Blocked Drain Plumber Melbourne

Blocked Drain Plumber Melbourne | Drain Cleaning Melbourne

Blocked Drains, Drain Repairs & Replacement of Drains – The O'Shea Point of Difference

Blocked drains can cause all sorts of issues:

Flooding
Foul odours
Leaking
Damage to buildings
Burst pipes

Are you stuck dealing with blocked drains in Melbourne? As many homeowners and businesses have learned the hard way, blocked drains are often only the start of the problem. Don’t sit and suffer while your drains remain blocked. Instead, turn to O’Shea Plumbing – the blocked drain plumber Melbourne residents and businesses can trust – for immediate and effective solutions. If you’re having issues with blocked drains in your home or business, we can help you detect blockages and remove them quickly.

To solve blocked drains in Melbourne, locals can call the team at O’Shea Plumbing 7 days a week. We are fully trained and equipped to handle stormwater drain repairs, drainage repair services, and more.

See our Melbourne blocked drain plumbers in action

At O’Shea Plumbing, we deliver a comprehensive and honest service, with advice for any situation, including drain blockages of all degrees and severities. We use the latest cutting-edge drain cleaning equipment to treat Melbourne’s blocked drains wherever they appear. At the end of the day, we’ll provide you with a clean and clear drain, and peace of mind.

What Does a Blocked Drain Plumber Actually Do?

A blocked drain plumber does two jobs on every callout: clears the blockage, then works out why it happened. Skip the second part and you'll be booking the same job again in six months.

A proper drain blockage plumber follows a sequence:

1Identify which drain is affected. Sewer and stormwater are separate systems, and the fixtures that are playing up tell us which one we're dealing with before we even open the van.
2Clear the blockage. Depending on the pipe size and what's causing it, that means a cable machine, a high-pressure water jet or full-size cutters.
3Put a camera down the line. This is the step that gets skipped most often. A CCTV inspection shows whether we're looking at a one-off build-up or a cracked pipe, a root mass, a collapsed section or a sag holding water.
4Locate the fault above ground. Using tracking equipment, we mark the exact position and depth of the problem on the surface, so any repair is targeted rather than exploratory.
5Give you options. Clear it and monitor, treat the roots, reline the pipe or dig and replace. We explain what each one costs and how long it buys you.

That last step is where a blocked drain plumber earns their keep. Clearing a drain is the easy part. Telling you honestly whether it will hold is what stops the problem becoming a recurring bill.

Signs You Need a Blocked Drain Plumber

Not every slow drain needs a plumber. But some symptoms point to a main drain problem, and those are worth acting on the same day.

One fixture draining slowly usually means a local blockage – hair in a shower waste, grease in a kitchen sink. Often fixable without a plumber. The signs below are different:

Several fixtures affected at once – if the toilet, shower and laundry trough all gurgle, back up or drain slowly together, the blockage is in the main drain that serves all of them, not in any single fixture.
Gurgling from a fixture when you use another one – air is being pushed back through the trap because it can't escape past the blockage.
Water pooling around the overflow relief gully – that's the grated drain outside, usually near a side or rear wall. It's designed to spill sewage outside rather than through your floor waste, so if it's overflowing, the main sewer drain is blocked and it's doing its job.
The toilet water level rising or dropping on its own, or bubbling when you run a tap elsewhere.
Sewage smells outside, particularly near the boundary or the gully.
Damp patches or lush green stripes across a lawn in an otherwise dry season, which can indicate a cracked drain leaking underground.

If you've got two or more of these, call a blocked drain plumber rather than reaching for chemical drain cleaner. Caustic products can soften older pipework and they won't shift roots or a collapsed section.

Drain Cleaning Melbourne: Which Method Suits Your Blockage?

There's no single best method. Matching the tool to the blockage is most of the job, and it's the difference between a drain cleaning Melbourne homeowners only pay for once and one they pay for every winter.

Cable machines (electric eels) suit waste pipes and smaller drains, and are effective on soft blockages and light root growth. They cut a path through the obstruction. Quick and cost-effective, but they don't scour the pipe wall.
High-pressure water jetting is the workhorse for main sewer and stormwater drains. Water at pressure strips grease, silt and scale off the full circumference of the pipe rather than just punching a hole through the middle. Our large trailer jetters handle main drains; smaller units clear waste pipes.
Full-size cutters deal with established tree root masses in larger drains, cutting them back to the pipe wall so flow is properly restored.
RootX treatment goes in after the cut to slow regrowth. Roots come back to the same crack or joint they entered through, so treatment buys time between clears.
Pipe relining, or trenchless repair, is the lasting fix when the pipe itself is the problem. A new liner cures inside the existing drain and seals the joints and cracks roots were entering through, without digging up a driveway or a garden.
Excavation and replacement is the answer when a drain has collapsed, dropped out of grade or deteriorated past relining. We remove excavated soil and backfill with crushed rock so paved areas don't subside later.

