Yearly Archives: 2022

How to fix a blocked drain caused by tree roots.

If you have tree roots in your sewer pipes, you should watch this 1:56 minute YouTube Clip

Tree roots will lift, crack and maybe even crush those pipes, resulting in some very expensive replacement costs to dig up and renew the broken pipes.

Plumbers call pipe or drain blockages “chokes” … If your sewer pipes are choked, then call us on (02) 9664 4990

This clip shows how we use the latest plumbing technology to clear out your blocked drains.

In the first part of this demonstration in a clear plastic pipe, you’ll see how high pressure water drain cleaners work inside your pipes.

85% of blocked drains are caused by tree roots and this clip shows how the different drain cleaning heads move through the pipes and subsequently the tree root blockage, cutting and mulching the tree roots and blowing them back through the pipeline.

Tree roots grow in through the top of the earthenware pipe joints and depending on where the tree is, root blockages can be in more than one pipe joint.

A drain camera or Drainoscopy used in conjunction with the high pressure water will help your plumber cut out all the tree root blockages at the pipe joints.

Once we cut the tree roots from your sewer pipes, we can then apply Vaporooter to prevent regrowth of tree roots in your pipes.

The Vaporooter process is cost effective, and comes with a 12 month GUARANTEE!

If you would like to find out more, please call us on 02 9664 4990

Stop tree roots in drains Kingsford

G’day, I’m Dave Conroy from The Lone Drainer and Pronto and Vaporooter Australia.
We’re at a property in Kingsford in Sydney. That’s Kingsford in the Randwick and Kensington area.
The property has had tree roots growing in the sewer and blocking the pipes.
For the last five years we have been treating the sewer pipes with Vaporooter with great results and they have had No Root blockages.
Our clients know if they had a root blockage, under the Vaporooter Guarantee we would clear their blockage free of any charges.
It’s a very good Guarantee!

They have a leafy garden with a Chinese elm tree, two Jacaranda trees and even though we have had a lot of rain in Sydney, the tree roots like the nutrient rich sewer water!

If tree roots are causing blockages in your sewer pipes, and you’re considering excavating and renewing your pipes
Or the pipe relining process,
It’s easy to call us to find out if Vaporooter is right for you.

The Lone Drainer and Pronto in Sydney on 02 9664 4990
Or
Vaporooter Australia on 1800 637 600

Wash your hands. World Toilet Day

Hands are a major part of any plumbers tool kit.

Without them, it would be difficult to carryout other parts of our job.  Cutting pipes with a saw, cleaning and glueing pipes together, disconnecting the water and gas at your meter, changing tap washers in your hand basin or even clearing a blocked drain with a sink plunger.

And washing hands is part of our job!
I could wash my hands at least 10 times a day, even if we are wearing gloves to protect them and especially after clearing a blocked drain.

In fact, being a NSW Master Plumber in Sydney we are reminded Hygieia is the goddess of health, cleanliness and hygiene.

Her name is the source of the word Hygiene.

World Toilet Day 2022

What is World Toilet Day? World toilet day is now celebrated every year on November 19th. It was declared by the UN in 2013 to raise awareness to the plight of over 3.6 billion people worldwide that don’t have a flushing toilet or access to clean water for drinking and washing their hands after going to the toilet.

What does that mean? No household toilet. At all! It’s difficult to comprehend living in Australia where every house has at least one and sometimes four or more toilets that have complete privacy, toilet paper and fresh water to flush the toilet and wash your hands with.

Really? Yes really! Over 3.6 Billion people go to the toilet outside, without any privacy. They squat down in a paddock, behind a bush, in the street or even on the railway lines to relieve themselves. They then may use leaves or grass or sand to wipe themselves clean. And they don’t have water to wash their hands after that.

How is that unhygienic? Human waste on the streets and in paddocks can end up getting washed into drains, creeks and waterways that are the source of their drinking water. People swim in those waterways. Diarrhoea is rampant and part of a spiraling cycle of malnutrition and a large loss of life. Especially in young children.

What can I do to help? Raise awareness of World Toilet Day. In 2022 it falls on a Saturday. Share your insights with your family and friends. Think about using Who Gives A Crap toilet paper. Who Gives a Crap donate half of their profits to improve sanitation in third world countries. Learn about and protect our water table.

