Are you buying a house on a tree lined street? Six things to consider!

If you have your eye on a house in a tree lined street, you should read this!

While street trees can have many benefits, there are also some potential negative impacts that should be considered.

1. Damage to the street infrastructure: Street trees can cause damage to footpaths, roads, and buildings if their roots grow too close to or under them. They can also damage underground utilities such as electrical cables, water and gas pipes. The tree root systems will also cause blocked drains and sewer pipes. If you get a blocked drain you should call The Lone Drainer and Pronto.
2. Maintenance: Street trees require regular maintenance, such as pruning and watering, to ensure they remain healthy and safe. This can be a significant cost for utility companies, municipalities and homeowners. Radical pruning is used to shape the street trees away from overhead electric power and communication lines.
3. Allergies: Some people may have an allergic reaction to certain species of street trees, such as those that produce a lot of pollen.
4. Invasive species: Some species of street trees can become invasive, meaning they can spread rapidly and compete with the native species. This can have a negative impact on local ecosystems and biodiversity.
5. Canopy closure: Street trees can cause a canopy closure, blocking the sunlight and view, making the street darker and less attractive in the winter months. However, in our hot summer, the shade they provide brings a welcome relief from the heat of the day.
6. Your car: Parking your car under a tree like this Hill’s Weeping Fig Ficus microcarpa hillii during certain seasons can be very messy. The fig has berries….. Lots of them. They attract possums, flying foxes and birds that feast on the berries and subsequently make a BIG mess on your car.

It’s important to consider these potential negative impacts when selecting, planting, and maintaining street trees. Proper tree selection, planning, and management can help to minimize these negative impacts and maximize the benefits of street trees.

Do Hot and Cold Pipes get Water Hammer?

Water hammer can occur in both hot and cold water pipes. It’s caused by a sudden change in the velocity of water flow, like when a valve or faucet is quickly closed. This sudden change in velocity can cause a pressure wave to travel through the pipe, creating the banging or knocking sound that is characteristic of water hammer.

The main cause of water hammer is water pressure that is too high, which causes the water to move too quickly through the pipes. This can happen in both hot and cold water pipes, and can be caused by a variety of factors such as worn out valves, loose pipe connections, or improper pipe installation.

In some cases, the problem is more likely to occur in hot water pipes because hot water is less dense than cold water, and therefore is more susceptible to changes in velocity. However, it is possible for water hammer to occur in both hot and cold water pipes, so it’s important to address the issue as soon as it is detected.

Read our earlier post What is Water Hammer and How to Stop It here

Super Bowl 2023 Flush with Excitement.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl 57 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale Arizona on Monday morning Sydney time. It was the team’s second title in four seasons. Now Aussies Jordan Mailata an AFL player and punter Arryn Siposs a Rugy league man, made Australian sporting history when they played for Philadelphia. 🙁

Personally, apart from my son going to a game at the stadium when he was studying at NAU Northern Arizona University in 2019, I know little about the contest other than to say the Chiefs star Quarterback Patrick Mahomes apparently won the game after his team was behind 24-14 at half time.

And its the half time break that gets my interest! Specifically, toilet flushing at half time.

In a post from Super Bowl 2016, I wrote that the amount of water used in toilet flushing during the Super Bowl half time break is the same volume that would flow over Niagara Falls in seven minutes.

In doing some research on the topic, anecdotally, it is often joked that there is a Super Bowl flush that occurs during the halftime break, as many viewers may use the bathroom at the same time. However, there is no reliable data to support the claim.

In fact, some experts have suggested that the idea of a simultaneous flush causing water system issues is a myth, as modern water systems are designed to handle large surges in demand. While it is possible that water demand may increase during the halftime break or the Super Bowl flush, the impact on water infrastructure is likely to be minimal.

Our local Sydney news reporting on the Super Bowl reckon there are now more Australians watching that game than the Melbourne Cup.

Given Super Bowl lasts three and a half hours and, The Melbourne Cup lasts three and a half minutes, the halftime Super Bowl flush might be a thing.

What do you reckon?

Five ways street trees affect your home!

