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Resolving Post-Easter Drain Disasters
A Strategy for Property Managers
I know the lead up to the Easter break was hectic, and you may not have seen my Easter Long-Weekend post . However, now it’s Tuesday and many of our property managers are dealing with the aftermath of blocked drains reported by their tenants over the weekend. Despite the holiday’s being over, the repercussions of a blocked sewer persists, causing disruptions and unnecessary discomfort to your tenants, your owners and you. If you’re facing post-Easter drain disasters, here’s a comprehensive guide to help manage the situation and prevent future Blocked Drains.
Address Any Immediate Concerns
Respond promptly and with empathy to tenant reports of blocked drains following the Easter break. Assure them that you’re taking necessary steps to resolve the issue. Arrange for a professional plumber to assess the situation promptly, prioritizing those properties with urgent drainage problems.
Fun Fact
85% of Blocked Drains are caused by Tree Roots!
Identifying the Root Cause
During the inspection, your plumber will determine the underlying cause of the blockage. Tree roots infiltrating sewer lines are often to blame, particularly during periods of increased growth like our long hot summer. To say these invasive tree roots can wreak havoc on plumbing systems, leading to Blocked Drains and potential damage if left unattended is a little melodramatic however, it can be pretty unpleasant.
Implementing Long-Term Solutions
While addressing immediate concerns is vital, focus on implementing long-term solutions to prevent recurrence. Consider Vaporooter as a proactive solution for inhibiting root growth in sewer drains. By treating affected pipes with Vaporooter, you create a protective barrier that deters Tree Root regrowth, safeguarding against future blockages and costly repairs.
Communicating with Tenants
Maintain transparent communication throughout the process, updating tenants on any repair status and preventive measures being taken. Encourage your tenants to report any signs of drainage problems promptly. Empower them to play an active role in property maintenance and preservation.
Routine Maintenance and Vigilance
Prioritize routine maintenance to ensure the ongoing health of plumbing systems. Schedule regular inspections and maintenance checks, especially for properties with mature trees nearby. Stay vigilant and proactive to mitigate the risk of future Blocked Drain disasters and minimize disruptions for tenants.
Conclusion
Post-Easter drain disasters might feel like an unwelcome surprise egg hunt, but fear not! With a proactive approach and the right strategies in place, you can crack down on those stubborn blockages. By addressing immediate concerns, implementing long-term solutions like Vaporooter, and keeping the lines of communication flowing with your tenants, you’ll emerge victorious against those relentless tree roots. And hey, by having your plumber use Vaporooter, you can ensure that next Easter holiday doesn’t turn into a “root awakening” for your drains! So, let’s roll up our sleeves, tackle those drain dilemmas, and keep the laughter flowing like unclogged pipes.
If you have any questions about Vaporooter and whether it’s suitable for your situation Call me on 1800 637 600
If Vaporooter doesn’t suit your circumstance you’ve wasted 10 minutes.
If it does, you’re a genius!
I don’t want to live like this!
Sonia, from Bronte asked, “What does your Vaporooter Guarantee actually mean?” You could hear the fear in her voice!
Sonia lives on the first floor of an 8 storey block of home units. “About every 3 months we get a blocked drain caused by tree roots in the pipes under our building.”
“Depending on the type of tree, that’s not unusual,” I said.
“You don’t understand,” she said as her throat began to tighten. “When we get a blockage, all the sewer and waste water flushed by the residents on the 7 floors above, hits the blockage in the carpark and backs up through the floor drain in my bathroom.”
“Ouch, Do you mean everything?’
“Yes, everything. Poo, condoms, tampons, cotton wool buds, toilet paper. It’s absolutely disgusting. It makes me want to throw up just thinking about it, running from the floor drain in my bathroom, out the door and all over the hallway and lounge room carpet.”
“But, why are you so upset now?” I asked.
“It’s been 4 months since it happened, so it’s gonna happen again soon. I don’t want to live like this!”
I actually had this conversation on April 8th 2016.
The Body corporate committee are getting other opinions on Tree root treatments for drains.
