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Why have a Drainoscopy?
Today our post is simple.
A client from Bronte called. Since Christmas they’d had 3 blocked drains causing the downstairs toilet to overflow. Yuck!
The plumber they had been using didn’t have a drain camera and it was suggested that the pipes were broken.
We were able to clear the blockage quickly, then, give the pipes a Drainoscopy. That’s Lone Drainer speak for “put a specialised drain camera in the pipes and see what is really going on.”
The pipe was full of tree roots. That’s all!
We cut out the roots and had another look.
A simple Vaporooter treatment will keep the roots away. With a Guarantee!
Yes, the pipes are old clay pipes. You can see where the roots have been cut out. But, they work and will for some time to come.
The best way to find out is to see it for yourself.
Storms bring blocked drains
The well-needed rain that arrived in Sydney over the last few days has created many blocked drains and grates that can easily be fixed.
Take the opportunity in between showers to check any pits or drains around your home that may be blocked by leaf debris or dirt. Put on your gardening or washing up gloves to clean them out; it may save you from some unexpected flooding.
The blocked drain shown here was covered by leaves and gum nuts blown off in the storm. It wasn’t able to cope with the deluge of water that caused the garage to flood.
If your roof gutters are full and overflowing, it may be leaf debris and twigs or even a tennis ball from the summer back yard cricket series blocking the gutter outlets.
If you choose to put a ladder up to the roof gutters to have a look, please be very careful.
Take care climbing on your roof.
It may be very slippery!
Why you should look inside your pipes
You’ve got a blocked drain and your plumber puts a camera in the drain to see whats going on down there!
What happens after that?
Plenty of homeowners don’t get to see the footage their plumber has taken of the inside of their pipes. For some reason, the plumber chooses to keep what is going on in your pipes a secret from you.
Why?
Like any medical scan or x-ray of your body, it shouldn’t be kept a secret from you.
You should be able to see what’s going on in your drains so you can get a greater understanding of how the drains work. Or don’t!
Then, you can make an informed decision about how to repair your pipes and get other professional opinions on how to do that.
There are many ways to maintain your pipes and drains.
So if your plumber recommends a particular method of pipe repair after he puts a camera in your drains then tells you what he saw… but doesn’t show you, ask him for a copy of the pipe survey.
After all, he has billed you for it.
This survey shows a section of re-lined pipe with earthenware pipes and tree roots.
View your blocked drain with a Drainoscopy
Today our post is simple.
A new client from Bronte called because since Christmas they’d had 3 blocked drains which caused the downstairs toilet to overflow throughout their basement. YUK!
The plumber they had been using didn’t have a drain camera and it was suggested that the pipes were broken.
We were able to clear the blockage quickly, then did a Drainoscopy. That’s Lone Drainer speak for “put a specialised drain camera in the pipes to see what is really going on”.
The pipe was full of tree roots. That’s all! We cut out the roots and had another look. A simple Vaporooter treatment will keep the roots away. With a Guarantee!
Yes, the pipes are old clay pipes. You can see where the roots have been cut out. But, they work and will for some time to come.
The best way to find out what is causing a blockage is to see it for yourself.
Why this plumber makes a regular blood donation
Its a simple thing to give blood. It doesn’t hurt at all! In fact it makes you feel really good…. and you get to help someone else.
Who knows, I may get to help you or your loved ones.
So what does that have to do with plumbing……
Well, only that all of your pipes need flushing from time to time. Even your personal pipes!
This is Furk! Having FUn at woRK.
Get your pipes checked…. I did!
November is Men’s Health Month and my reminder came in the mail:
“It’s time to get your pipes checked again,” said the friendly letter from my Colorectal surgeon. It spelled out the process; the fasting, the preparation, the costs, the procedure on the day, what to expect afterwards, the discomfort but most of all…….. the benefit!
So on Sunday, I began the preparation for a colonoscopy on Monday. After a healthy and hearty breakfast on Sunday morning, it was a time of fasting. No food! Then, from early afternoon into the evening I had to take not 1, not 2, but 3 doses of fairly unpleasant medicine that would clean my internal pipes so the surgeon could put his camera through them.
Now all this makes sense to a 54 year old male and father of 3 healthy and happy sons, whose father after being diagnosed with Prostate cancer passed away a few years ago.
So, I hear you ask, why is your plumber telling you this? If your body is a temple and mine is, and your home is your castle then it’s appropriate to get your pipes checked, especially if your castle has a history of problems or blockages in your sewer pipes.
There are many parallels between a Colonoscopy and a Drainoscopy.
To get a Drainoscopy is easy!
We clear your pipes and then put a specialized drain camera through the pipes to find out what is actually going on in there. Then we take the vision and put it on our YouTube channel with a description of what is going on in the pipes. You can see it, you can share it, you can get a second opinion, you can evaluate the information and understand exactly what is going on underground or in your pipes.
