Many people ask plumbers: do I have a leaky pipe or blocked drain? And we can tell you from experience that more often than not, you do. The signs are quite obvious most of the time:
Signs of a leaky pipe:
- an increase in your water bill
- damp patches
- mold issues
- water pressure is low
- musty smells
If any of these things are occurring, you really need to call the plumber before you waste more and more money and risk flooding or water damage to your home or business.
Signs of a blocked drain:
- bad smell
- sink won’t drain
- gurgling sound
- rising water or draining water in toilet
The signs aren’t exactly subtle, and yet it can seem easier not to fix than fix: I haven’t got time to deal with this, I’m worried about the cost, hey – it might just fix itself! etc.
However, as we say in plumbing, look out below! You don’t want to end up scrambling around at your kids 18th birthday party trying to deal with the chaos of a sudden sewerage river from a blocked drainage pipe. (True story. It happened to our mate’s auntie. Needless to say, they cancelled the chocolate mousse for dessert.)
Will a leaky pipe or blocked pipe just go away?
No, the problem definitely isn’t going away. When it comes to nature vs pipe, nature always wins. Tree roots have to grow and water always need to find a way through. And for some reason, family members will still let the wrong stuff swirl down the kitchen sink no matter how many times you hold up the little drainer and give those lectures that everyone ignores.
Bits of carrot and potato peel are just the start of what can end up in your pipes via human hands too. All sorts of stuff can get flushed down the toilet, sucked down the shower and disappear into the garden drain – quite often without anyone realising the potential issue. Here’s just a few things that will add to the tree root problem:
- Hair – especially from the actual hair brush in big clumps
- Toiletries, sanitary items, disposable wipes and excess toilet paper
- Grease and oil and outdoor cleaning products
- Even an excess of soap!
Do I have a leaky pipe or blocked drain though…?
Usually, yes you do. When it comes to blocked pipe and drain culprits, we plumbers have been trained to recognise what’s going on – and believe us we’ve seen it all. Just check out some of the horror shows we’ve found in the pipes below suburban homes as a result:
Pipes and drains get blocked, and when they do you’ll need a plumber alright. Just make sure you call us before you have to call us. It’s a lot easier to prevent a catastrophe than to deal with one. Besides, it’ll not only save you time and money on your plumbing, it could save your lawn and garden too, and even prevent your home from horror flooding like this:
Our advice? If the house is gurgling and all the warning signs are there that your pipes or drains are blocked, don’t just ignore them. Get a plumber to look out below. There’s a lot more than chocolate mousse at stake here.
Would you like us to come out for a look and quote? Call Ben from Dream Plumbing now on 0401869570.
P.S. Here’s some live footage of what the Dream Team pulled out recently. Just sayin’.