If you’re considering buying a home in a tree lined street like this, you need to know how trees can affect houses on the street. Here’s just a few,

What is Water Hammer and How to Stop It!

Water hammer, also known as hydraulic shock, is a banging or knocking sound that can occur in pipes when a valve, a tap or faucet is quickly closed. The banging noise and vibrations from water hammer can be felt throughout a house and, in multi-storey buildings, because the water pipes pass through and serve every level, banging can be heard on building levels far from the source of the water hammer. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including high water pressure, improper pipe installation, or worn out valves. Some causes include, the fitting of a new dishwasher or clothes washing machine, or fast closing mixer style taps that shut down or stop the water flow quickly.

Stopping water hammer can be challenging, as it often requires identifying the root cause of the issue and then implementing a solution. Some common solutions include installing water hammer arrestors, which are devices that absorb the shock of rapidly moving water, replacing worn out valves, or adjusting the water pressure.

In some cases, the solution may be as simple as tightening loose pipe connections or securing loose pipes.

However, it is always recommended to consult a plumber if you experience water hammer, as they can diagnose the issue and recommend an appropriate solution.

Should the Toilet seat be left Up or Down?

Our summer break allows time to ask some of the greater life questions.                                   

And the Question of Toilet seat, Up or Down? is a big one.

Over salad sandwiches, I asked the Question, Why do Women want the toilet seat left down?

The reply was simple!

Leaving the toilet seat down is considered courteous and hygienic for women because it helps to prevent the toilet from splashing onto the seat or floor when it is used.

Additionally, it makes it easier for them to use the toilet without having to adjust the seat themselves.

Then I asked my audience, Can you give 3 reasons why men want the seat left up?

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!

Stop Tree Roots in PVC pipes

Bellevue Hill, Sydney, Australia

This post is a simple one. The house shown here is quite new!

The sewer pipes are also new PVC. But, where the house sewer line joins into the Sydney Water sewer main there are roots from a large Fig tree on the footpath out the front growing into the sewer connection.

We are putting Vaporooter into the pipes to stop tree root regrowth at that single point.

It’s a simple process and I hope you have seen it before.

You can see our equipment on the rock shelf behind and also see the Vaporooter foam coming up through the cap in the footpath.

Even new houses with PVC pipes can get tree roots growing into them.

There is a simple way to Stop tree roots in Drains. It’s Vaporooter!

If you need to find out more about it, Ask me.

Call 1800 637 600

Contact The Lone Drainer and Pronto 02 9664 4990

Or check out VaporooterAustralia.com.au

3.6 billion people don’t have a flushing toilet!

Whaaaat? Astounding but true!

World Toilet Day is Friday, November 19th 2021.

The day has been sanctioned by the United Nations aimed at bringing awareness to the plight of more than 3.6 billion people worldwide who don’t have a place to go to the toilet in private and then wash their hands. That means that women and men and young girls and boys have to go to the toilet outdoors. A major concern is that women and young girls without a toilet do their business under cover of the night which leads to personal safety threats over and above the concerns of simple hygiene and sanitation that we all take for granted.

Imagine everyone really knowing your business?

Many of us have more than one toilet in our home to choose from and go there with complete privacy. So in a year when we’ve had time to contemplate the simple things, contemplate that!

Or if you are inclined to use toilet paper, Consider Who Gives a Crap. They donate half of their profits to improve sanitation in third world countries. And that’s a good thing!

When Wylie’s Baths needs a plumber

Wylie’s Baths in Coogee 2034 has kept within the Covid 19 guidelines to remain open for their patrons during the StayInside orders of 2021. They have over 50,000 swimmers a year and occasionally need help from their local friendly plumber.

The baths manager Courtney tells in 1 min 27sec what goes on behind the scenes to deliver a unique ocean pool where you can get a great cup of coffee and a sandwich.

Check it out!

Don’t flush our drinking water?

As the summer of 2021 approaches, our water consumption is back on the menu.

Even though our borders have been closed to tourists and immigration and Australians returning home to sit out the pandemic have had their numbers slashed, our water consumption continues to rise.

During our current building boom, its not unusual for every new home to have at least two bathrooms with his and hers showers and hand basins’. And even the most modest Sydney home has at least two toilets.

