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.
Mullumbimby, Northern Rivers. Blocked sewer to the septic. Homeowner had tried the Karcher-whip-hose approach from Bunnings. It made things worse.
Why the Karcher approach fails
A Karcher pressure cleaner is fine for a small bathroom waste line. For a main sewer blockage, it does not have the flow or the right head to actually break up the fat. All it does is push the fat further down the line, which turns a localised blockage into a system-wide one. This is extremely common, we see it most weeks when a homeowner has had a crack at the problem first.
What we did
- Hydrojet in from the IO closest to the blockage.
- Multiple passes to break down fat deposits in the main line.
- Filled the upstairs bathtub with hot water.
- Set up the CCTV in the sewer so we could watch flow.
- Let the bathtub drain. Volume of hot water flushed everything through the line, confirmed free-flowing with camera.
The hot water trick
Hot water is a drain plumber’s cheap trick. Fat solidifies in cold water. The hot bathtub pour both melts remaining fat deposits AND provides a volume of water the jet alone cannot produce. We use this on every fat-related job to confirm the line is clear.
Takeaway
If you have a blocked drain, do not use the Karcher. Leave it alone and call a drainer. The Karcher approach almost always makes the problem worse and the job more expensive to fix properly.
Call Matty on 0447 188 394 for drainage work across Tweed Heads, the Northern Rivers, the Gold Coast and inner Brisbane.
Customer names and addresses have been withheld. Individual results vary. Drain Masters Plumbing is licensed in NSW (383340C) and QLD (15036450).
Frequently asked
What is the right thing to do while waiting for the plumber?
Stop using water in the house that drains through the affected line. Do not run the dishwasher, washing machine or shower if they share the sewer. This prevents further backup and sometimes stops the overflow until we arrive.
What makes septic systems different from council sewer?
A septic tank sits on the property between the house and (usually) a soak field. Blockages between house and tank are the owner’s responsibility. Blockages at the field are also the owner’s and usually need tank pump-out and sometimes field replacement.
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