5 steps to cleaning a blocked drain

We know that it is your natural response to try and sort odd ends around the house and who wouldn’t? As soon as there is a small clog in the sink or drain, the first thing you’ll do is reach for a chemical drain cleaning product but we’re a little cautious about using this as your constant go-to fix. Clearing clogged drains are one of the more frequent services we deliver here at Master Plumber Services and there’s no reason not to call a professional out every time. Your pipework is attached to national water lines, harbouring potentially harmful bacteria and an eco-system that plays a daily role in your life. Relying on anyone else but a licensed plumbing professional puts all of these things at risk. Blockages will always be best handled by an experienced plumber and should never be attempted by someone with no experience.

Why do you need a licensed plumber for blocked drains?

The issue with drain blockages is that they are hidden, unseen and often difficult to detect. That means that the problem could always be worse than you imagine. Clogs in your drain also don’t occur overnight because your plumbing systems are designed for toughness. Any signs of a blockage usually mean that the issue has long been developing and needs the keen hands of a pro to manage appropriately. When you know what goes into the process of unblocking a drain, you’ll fully understand why pouring a cleaning agent down the pipes doesn’t really address the issue. Plumbers have access to cleaning and clearing tools that the rest of us do not and they can gracefully pull away large blockages without damaging any of the pipework. Outside of managing drain blockage, there are all sorts of reasons that come up in daily life that may require a plumber’s services. We’ve put together a list of the most common reasons to help you navigate them but in any circumstance, it is always best to rely on the people who have been properly trained to deal with essential systems in your home. 

Signs that you have a blocked drain

Even though the root cause of a blocked drain is often unseen, the pipework will show some signs that something is amiss. Some warning signs are:

• Foul smells around drains

Unordinary smells should not be wafting out of your drains because they are designed to be waste management systems. Waste management means they flush away the stinky stuff far away from you. 

• Overflowing or slow draining

Your drain is supposed to act as an exit flowing point and if there are issues with that exit, or worse, water spilling back upwards, this is a sign of blockage. When you take a shower or have just finished washing the dishes, the water should quickly flow down the drain and if it isn’t then you need to give us a call. This particular sign is very important because it means your pipework is incapacitated when it comes to performing the basic task of drainage. The problem is likely to worsen rather than get better by itself.

• Gurgling sounds

Gurgling sounds from drains anywhere in your home are also an alarm signal that you should call a professional to deal with unclogging a blockage. Gurgling means that water is pooling and moving around in the pipes. This means that effective drainage isn’t taking place. 

4 ways a plumber will clear a blocked drain 

A professional plumber has many more than four ways to deal with your blocked drain, but we’ll start with the most obvious ones. The method we choose depends on what caused the blockage in the first place. They include:

• Plumbers drain snakes to delve further into your pipes and remove blockages from deep within the system. 
• Leak detection cameras can identify where the clog is and how extensive it is. The tool we use for this is similar to a drain snake. 
• High-powered water jets are an effective tool for removing debris and other substances from pipes. 
• Underground pipework and excavation only occur in severe drain blockages. We’ll dig around the drain to repair or replace some of the pipework. 

At Master Plumber Services, every single expert on the team has qualified for industry-leading certification requirements in all manner of plumbing work. We’re not just your blocked drain experts in Melbourne. Our team is ready to help clients across the region. Call us to unblock your drain today in Yarraville, Richmond, Williamstown and so much more.