Any drain blockage plumber worth calling will camera the line before recommending a method. Guessing usually means the cheapest option gets used on a problem that needed the durable one.

Got a Blocked Drain in Melbourne Right Now?

A blocked drain plumber will clear it, camera the line and show you what caused it – with a no-obligation quote before any repair work starts. 7 days a week.

03 9888 2887

Who's Responsible for a Blocked Drain in Melbourne: Local Council or Homeowners?

Usually, homeowners are responsible, but it depends where the blockage sits. If you're unsure, it's a reasonable thing to ask a drainage plumber.

We camera and locate the drain, tell you where the fault is, and if it turns out to be in the water corporation's main we'll say so rather than charge you to fix something that isn't yours.

Sewer drains

You own everything on your side of the connection point to the sewer main – the boundary trap, the inspection shaft and all the drains under your yard. Yarra Valley Water's responsibility ends at the inspection opening, or one metre from the boundary, whichever is less. That covers most household blockages.

Stormwater drains

Your gutters, downpipes and stormwater pipes are yours. Street drainage is the council's. Melbourne Water handles the bigger network feeding rivers and bays.

Combined drains

Older properties, subdivided blocks and inner-suburban units often share one private drain across several titles. If the fault sits in the shared section, the cost is split between the affected owners.

Your overflow relief gully

The ORG, vents and traps are the owner's to maintain. Yarra Valley Water notes a faulty ORG can affect what an insurer pays out after a sewer spill. Worth a quick look: the grate should be clear, unpainted and sitting lower than any floor waste inside.

Blocked Drains in North and Eastern Suburbs Melbourne

O'Shea has worked out of Melbourne's east since 1978, so we understand blocked drains in the Northern Suburbs, Eastern Suburbs, and beyond. Either way, we camera first. Relining an old earthenware line usually beats clearing it every second winter, and locating the fault settles who's paying before anything gets quoted.

Our blocked drain plumbing services run 7 days a week across the eastern and northern suburbs, the inner west and Melbourne's south – houses, units, body corporate and commercial.

Eastern suburbs

Camberwell, Hawthorn, Kew, Balwyn, Canterbury, Box Hill and Blackburn are full of pre-1970s homes on original earthenware drains, joined in short lengths with mortar. Add the mature street trees and root intrusion at those joints becomes the most common cause of blocked drains eastern suburbs homeowners deal with.

Northern suburbs

Northcote, Thornbury, Preston, Ivanhoe, Heidelberg, Brunswick and Coburg pair period homes with heavy unit development, so shared and combined drains are common. For drains northern suburbs residents call us about, working out whose drain it is often matters as much as clearing it.

What Problems Can Arise If You Don’t Attend to Blocked Drains Quickly?

So, why is it so important to tackle blocked drains quickly? Well, even if they don’t seem pressing now, it’s important to deal with blockages quickly and effectively so you can avoid larger complications later.

By clearing your Melbourne home's blocked drains quickly, you’re helping everyone who uses your property including your family, friends and even your employees. Not only that, but you're saving yourself from greater issues in the future.

Storm water drain repairs, blocked drain repairs, and drainage repair services; tackling these resolutions sooner rather than later will prevent the need for bigger, far more costly repairs down the line.

Why Choose O'Shea for your blocked drain plumbers in Melbourne?

What Services Do We Provide?

When it comes to your drain blockages, O’Shea’s blocked drain plumbers in Melbourne provide a wide range of services. Each service is determined by the nature and scope of your situation. We work within Melbourne CBD and all surrounding suburbs, so if you live in these areas, we’ll assist you as soon as possible.

Our blocked drains Melbourne service areas include:

Eastern suburbs
Southern suburbs
Northern suburbs
Inner Western suburbs

You can come to us for all of your drain unblocking and drainage repair service needs. We will provide you with a personalised assessment and complete summary of our capabilities so we can provide you with the best solution for the issue.

Our primary blocked drain services include:

Making a genuine attempt to completely clear drains with full-size cutters, water jets or cable machines
Using tracking equipment to locate camera heads
Doing camera inspection and location of drains
Excavating and replacing drains, if needed
Drain cleaning on Melbourne properties
Relining drains / trenchless technology
Using RootX to delay/stop regrowth of tree roots in drains
Storm drain and sewer drain repair & replacement
Removing excavated soil/backfill with crushed rock to prevent subsidence in paved areas
Doing deep sewer drain repair, maintenance, and cleaning work

What About Certification?

Where applicable, O’Shea will book all inspections with the Victorian Building Association. We’ll also obtain and alter all sewer plans as well as lodge them with the relevant Water Companies. On top of this, we’ll handle all of the following legal matters:

Submitting Workcover Notices
Obtaining road opening permits
Organising traffic management
Using trench shields
Completing Dial B4 U Dig

You don’t have to fret about any of the legal concerns. All of our work complies with and exceeds AS/NZS 3500 standards. With us, we’ll ensure you get consent from the relevant water companies. Additionally, we’ll even organise a Victorian Building Authority Certificate of Compliance.

