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.
Palm Beach Gold Coast. One toilet blocked, everything else in the house working — classic isolated branch fault. The old toilet was concreted into the slab in the old style, so we had to crack it out to get access. Found tree roots growing up through the earthenware clay sewer. Cleared, camera-verified, installed a new toilet on completion.
What the customer called us for
Owner-occupier in Palm Beach QLD with one blocked toilet. All other fixtures in the house were working normally.
What we found when we got there
The isolation of the fault to one toilet pointed to a branch-only problem, not a main-line issue. The toilet itself was one of the old style, concreted into the slab. Had to crack the toilet out of the slab to get at the drain underneath. Camera then showed a large mass of tree roots growing up through the rubber-ring joints of the old earthenware clay pipe below the pan.
Why we did it this way
An isolated single-fixture blockage says the fault is on the branch, not the main. Trying to clear from upstream rarely works because the clearing tool follows the path of least resistance back to the main. The right play is to go in from the fixture itself. On an old concreted toilet that means removing the toilet before you can even see the problem.
What we did on site
- Confirmed the fault was isolated to the single toilet by checking every other fixture in the house.
- Cracked out the concreted-in toilet bowl to expose the drain below.
- Removed the root mass by hand and finished the clearing with the hydrojet.
- Ran the CCTV camera up and down the earthenware section to confirm no further root ingress.
- Cleaned the slab opening.
- Installed a new toilet pan to current spec on completion.
- Tested the flush and ran the camera one last time.
The result
Working toilet. New pan correctly bedded and sealed. Camera footage on file so the owner knows the current condition of the earthenware line.
If you have the same issue
If one toilet in your house is blocking repeatedly and the other fixtures are fine, do not keep plunging it. The fault is on that single branch and almost always requires removing the pan to get at it. On older houses with earthenware pipe below the slab, tree roots through rubber-ring joints are the typical cause. 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
Why do you have to remove the toilet to clear it?
On an isolated single-fixture blockage, you need to reach the branch pipe below the toilet pan. On modern toilets the pan unscrews cleanly. On old concreted-in toilets the pan is bedded in a layer of concrete, so you have to crack the pan off the slab.
Why do earthenware clay pipes get roots?
They are joined with rubber rings that go hard and shrink over time. Any gap in the ring is enough for a root hair to find. Once the root is in, it grows at the inside of the joint and the pipe fills with root mass over years.
Do I have to replace the earthenware pipe immediately?
Not necessarily. On a short run of earthenware that is only root-ingressing at one joint, a clearing + jet every two to three years can carry you a long time. On a long run with multiple root points, a reline is usually the economic answer.
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