Australians have been world leaders in water conservation with water saving taps and showers now the norm. If you didn’t know the dual-flush toilet cistern is an Australian invention.

Don’t be surprised but the dual flush toilet is still a big water user. Here in Sydney, with a few exceptions like urban domestic rainwater harvesting that uses rainwater to flush our household toilets and fill the washing machine, most of the water flushing our toilets is from our potable water supply. That’s our drinking water!

I grew up as one of six kids in a NSW country town of 13,000 people and our home in town had a metered water supply. But our family had a weekend shack on acres out of town where every drop of water we used was caught in rainwater tanks. The toilet was flushed with water piped from a dam over 300 metres from the house. It was a simple gravity system that piped muddy dam water across a paddock to the toilet cistern and flushing the toilet with the dam water left a brown stain on the toilet bowl.

There was a time when we didn’t go to the shack for a few weeks and what started as a simple toilet cistern leak that went unchecked, drained the farm dam down to a muddy sludge by our next visit. That weekend, as we flushed the toilet with our drinking water from the tank, I learned that our drinking water was way to precious to waste on flushing a toilet.

So, what does that mean here in Sydney?

Simply put, if you have even a slight toilet leak DO NOT IGNORE IT otherwise it will drain our dam.

Raw sewer overflows to Coogee Beach.

During the Stay at Home orders we’ve been doing emergency plumbing repairs like hot water, leaking pipes and Blocked drains.

The blocked drain that got my interest is the one taking the waste from 28 houses on Raleigh Street and Carrington Road, Coogee.

The filthy waste water has been bubbling up through the ground about 50 metres down the hill from the houses and running across the footpath in front of other homes not connected to the service, into the street gutters that drain into the creek at the north end of Coogee beach for most of July.

Apparently the 28 home owners are unaffected by the blockage because it’s not in their backyard and a Sydney Morning Herald article reports Sydney Water and Randwick City council cannot force the home owners to pay for any repairs.

It’s well known that every home owner is responsible for the maintenance of their waste water pipes up to where they join the Sydney Water sewer main out in Carrington Road.

This pipeline is known as a common sewer and the costs for any maintenance should be shared equally between all those home owners connected to it.

Come on Randwick Council, Stop this river of sewage running down to Coogee Beach!

Get a contractor to fix the problem and split the costs among the 28 property and home owners.

Click here to read our earlier post on Common Sewer lines.

Clean your gas room heater

Since June 25th 2021, we are being asked to stay at home with the latest COVID-19 outbreak.

Greater Sydney is settling into winter and it’s wet! So, if you have a gas room heater, now is the time to clean it!

Dust is the thing that diminishes the efficiency of a gas room heater. The simple thing to do is clean and vacuum the air filters and ensure the fans are turning freely.

Most heaters have a service manual that demonstrates how to dismantle, clean and reinstate the relevant parts.

Please remember Safety First.

If you don’t feel confident, call us on 02 9664 4990 for help or arrange for our gasfitters to do a gas heater health check.

How to Stop a Blocked drain in Coogee

Vaporooter Stops Tree roots in Drains

Hi, It’s Dave Conroy here from The Lone Drainer and Pronto.

I am in Coogee today and we are applying Vaporooter to a house in this tree- lined street. The people who own this house have had problems with their sewer.

Tree roots from this Hills weeping fig (ficus microcarpa) have been growing in their clay sewer pipes for over 10 years and we had been clearing blockages regularly.

We have been applying Vaporooter in those same pipes now for about four years and they haven’t had a blocked drain since. Those are great results!

If you live in a street similar to this, where there is a beautiful canopy above but underground, the tree roots are getting into your sewer pipes, then you should consider Vaporooter to Stop tree roots in your drains.

If you would like to find out about Vaporooter, call me on Sydney 02 9664 4990.

Is it O.K. to take a longer shower?

As Sydney and most of New South Wales is knee-deep in floodwater I had a friend ask me this morning, “is it OK to take a longer shower?”