Top Quality Equipment

We use the best equipment. Our top-quality equipment guarantees that your drain cleaning in Melbourne is done well. Some of the equipment we use includes:

Two different drain clearing machines, including large (90mm to 150mm drains) and small models (for waste pipes)
Two different types of drain cameras for inspection of drains
Large trailer waterjets with the correct water volume and pressure to effectively clear even the most stubborn of blocked drains
Small waterjets for clearing waste pipes
Navitrack for locating the position of the camera head
Linetracer to locate the cable of the drain clearing machine

What Happens if You Don’t Clear Your Drain Soon Enough?

Spillage or seeping from blocked drains, which causes damage to foundations and/or stumps of buildings
Damage to carpets
Damage to furniture or appliances
Damage to the foundations of a building
Flooding
Spillage from blocked sewer drains resulting in unsanitary conditions

In order to avoid transmitting disease and avoid damaging your property, it’s essential to deal with blocked drains in Melbourne as soon as possible. Whether it be a sewer drain repair, a storm water drain repair, or even just a blockage in a residential system, sanitation can become an issue, and pressure from blockages can also cause damage to pipes when left unchecked. So, it's important to deal with issues as soon as possible.

Warranty Policy

O’Shea offers a 12 month warranty on sewer drain blockages that reoccur in the same spot. This warranty applies for weekdays and for one call back only, and does not apply for reoccurring blockages. Contact us to find out more.

O’Shea Plumbing was established in 1978 and has been a member of The Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia for over 40 years. Our team is highly skilled and experienced with sewer drain repairs and storm water drain repairs, as well as a full suite of other professional plumbing services.

Learn more about our processes.

Call Now for a Quote!

At O’Shea Plumbing, we strive to offer competitive rates on all of our blockage services while keeping our standards high. That’s why we’re happy to offer no-obligation quotes on our drain cleaning Melbourne work.

Even if you need an emergency service completed for your Melbourne home or business, we can sort you out with viable solutions at budget-friendly rates. O’Shea are the emergency plumbers Melbourne can rely on!

We're the blocked drain plumber Melbourne can call any day of the week on 03 9888 2887.

Blocked Drains FAQ's

How to clear a blocked drain?

To clear a blocked drain, start by using a plunger to try and dislodge the blockage. If that doesn’t work, use a drain snake or auger to break up the obstruction. Another option is to pour boiling water down the drain, followed by a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes before flushing with hot water. Avoid using harsh chemicals as they can damage pipes and harm the environment. If the blockage persists, it may be best to call a licensed plumber to assess and fix the issue. Plumbers will be able assess the drain to ensure its not a bigger problem like tree roots or broken pipes.

How to fix a blocked drain?

If you’re dealing with a blocked drain in your home, there are a few steps you can take to try and fix it, such as using a plunger, drain snake, or pouring boiling water mixed with baking soda and vinegar down the drain. However, it’s important to avoid using harsh chemicals as they can damage pipes and harm the environment.

If none of these methods work, it’s best to seek help from a licensed plumber to assess and fix the issue. Attempting to fix the blockage yourself may lead to further damage and may not fully resolve the issue. Therefore, it’s important to address a blocked drain as soon as possible and seek professional assistance to ensure the problem is fully resolved.

Are blocked drains covered by home insurance?

Whether or not blocked drains are covered by home insurance in Australia can depend on your specific policy and the cause of the blockage. Generally, if the blockage is due to normal wear and tear, it may not be covered. However, if the blockage is caused by a sudden and unexpected event, such as a tree root intrusion or a broken pipe, it may be covered under your insurance policy. It’s important to review your policy and speak with your insurance provider to understand what is covered and what isn’t. It’s also recommended to regularly maintain your drains to prevent blockages and potential damage to your home.

How do drains get blocked?

Drains can become blocked in a variety of ways. One of the most common causes is the build-up of everyday household waste such as food particles, grease, and hair, which can accumulate over time and create a blockage. Other common causes include foreign objects such as sanitary items, wipes, and toys being flushed down the toilet, or tree roots infiltrating pipes. Poor installation, corrosion, or damage to pipes can also lead to blockages. It’s important to regularly maintain your drains by disposing of waste properly, avoiding flushing non-degradable items down the toilet, and having a licensed plumber inspect and maintain your pipes.

How do plumbers clear blocked drains?

Plumbers in Australia have a variety of tools and methods they use to clear blocked drains. The first step is usually to inspect the drain with a camera to determine the cause and location of the blockage. Once the blockage is identified, plumbers may use a plunger or a drain snake to break up the obstruction. They may also use high-pressure water jets to clear the blockage, which involves blasting water through the pipe to dislodge the obstruction. In more severe cases, plumbers may need to excavate and repair or replace damaged pipes. It’s important to call a licensed plumber to clear blocked drains, as DIY attempts can often cause more damage.

Blocked Drain Plumber Melbourne