLOCKED DRAINS AND TOILETS
Blocked drains, pipes and toilets are a frustrating experience for home or commercial residents; this article looks at the most common causes and offers some hints to help you avoid
the hassle and expense of fixing them.
There are many reasons why blockages happen but these are some of the most regular culprits
of blocked drains:
1.
Clip On Toilet Freshner Holders
2.
3.
4.
Tree Roots and broken pipes due to old age
Caustic Soda
The other unexpected things we may find in your drains
Clip on Toilet Fresheners Can Cause a Stink
Woodorth plumbing has been helping property owners for over 40 years but in our experience
one of the most recent regular causes of blocked toilet drains are clip-on toilet fresheners.
Although these products might seem attractive they can quickly turn from leaving your toilet with
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Blocked Drains and Toilets
fresh fragrance to leaving your bathroom with an awful odour.
The danger in these products is that if they fall into the toilet and get flushed down the drain the
clip which usually holds them onto the toilet basin becomes an anchor fixing them to your drain
pipe where they are unable to be flushed away.
The toilet freshener then begins to trap anything which is flushed down the toilet and causes a
blockage that can only be removed by digging up the pipe. We recommend that householders
refrain from using all such clip on fragrance holders. A better solution is to use a tablet that is
dropped into the cistern which adds a freshener to the water used to flush the toilet.
Tree Roots and Broken Pipes due to Old Age
Another common cause of blocked drains is tree roots breaking into the pipe. The root system
of trees and especially bamboo is very aggressive and is drawn to any source of water. It
senses the water in the pipe and will eventually crack into it if left to its own designs.
However, if the drain or sewer pipe is old cracks and damage will occur due to normal wear and
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Blocked Drains and Toilets
tear. The pipe will either collapse or collect refuse on broken pieces that stick into the drain and
obstruct the free flow.
Modern Technology Makes Finding Blockages Easy
It used to be quite difficult to find a blockage and often a large trench needed to be dug to find
the problem area. Today we use modern technology for example ground penetrating radar or
we feed a camera into the drain to find exactly where the blockage is making the job quicker to
repair. Here is an example of the film footage we obtain when looking for a blockage in a pipe.
Caustic Soda is good for clearing drains - and blocking them!
Caustic soda is sometimes used by handymen to clear blocked drains but surprisingly – it can
also make them worse. It is also a very dangerous material to use and should be handled with
great caution.
Due to its hazardous nature it is imperative that you keep it out of reach of children of any age.
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Blocked Drains and Toilets
Used
pipe
the
properly
residual
caustic
hardens
soda
like
can
cement
clear
some
leaving
blockages
you
with
but
- water
anot
blocked
ifthe
not
properly
drain.
flushed
through
the
The
carefully
protect
very
right
dangerous
your
pour
way
eyes
to
the
ifuse
caustic
itas
gets
caustic
there
on
soda
may
your
soda
into
be
skin
is
some
the
to
or
pour
drain.
in
bubbling
your
hot
Be
eyes
water
careful
and
(see
down
splutter
first
the
to
aid
that
stand
drain
not
spits
too
so
below).
up.
the
close
Caustic
pipe
and
isdamage!
especially
warm.
soda
is
Then
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Leave
all
(Woodorth’s
caustic
the
caustic
plumbing
soda
soda
has
services
in
been
the
washed
pipe
all
of
for
the
2
away.
minutes
Sydney
Ifthe
the
then
Metropolitan
drain
flush
is
still
area
blocked
drain
and
with
call
can
hot
abe
plumber
water
reached
again
until
9897
If
itthe
does
get
on
your
skin
or
in
your
eyes
follow
these
first
aid
instructions:
Caustic
Soda
First
Aid
washing
caustic
with
soda
large
solution
quantities
must
of
water
removed
only.
as
quickly
as
possible
after
bodily
contact
byon
Eye
Contact
Wash
fountain
forth.
eyes
for
immediately
at
least
30
minutes
and
continuously
while
holding
with
plenty
eye
lids
of
open
preferably
and
rolling
from
the
eyes
an
eye
back
wash
and
Call
a
doctor
immediately
and
continue
flushing
until
the
doctor
advises
you
to
stop.
Any
time
lost
prior
to
such
washing
with
water
could
cause
serious
and
use
soap
Do
.not
Do
not
attempt
to
neutralize
the
caustic
soda
with
chemicals.
Ingestion
give
the
person
large
quantities
of
milk
(preferable)
orirreparable
water.
Call
a
doctor
Immediately
transport
to
hospital.
Things
we
Find
in
Your
Drains
The
drain
blockage
last
through
most
had
an
been
common
open
caused
pipe.
cause
by
On
of
a
a
90cm
blocked
recent
soft
call
drains
ball
out
lodging
is
to
objects
fix
a
itself
blocked
flushed
in
the
drain
down
pipe.
we
the
discovered
toilet
or
entering
the
the
Matt)
(insert
picture
from
how
it
got
there
and
can
only
imagine
it
was
flushed
and
/
or
pushed
down
the
We
toilet.
have
no
idea
Children
unintentionally.
England
while
can
often
attempting
This
be
year
the
a
to
culprits
four
wash
year
of
him
putting
old
after
boy
objects
his
accidentally
twin
down
brother
flushed
the
got
toilet
the
is
either
puppy
puppy
intentionally
dirty.
down
the
toilet
or
in
Thanks
family
and
to
some
a
very
quick
apologetic
plumbing
little
work
boy.
the
puppy
was
rescued
and
is
now
safe
at
home
with
his
Summary
To
avoid
blocked
drains
and
pipes
use
clip-on
toilet
fresheners,
Don’t
leave
caustic
soda
in
the
drain
for694
a2133
lengthy
period
of
time,
-hour
play
soft
ball
in
the
bathroom
and
wash
puppy’s
in
the
toilet.
However
with
24
all
your
Emergency
if you
plumbing
do
need
Plumbing
needs.
a
plumber
Call
Hotline:
us
Woodorth
on0414
9897
Plumbing
814ororfor
Services
click
afterhere
hours
would
be happy towe
help
have
youa
. emergencies
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