I encouraged him and his entire family to take a longer shower over the next few days. Using the water may actually help those that are living downstream from Warragamba Dam where the residents and farmers are flooded by the water running over the dam spillway and overwhelming the Nepean and Hawkesbury river systems downstream.

Just over twelve months ago we were in the grip of a drought that was choking our country cousins and dust storms were commonplace across New South Wales.

The rain won’t last forever, in fact, it’s forecast to clear up this afternoon and deliver a 29° hot sunny day tomorrow.

The rain has exposed many blocked drains and stormwater pits and pipes. So when the sun comes out, make the most of the abundant water in our catchment dams and clean out those pits, grates, drains and the rainwater down pipes blocked with leaf debris.

World Plumbing Day 2021

Today is the 11th of March 2021 and it’s World Plumbing Day!

I just wanted to remind you that twelve months ago today, which was also World Plumbing Day, that we had a pandemic declared in Australia. While we’ve all had our lives changed over the last twelve months, the trees that you can see around me here are still growing in the drains in this house.

We have come back for our annual application of Vaporooter to STOP tree roots growing in the sewer pipes of this beautiful home.

Enjoy World Plumbing Day. Thank your local plumber, enjoy his company. Make him a cup of tea or coffee.

World Toilet Day 2020

Today is World Toilet Day 2020.

I’d like you to take a minute today and think about the Toilet. Imagine if you didn’t have one?

Spare a thought for the 4 billion people worldwide that don’t have access to a flushing toilet.

Its astounding BUT there are more people with a mobile telephone than a toilet and clean water to wash themselves.

Now, telling your workmates and classmates is a simple way to raise awareness of a sometimes very private subject.

Another way to help is stock up on toilet paper like Who Gives a Crap.
They donate half of their profits to improve sanitation for those less fortunate.

Woollahra Council trees are blocking my drains

Many of the blocked drains we attend to are caused by the trees that line the streets managed by Woollahra Council.

At street level, the trees’ canopy brings summer shade and all kinds of birdlife.

Contrary to belief, tree roots don’t go in search of water. They are stimulated as moisture levels, and the surrounding soil temperature reaches a point that is appealing to them.

Sydney suburbs managed by Woollahra Council: Bellevue Hill, Darling Point, Double Bay, Edgecliff, Paddington, Point Piper, Rose Bay, Vaucluse

In most circumstances, the tree roots enter through leaking pipe joints and damage the sewer drains and stormwater pipes that take wastewater off your property. Many homeowners hold Woollahra Council responsible for their blockage and expect they will clear their blocked drains for free because the Council own the trees.

Well, in some cases they do!

But, Woollahra Council gets their income from you the ratepayer, and as you would expect, they have guidelines for spending ratepayers money to fix your blocked drains.

If you live in one of the suburbs managed by Woollahra Council, click here to see the Woollahra Council Wastewater Policy.

The top points are that you the homeowner:

Must have a sewer service diagram for your home.
Must maintain your sewer pipes.
Must prevent sewer blockages.
Must prevent sewerage from escaping into the environment.
May be entitled to the Council plumber clearing your blocked drain.

Waverley Council trees are blocking my drains

Did you know 85% of blocked drains are caused by tree roots?

In Waverley Council’s jurisdiction, blocked drains are cause quite often by the roots of the trees that line the streets.

They can block drains and sometimes damage the sewer and stormwater pipes that take wastewater off your property.

Many homeowners hold Waverley Council responsible for their blockage and expect they will clear their blocked drains for free because they own the trees.

Well in some cases they do!

But, Waverley Council gets their income from you the ratepayer and as you would expect, they have guidelines for spending ratepayers money to fix your blocked drains.

If you have a Blocked drain and live in one of these suburbs managed by Waverley Council including Bondi, Bondi Beach, Bondi Junction, Bronte, Charing Cross, Clovelly, Dover Heights, North Bondi, Queens Park and Waverley, click here to see the Waverley Council Sewerage Stormwater Drain Blockage Policy.

The top points are that you the homeowner:

Must have a sewer service diagram for your building.
Must maintain your sewer pipes.
Must prevent sewer blockages.
Must prevent sewerage from escaping into the environment.
May be entitled to the Council plumber clearing your blocked drain.