Why Does My Outside Drain Keep Blocking?

You’re in the driveway, getting the kids into the car and you can smell the distinct smell of sewage. Or you notice your vege garden is underwater, worse still, you can see puddles of water or mud even though it hasn’t rained for days.

These are potential results of a blocked outside drain.

A blocked outside drain can be a nasty surprise, however, most of the time a blocked outside drain is avoidable if you know the warning signs and you’re maintaining your outside drains correctly.

An outside blocked drain or blocked stormwater drain is a nuisance and also a potential health risk to your family.

Keep reading for more tips on how to prevent an outside blocked drain.
The two most common types of blocked outside drains include a blocked stormwater drain resulting in overflowing stormwater OR an overflow of sewage escaping through the Overflow Relief Gully.

If you are experiencing either of these blocked drains at your property, please call our team of blocked drain specialists now. Our team are Sydney locals and can respond to your blocked drain ASAP. Call our team on 0480 024 323 or book online here.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR PIPE SYSTEM

A blocked outside drain can cause havoc for any homeowner, so maintaining your outside drains and ensuring there are no blockages, however minor is key in avoiding an emergency situation.

A typical plumbing drain system consists of a network of pipes connecting all the outlets in your home through to the outside drains system, with the connection to the city’s main sewer line at the end of the network.

All inside drains, including kitchen drains, laundry drains, bathroom and shower drain, faucets, washing machine connections and dishwasher connections drive wastewater through to the main sewer line. This sewer line usually runs beneath the garden, lawn or driveway.

The outside system finally delivers the wastewater through to the city sewer line, which carries it to a treatment plant where it’s chemically treated, and then released back into the environment.

So it’s important to note that anything you flush, push or wash down the drain will come back into nature at some point, and the more care you can take to prevent undesirable material from being sent down the drain, the more you will be able to do to protect your drains from blockages, breaks and repairs.

How To Identify What Type Of Outside Blocked Drain You Have

Blocked Stormwater Drain

Stormwater drains are there to take excess water away from your property. They’re important in the case of an extreme downpour, a lot of rain over a prolonged period of time, and a storm that sees a lot of debris and leaves and material being carried away from your property with the excess water.

If you can obviously see leaves, plants or garden material overflowing from a grated outside drain, this means there is a blockage in your stormwater.

A blocked stormwater drain is mostly caused by garden and rubbish accumulating in the stormwater pipe.

It’s important to clear a stormwater drain because you want the excess water to flow into the stormwater drain and away from your property.

Blocked Sewer Line

Please know that a blocked sewer line is considered to be a plumbing emergency and MUST be handled by a professional, licensed plumber who has the experience and expertise to deal with the issue.

If your property is experiencing a blocked sewer line please call our team of blocked drain specialists now on 0480 024 323 or book a service online here.

If you have noticed a distinctive sewage smell, have seen any changes in your garden’s soil or plants (sudden muddy or soggy spots, or areas of visible sudden growth and fertility) then you could have a broken sewer pipe that’s feeding your garden nutrient-rich water.

A blocked sewer line can occur when there is a blockage in the Sydney Water Main in your street OR it could be caused by a blockage in your home’s main sewer line. This blockage could be a result of either an obstruction on your pipes (a foreign object being lodged in your pipes or a fatberg being created over time) or an infiltration of tree roots taking up residence in your pipes and cracking, breaking and blocking your pipes.

HOW TO AVOID A BLOCKED OUTSIDE DRAIN

As with any blocked drain in the home or in the outside of your property: prevention is the best cure. Knowing how to avoid a blocked drain is important and understanding what material can and cannot go down the drain is imperative.

Tips To Maintain Your Outside Stormwater Drains

• Make sure your home’s gutters are regularly cleaned and cleared of leaves, twigs and debris.
• Clear out stormwater drains using a hose and keep your eye on any potential blockages.
• You can hose out downpipes to ensure the water is flowing freely and not blocked by any debris.
• Keep your gardens, bushes and trees trimmed and make sure any foliage doesn’t fall into gutters, blocking the flow of water.
• Make sure your stormwater grates are free from obstructions and nothing is blocking them or lying over them.

Tips To Maintain Your Sewer Drains

• Start inside with what is being flushed down the toilet. Remember the 3 P’s: Pee, Poop, Paper (toilet). Anything else gets binned not flushed.
• Do not flush ‘flushable’ wipes, baby wipes, wet wipes or any other kind of makeup remover wipes down the toilet. Ever!
• Be mindful of the trees on the property and surrounding areas and if you suspect a tree root infiltration, book in a blocked drain specialist asap to inspect your sewer line for any broken lines, cracked pipes or blockages.
• You can inspect the Overflow Relief Gully quarterly to check on the water levels. A high water level could mean a partial blockage on your sewer line and you should book in a blocked drain specialist to take a look.
• Never glue the Overflow Relief Gully grate or cover the grate. It’s meant to pop up if an overflow of sewerage occurs. Covering the grate can redirect an overflow of sewerage into your property – and you really don’t want that!

If you are experiencing an outside blocked drain, or you think there is a potentially broken sewer line, please call our team at VIP Drains on 0480 024 323!