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.

Blocked stormwater at a Tweed Heads West home, backing up into the aircon room. Only access was by cutting a hole in the downpipe. Hydrojet pulled up dirt and debris, CCTV found the line had been disconnected from a fitting (hence debris catching). Cleared leaf debris downstream, hydrojetted the driveway channel grate, but the 90mm PVC had too many bends to get a visual on the rest. Flagged the design problem, pressure-cleaned, sleeved the downpipes.

What the customer called us for

Owner called us out for a blocked stormwater line that was backing up into the air conditioning room. Classic hidden fault because the symptom appeared in a spot where you do not normally expect stormwater problems.

What we found when we got there

No existing inspection point, so we cut a hole in the downpipe to get the hydrojet in. First jet pass brought up a lot of dirt and debris. CCTV showed the line had been disconnected from a fitting, which is why debris was catching at that point. Further downstream, the pipe was laid in 90mm PVC with too many bends to navigate with the camera. We cleared the leaves and debris we could get to, but the line design itself is the problem.

Why we did it this way

90mm PVC with multiple bends is a stormwater design that works until it does not. Each bend is a catch point. Leaves, dirt and debris lodge at the bend and build up over seasons. Once blocked, you cannot even camera it to confirm what else is wrong. The fix on a job like this is twofold: clear what you can on the day, and quote the proper re-run in 100mm PVC with fewer bends so the next blockage becomes much less likely.

What we did on site

1. Cut a hole in the downpipe to gain access to the blocked line.
2. Hydrojetted the line, pulling up dirt and debris.
3. Ran the CCTV camera and found the line disconnected from a downstream fitting.
4. Continued jetting to free the line further downstream.
5. Removed the sleeve under the patio and entered the camera down the second access point.
6. Found leaf debris at the bend and cleared it with the hydrojet.
7. Hydrojetted the driveway channel grate (only able to extend the jet about 5m due to the bend design).
8. Noted the roof discharging into the start of the channel grate as an overload risk in heavy rain.
9. Pressure washed the area, sleeved the downpipes.

The result

Line clear on the day. Owner has a clear picture of the design problem: 90mm pipe, multiple bends, disconnected fitting, undersized receiving channel. Quote prepared for the proper re-run.

If you have the same issue

If your stormwater keeps blocking in the same spot and the pipe is 90mm PVC laid with bends, the fix is not more jetting. The design itself is the problem. Re-run the affected section in 100mm with fewer bends and the blockage pattern stops. Jetting a bad design over and over is just paying for the same problem on repeat. 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 does stormwater back up into the aircon room?

Air conditioning condensate drains usually tee into the stormwater line. When the stormwater is blocked downstream, water has nowhere to go and backs up through the lowest connected point, which is often the condensate drain in the aircon room. The symptom is in the aircon room, the cause is further down the stormwater line.

Why can’t you camera through multiple 90mm bends?

The CCTV camera head is semi-rigid so it can hold its own weight. In a straight run or a gentle bend it passes through fine. At a tight 90-degree bend on 90mm pipe, the head physically cannot make the turn. You get stuck or lose the picture. On 100mm with gentle bends, no issue. On 90mm with sharp bends, the camera is blind past the first bend.

Why cut a hole in the downpipe to access the drain?

If there is no inspection opening on the line, you either dig a new one (expensive, surface damage) or cut a controlled access hole in an existing pipe (cheap, easy to seal back). A downpipe with a sealed access cap is a standard, legal, non-destructive way to get into the stormwater system.

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