I feel for Sonia.
Tree root Poonami closes Coogee beach
Sydney Australia has many world famous beaches. Yesterday morning, April 14th 2016, one of her crown jewels, Coogee Beach, had to be closed after a Sydney Water sewer main in nearby Dudley Street had a blockage that overflowed into the Randwick City council stormwater drains.
The blockage was caused by tree roots growing in the Sydney Water sewer main.
The overflowing sewer spilled into a stormwater pipe that discharged into the ocean, right under Coogee Surf club.
Randwick City council closed the beach and drained the Ross Jones pool next to the Coogee Surf club in the afternoon on a day when holidaying school kids and tourists alike were enjoying our beautiful autumn weather and pleasant 21 degree water temperature.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports the beach has been re-opened today after time and tide have cleaned up the beach overnight. Sydney Water technical crews were testing the water quality this morning.
The disappointing part is that this tree root blockage in the sewer pipe was totally preventable.
Cities across Australia are currently using Vaporooter to protect their sewer assets, drastically reducing maintenance costs and preventing sewer overflows like the Poonami that closed Coogee beach.
Vaporooter Helps Strata Prevent $40,000 Sewer Replacement
Location: Clovelly, Sydney
Occupants: Mostly women over 40. 2 with teenage children.
Home: Block of four 2 bedroom flats 2 up, 2 down circa 1920
Trees in Vicinity: Tree lined Street, many large Hills Weeping Fig (Ficus Microcarpa Var.)
In total we have billed this client $9,772.00 for tree root cutting and repairs.
In March 2010, they finally indicated their interest in applying Vaporooter to control the tree roots in and around their sewer pipes.
The quote to apply Vaporooter is $1,586.00. This comes with a 12-month Guarantee.
The estimated cost to renew this sewer around both sides of the building and out to the sewer main in the street is estimated to be an astonishing $40,000.00.
The roots from the trees in this street are widespread and we have attended to blocked drains in houses and unit blocks up and down the street. The roots are getting stronger and without Vaporooter, a full sewer replacement will be the only (costly) alternative.
Some of the residents have indicated that instead of applying Vaporooter, they will lobby the Council to cut down the trees. That would change the entire streetscape and severely diminish their property value above the $40,000 sewer replacement and well beyond the preventative Vaporooter solution that is guaranteed to solve the problem.
This beautiful period block of flats, a 5 minutes walk from the beach is on a street lined with Hills weeping fig trees.
You know the kind; they produce the most beautiful summer shade with birds attracted to the fruit. The branch canopy stretches right across the street. But, so does the root system of these magnificent specimens.
We were first called to this property to attend a blocked drain in May 2005. The problem was tree roots from the specimens on the public footpath at the front of the property. The ground floor flats were the worst affected. Not only did their toilets back up when they flushed them, but when the flats upstairs flushed their toilet, that also came up and sometimes overflowed in the ground floor toilets.
That’s called The U-Tube (poo-tube) effect!
We recommended to the owner occupiers that Vaporooter would control the tree roots in their sewer. They declined to take up the offer.
In the 5 years since, we have attended to this sewer blocked by tree roots 7 times. We have carried out excavations to repair sections of drainage damaged by this aggressive tree root system. This unfortunately includes costly and inconvenient weekend and after hours callouts.
Why choose Vaporooter to Stop Tree Roots in pipes?
Every situation with tree roots in sewer pipes is different!
If you know tree roots are causing your blocked sewer pipes but you’re unsure if Vaporooter will improve your situation, I want you to ring and ask me personally.
As a regular reader of this blog you already know there are several ways to Stop Tree Roots in Drains:
Root cutting: Makes the roots grow back Thicker and Stronger!
Pipe excavation: Damages gardens, lawns and footpaths. It is messy and can be very expensive!
Pipe relining: Its expensive!
Vaporooter will do what all these processes will do…at a fraction of the cost! And treat your entire property.
I think that’s worth considering.
No matter where you are in Australia, if you have a blocked drain caused by tree roots and you want to discuss your particular blocked drain situation, please ring me on 1800 637 600.
