Please find answers to some of the frequently asked questions below. Click on the relevant link If you'd like to know more about us, any of our residential & commercial servives, network services, serviced locations or our team. If you still have any questions or you'd like us to expand on any of the points mentioned below don't hesitate to contact us by filling in the contact form here.
How quickly can you respond to my blocked drain?
We will always prioritise blocked toilets, sinks, showers and other sewer blockages for the most urgent attention.
If you have a serious blockage or an urgent problem, please call us on 1800 843 372 and we’ll get to you as fast as we possibly can.
What are the "early warning signs" of a blocked drain?
If you notice that your sink, shower or bath is slow to drain or if your toilet fills up when you flush it but doesn't drain away quickly these are sure signs of a blockage. Other "early warning" signs include gurgling sounds or bad smells coming from any of these places.
Outside if there are pools of water in your garden, garage, on your driveway or anywhere where water shouldn't be, this could be your stormwater drains are blocked too. And of course if your gutters are overflowing or there are leaks coming from your downpipes these are also signs of a blockage.
How will I know if my drain is blocked?
If you hear gurgling or gulping sounds coming up from your shower, bath or sink or from the bathroom floor, then your drains may already be partially blocked.
If water is draining away slower than normal, if your toilet is taking a long time to flush away or the water level in it is rising or falling below normal levels, these are also warning signs of a blockage.
If the drain outside your house overflows when the washing machine is in use, this is also a sign of a blockage.
If you are experiencing any of these issues, please call The Drain Man on 1800 843 372.
How do drainpipes get crushed or broken when they are underground?
There are many things that can lead to underground drainpipes getting crushed or broken. Property renovations, heavy vehicle traffic over the top of drains, recent excavation works and even heavy rain can contribute to the ground sagging or seeping and that can lead to drains cracking or breaking. Also ground movement can occur from time to time due to weather conditions like extreme drought or extreme rain. Either can lead to earth movement and therefore cracked or broken drains.
Should I replace my drains if they are constantly getting blocked?
No, you definitely DON'T need to dig up and replace your drains, even if they are getting blocked regularly.
At The Drain Man we can reline your drains so they won't keep getting blocked up.
First we clear your drains properly and remove any blockages. Then we use our special “No-Dig” relining system to reline your drains from the inside, without needing to dig up your precious garden or cut through your paths and driveways.
Relining is easier, faster and generally cheaper than digging up your drains and comes with a lifetime warranty.
If you have a problem with drains that keep on getting blocked please call us for more information on our drain relining on 1800 843 372.
We will come out and do an "in-drain" camera inspection to see what's going on inside your drains and to find the reason for the constant blockages. Then will give you a detailed plan and quote for relining to fix the problem for life!
Do you service my area?
The Drain Man works across Victoria, ACT, and NSW including all the capital cities and major regional areas. Please contact us to find out if we can get one of our highly trained plumbers to your area fast.
Do you service after hours?
We do work 7 days a week for emergencies, however, please give us a call first on 1800 843 372, or fill out the online Enquiry form.
Do you fix blocked drains on commercial premises like hotels, cafes, restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, aged care facilities, etc?
YES! We have the capability, the team and the experience to look after blocked drains for all kinds of businesses. Blocked toilets and blocked sinks are common in pubs, cafes and restaurants and other places and they can severely interrupt the operation of your business.
Call The Drain Man for fast, reliable service to clear your blockages and get your business up and running again. We have one of the biggest fleets on the road so we can get to you quickly.
What is a sewer drain?
Every sink, shower, bath, toilet, dishwasher, washing machine etc inside your house drains into the sewer. So everything that you flush down the toilet or wash down your sink or shower, all ends up in the one drain that leads from your home called the sewer drain.
When you realise how everything goes into the one main drain, it's easy to see why this drain is the most likely to get blocked in your home. With fats and oils from cooking, hair and soap from bathing and showering and toilet paper from the toilet all ending up in the same place, blocked sewers are the most common problem we have to deal with. And why you can sometimes get bad smells coming up from your kitchen or bathroom sink or even the shower.
The key difference to remember between your sewer drain and stormwater drain is that everything that drains water inside your home goes to the sewer drain and everything that drains water OUTSIDE your home goes to the stormwater drain.
What is a stormwater drain?
Your stormwater drain takes all the rainwater (or stormwater) that falls on your roof, your driveway, paths and other paved areas and carries it away from your property in underground pipes called stormwater drains. During heavy downpours the amount of water that falls on all these areas can be considerable, leading them to become blocked or overloaded so flash floods occur. Often leaves or other debris or even tree roots can get into these drains, causing them to block up.
Remember that your stormwater drains will drain into a local creek or river somewhere where eventually it will go into the sea. So please don't ever wash anything toxic down into your stormwater drains as it will end up polluting our creeks, rivers and oceans.