Yes, it is a little uncomfortable. But now I know that after Dr “L” has treated 2 areas of interest and checked my prostate, my pipes are in good condition. I’ve seen the pictures. And at the appropriate time, he will send me a reminder for my next Drainoscopy er… Colonoscopy.
So to end on a high note watch this fun YouTube clip.
Drainoscopy technology works for a shoe fit!
All plumbers know that apart from looking after our hands, our feet are equally as important. No feet, no action!
I was busy speaking to the smart Real estate property managers of Bondi Beach about the benefits of having a great plumbing team like The Lone Drainer and Pronto, look after their emergency plumbing repairs and the benefits of using Vaporooter for sewer tree root control.
As I walked down Gould street I came across The Running Company Bondi. The owner Chris Chapman had a smile as big as Bondi and it was only minutes before he had me on his treadmill, filming my walking/running gait with some simple, but powerful video tools.
Buying shoes from someone who actually knows about running shoes makes a huge difference. Chris’ advice was so professional and made so much sense. Chris had me on his treadmill in each different shoe I tried on, to check how my feet were landing with his video equipment. Buying running shoes from a shoe expert who is also a runner makes a lot of sense. Since a bad lower leg injury about 14 years ago, I have been suffering with knee and hip pain whenever I run. When Chris showed me the running analysis he uses I realized why.
As with advice on emergency plumbing repairs, if you’re wearing the wrong pair of trainers you could be setting yourself up for all sorts of problems in a few weeks, months or years from now. It seems most sales people at the big chain stores just don’t know this stuff, which is why it’s important to get checked now before you get injured. If you suffer from any sort of knee pain or shin splints when you run, or want to prevent future problems I highly recommend you spare an hour of your time and come along to meet Chris at The Running Company Bondi.
The importance of getting the right advice about plumbing repairs or your trainers is self evident. Oh, I made a decision about my new runners pretty quickly!
The drainoscopy camera survey makes it easier for our clients to also make an accurate decision about their plumbing problems!
How do Tree Roots Get in Sewer Pipes And what Damage Can They Cause?
Homes that are connected to a municipal or mains sewer system have their biggest plumbing problems when tree roots have grown into pipes. In days gone by, one of the plumbing services would be called in to clear a blockage in the pipe, getting rid of those tree roots, but the tree roots would regrow and block up the sewer up again.
Regrowth of tree roots and the aggressive action of repeat cleaning earthenware or clay pipes with an electric eel or other drain cleaning equipment, is destructive to the integrity of the pipes. The pipes split, crack and crumble after the roots repeatedly find their way into the pipes. The pipe then has to be replaced at the home owner’s expense.
Tree roots are going to head for the easiest source of water they can find. A sewer pipe is the perfect environment; there is warmth, a constant stream of water and nutrients from degraded food matter. This is the perfect environment for those tree roots to take over your sewer system because the nutrient leakage through these pipes makes it even more inviting for the tree roots, and they just keep coming.
So the cycle continues!
Several things can be done to prevent root intrusion into the sewage system.
Liquid ambar, camphor laurel, ficus (fig) and London Plane trees are the worst offenders when it comes to sending roots to a convenient water source. Do not plant these varieties close to your sewage system.
Calling plumber services Sydney to make sure that you can identify where the roots are, where the crack in the pipes is, and how to finally get rid of your root problem, can be costly. It is a good idea to find a plumber that uses a sewer pipe camera in order to identify exactly where the problem is.
There is a chemical treatment that can kill the tree roots invading the pipes without killing the trees; by using an experienced plumber in Sydney that can provide this plumbing service to get rid of those tree roots, you can save yourself costly repair bills.
The best way to avoid tree roots in your sewer pipes is to remove any young trees that are trying to grow near or above the sewer pipe lines. Call in a professional from one of the reputable plumbing services and make sure that when you do engage that plumber, they do all the diagnostics necessary to identify exactly where the problem is before they set about repairing busted pipes and removing those tree roots that will continue to invade the pipe system.
Eradicating tree root problems
Tree roots are a very common cause for blocked drains, however the extent of damage that tree roots can cause before a problem is recognised, can vary greatly. To get rid of a tree root problem you must know what condition of the pipes are.
The Lone Drainer and Pronto has a number of weapons in its arsenal to combat those all-invasive tree roots; but in order to decide on the correct solution for the situation at hand, it is good practice to know what is happening with the drain. In many cases we insist on the use a special drain camera to view the location of the blockage and the condition of the connecting pipes.
The drain cameras we use are an enormous cost saver and allow us to determine the condition of underground pipes. Our pipe locating equipment shows us where to dig, minimising the need for large excavations to locate them. This reduces the guesswork and helps us make informed decisions on how to treat your particular blocked drain. In 2009 it makes great sense to use the technology available to us; it helps us help you!
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