By Matthew Baring-Gould, Kingscliff-based drainage plumber. Servicing Tweed Heads for 4 years. 5.0 stars across 173 Google reviews. Licensed NSW 383340C and QLD 15036450. ABN 74 605 392 348.
Historical case study from Matty’s archive. A unit complex blockage with zero external access. The only way to get the hydrojet onto the line was to remove the toilet and work through the pan collar.
What was wrong
Blocked drain in a unit, no external IO or boundary trap accessible, no shaft or other opening we could use. Shared external infrastructure sits inside the body corporate’s shared service area, and the only property-side access was through the bathroom.
Why pull the toilet rather than attempt from elsewhere
Pulling the toilet gives you direct line-of-sight into the pan collar and down into the main. It is the right move when there is no other IO available, because trying to force a hydrojet through a smaller opening either damages the opening or does not reach the blockage. Taking the time to remove and reset the toilet is cleaner, faster and better for the pipe than any workaround.
What we did
- Protected the surrounding bathroom with drop sheets.
- Isolated the water, removed the toilet.
- Brought the hydrojetter into the bathroom and set up on the open pan collar.
- Cleared the blockage (looked like a paper build-up, nothing exotic).
- Flushed the line, confirmed clear.
- Cleaned the area thoroughly before resetting the toilet.
- Reseated the toilet on a new wax seal, pressure-tested the pan connection.
The clean-up discipline
Working inside a bathroom means every minute spent making the room messier is a minute you have to spend cleaning. We clean as we go on jobs like this because the alternative is doubling the on-site time or leaving a mess for the tenant. If your plumber turns up to an indoor job without drop sheets and a plan for the toilet reseat, that is a signal.
Call Matty on 0447 188 394.
Customer names and addresses have been withheld. Individual results vary. Drain Masters Plumbing is licensed in NSW (383340C) and QLD (15036450).
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