Not quite. In fact we saved Christmas. We repaired this problem at a Craigmore home before the holidays but it’s certainly this time of year that we get emergency calls for problems that could have been fixed much earlier & cheaper.

What happened here? The sewer pipe from the bathroom cracked, a common occurrence in Adelaide’s shifting soils. This allowed roots to slowly infiltrate and eventually block the pipe. We cut out the damaged section, cleared the blockage and fitted a new inspection point.

Could the house occupants have identified the problem before it got this bad? There would have been plenty of warning signs. Over a period of months water would have drained slower and slower from sinks and showers. The toilet would have been harder to flush clean and there may have been gurgling sounds from the floor drains.

So my New Year’s resolution should be “it PAYS to pay attention”. If left unattended plumbing issues can become costly disasters. As well, blocked sewers can be a health risk & slow-draining showers a slip hazard. Our non-invasive drain and trap cleaners start from $165 supplied & applied. For larger blockages a mechanical drain cleaner might be required, call for advice.