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.
StormFlex-replacement job at a Banora Point property. Ran two new 100mm PVC lines from the kerb all the way up to the gate at the top of the property, replacing the existing flex pipe that ran around the house. Hydrojetted the left-side stormwater to clear root ingress. Could not fully clear the left-side roots due to a broken section of StormFlex under the driveway where the jet machine got stuck. Marked and quoted that section for a separate dig.
What the customer called us for
Owner called us out to replace the StormFlex riser pipe that ran around the property with proper 100mm PVC. The existing flex pipe was failing, holding water, and causing recurring blockages.
What we found when we got there
Classic StormFlex problem. The flex pipe is popular with builders because it is quick to install, but it is brittle, holds water on any back-fall, and breaks down in the ground over time. On this property, root ingress through the StormFlex on the left side had already started causing blockages, and a section of the flex under the driveway was broken enough that our jet machine got physically stuck trying to clear it.
Why we did it this way
StormFlex replacement is one of the most common jobs we do on Gold Coast and Tweed coast properties built in the last 10-15 years. The flex pipe is not up to the job of long-term stormwater. Hard PVC in 100mm with proper fall and glued joints is the right spec for a stormwater main. On a replacement job like this, the right move is to run the new PVC in a single pass from the kerb to the top of the property so there are no joints with the old system. Trying to patch bits of the StormFlex just means the next broken section is a month away.
What we did on site
- Ran two new 100mm PVC stormwater lines from the kerb at the front of the property all the way up to the gate at the top.
- Tied in all existing downpipes and surface drains to the new PVC lines.
- Hydrojetted the left-side stormwater to clear root ingress.
- Hit the broken section of StormFlex under the driveway with the jet machine and could not pass through.
- Marked the broken section with blue paint for the follow-up dig.
- Documented the broken section for the repair quote.
- Cleaned up on completion.
The result
Main stormwater re-run in twin 100mm PVC from the kerb to the top of the property. Left-side roots cleared except the section under the driveway. Owner has the broken section marked and a quote for the follow-up repair.
If you have the same issue
If your home was built in the last 10-15 years on the Gold Coast or Tweed coast and you have never looked at what your stormwater is actually laid in, check behind the downpipes. If you see corrugated flex pipe running out of the downpipe, you have StormFlex. It will give you blockages, and eventually it will fail completely. Replacing it with 100mm hard PVC is a one-off job that you only do once. Call Matty on 0447 188 394 or request a quote.
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 StormFlex and why is it a problem?
StormFlex is a flexible corrugated plastic pipe used to run stormwater from downpipes into the main line. It installs fast because it bends around obstacles. But it is brittle, it crushes under load, it holds water on any back-fall, and lawnmowers wreck it if any is exposed. Nine times out of ten, StormFlex is the first thing to fail on a stormwater system.
Why twin 100mm PVC instead of a single bigger pipe?
Twin 100mm gives you more combined capacity than a single 100mm, redundancy if one blocks, and lets you pick up downpipes on different sides of the house without crossing lines. It also fits easily in a standard trench with standard fittings, which keeps the install time and cost down.
Why not just patch the broken StormFlex section?
You can, but you are patching a pipe that is already failing. In six months, the next section fails and you are paying for another dig. If any significant portion of the StormFlex has already broken, it is almost always cheaper over a two- to three-year horizon to run the whole thing in PVC than to patch bits of flex one at a time.
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