What is the water table? Australia’s water table or Artesian basin has fortunately been topped up by our recent rains. As many as 30 per cent of us get our drinking water from the water table. In the USA it’s as high as 38 per cent. Imagine if untreated human waste made its way into the water table and, that contaminated water was then consumed by those Australians who live in remote parts of our country that have no choice for their drinking water.

What happens when tree roots grow in sewer pipes #2

The growth of tree roots in sewer pipes is probably the most destructive single element that faces those maintaining a sewer collection system today.

Sewers are ageing expensive assets that only attract public attention when they fail. There are over 35,000 kms of water and sewer pipes in Sydney and 60% of all collection systems are made up of pipes with a diameter of 9 inches (225 mm) or smaller. The potential for tree root intrusion to inhibit flows, produce blocked drains and damage valuable pipes, is enormous.

Tree roots normally do not grow underwater and seldom cause problems where ground water covers the pipe. But in most areas, this is not the case.

Tree Roots Grow One Cell at a Time

When a seed germinates, it adds one cell at a time toward the best environment from which it might extract nutrients and moisture. The growing point of a tree moves best through loosely cultivated soil.

The most common practice used to lay sewer pipes is in an open trench. The back-filled soil offers a good growing medium for tree roots. Because the flow in sewer pipes is a higher temperature than the soil, this causes a condensation to appear on the crown of the pipe.

As the warm moisture from the sewer pipe evaporates up through the soil, the vapours offer an excellent trail for the tree roots to follow. If a vapour leak exists in the pipe, the roots concentrate its efforts at that point. Since some pipe joint compounds are of nutrient based material themselves (like rubber rings or sand cement mix), the root may entirely girdle before entering the pipe.

Roots Allow Accumulation of Debris

Once inside the sewer pipe, the root takes on the appearance of a “veil” or “horse tail” type structure. If flows in the pipes are fairly constant, the root mass hangs down like a veil to the normal flow level where they accumulate deposits of grease, slime and other debris.

Conventional methods of removing tree roots by cutting with an electric eel or a “Rattlesnake” high pressure water drain cleaner tend to increase regrowth; similar to pruning a tree. Removing tree roots inside the pipe solves the immediate problem of clearing the blocked drain, but does nothing to retard the tree root regrowth or destroy the tree roots outside the pipe.

This removal, regrowth and removal cycle of cutting and tearing roots can destroy the structural integrity of the pipe.

Herbicide Fumigants

Herbicide fumigants present  the most effective method to destroy tree roots and inhibit their regrowth without affecting the above ground plant life. Vaporooter is a root control herbicide that enters the sewer as a foam. Only tree roots within the pipe and a short distance outside the pipe are affected. Trees and shrubs immediately above ground are not harmed in any way.

https://www.vaporooteraustralia.com.au/

Emergency plumbing in rain-soaked Sydney

March 8th 2022.
Today was full of plumbing emergency calls.
Driving through our rain-soaked city can be dangerous as drivers speed through puddles and potholes to get to their destinations with scant regard to other road users.
Our client in the Ryde area had a faulty pump under their house and the lower floor was in danger of flooding their rumpus room and home gym. The pump was resuscitated for now but, it needs to be replaced.


See the journey from Ryde back to our Coogee HQ along Victoria Road, over the Gladesville, Iron Cove and Anzac bridges before crossing Darling Harbour then through the city and Darlinghurst, Anzac Parade and Randwick Racecourse.


The roads are soaked and the rain keeps coming.


High winds are forecast for later tonight.
If you can clear any leaf debris from pits, roof gutters and drains around your house, better do it soon!
Then tighten your seatbelts Sydney.


Winds are forecast to blow up to 35 knots (70 kph) tonight.

If you need a hand call us on 02 9664 4990

Tree roots never sleep

Coogee 2034 Sydney, Australia

G’day Sydney

We’re back at work in January 2022!

Our workload didn’t really let up over the Christmas and New Year period because tree roots just keep growing in pipes.

If you are having the same problem with roots in your drains and you are looking for a short-term or long-term solution call me on 1800 637 600

Or check out our site VaporooterAustralia.com.au

There may be a cost-effective solution there for you!