Street trees block drains
Are these Beautiful Trees in your street?
Liquid amber, London plane tree, Golden Robinia, Hills weeping fig, Brush box.
Every year as they grow a little bigger their expanding canopy adds thousands of dollars to the value to your home, bringing energy saving cool shade from the summer heat, the beauty of the colours of autumn, some, when they lose their leaves, provide much needed natural lighting and in some cases a windbreak in winter.
These same trees help replenish our oxygen supply and bring birdlife in abundance, a place for the kids to play, making your street one of the most sought after in your suburb.
Imagine your street without the trees.
Now if you have lived in your tree-lined street for some time, you will know that there is a downside to having these trees.
Did you know their luxurious canopy is fed by a root system that is fed nutrition from the non-stop supply running through that main artery from your home, also known as your sewer pipes?
Tree roots are growing around the clock; they don’t just grow overnight. They start, finer than the hairs on your head, searching for that hint of moisture or condensation on the top of your sewer pipes. (Condensation is caused as the water running through the sewer is slightly warmer than the pipes and the earth they are laying in).
Their task has been made easier by the trench excavation, breaking up soils to fit the pipes in the first place. Backfill and compaction is still way easier for tree roots to penetrate than virgin soils.
Once the fine hairs get in through the slightest crack in old earthenware or terra cotta pipe joints, they feast on the nutrients available, and grow constantly. They can end up as thick as your arm with a horse tail attached.
Amazing!
We have cut tree roots from sewers that fit this description and up to 8 metres in length.
As the roots grow in length they grow in diameter and can actually crack the earthenware pipes as they grow.
They don’t just grow overnight.
Who knows how a tree thinks?
Once they get in the pipe and have a constant source of moisture and nutrients they will keep coming back for more. Having their roots cut by drain cleaners is like pruning the roots. As any gardener will tell you, pruning makes them grow thicker and stronger. Think hedges or Rose bush.
It’s the same with the root system.
How Blocked Drains Happen
Sewer and drain pipes may not be very attractive to you, but tree roots love them. Tree roots are lured towards your pipes because of condensation. Moisture builds up around the pipes, more so in summer because the water in the pipes is much cooler than the surrounding environment . Thirsty tree roots lock onto the trail of dampness and creep toward your pipes.
The roots will grow along the pipes until they reach a crack, they may even pry open a loose joint. Once the pipe is breached, the root will grow into it to take advantage of the nutrient-rich material inside.
As the root continues to infiltrate the pipe it grows a bundle of thin root-masses. These masses make the blockage worse by trapping kitchen grease, food oil, and large pieces of drain debris such as toilet paper.
The tree roots will eventually exert so much pressure on the pipe that they will simply destroy the section that they have grown into. The pipe may crack or burst from the outside, or the pressure of the roots on the outside could cause the pipe to collapse in on itself.
Tree roots are not your everyday drain blockage. Most blockages can be quickly cleaned out by your local plumber. The blockages caused by roots that grow into pipes are much more complicated. Even if a plumber is able to eel out the blockage, there will still be damage to the line.
5 Ways to Prevent Blocked Drains
These simple measures will go a long way to prevent roots infiltrating and destroying your sewer pipes
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- Use pipes made of Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for new and replacement drains. PVC pipes are strong enough to repel the tree roots. Experts agree that PVC is the best material for reducing the risk of tree root blockages.
- Don’t plant trees near pipes. This seems simple enough, but many home and business owners don’t realize what constitutes as ‘near’ when we’re talking tree roots. Many Australian trees have roots that have an incredibly wide spread.
- Pick proper foliage. Eucalyptus, for example, can have root systems that spread out as little as 6 metres. Hills Weeping Fig, on the other hand, can have a root spread up to 60 metres.
- Maintain your pipes. Wear and tear, cracks, and leaks can cause nutrient-rich water to seep into the soil around your pipes. This attracts tree roots straight to your pipes.
- Routinely check and clear your sewer drain. Though roots can be attracted to any type of water-bearing line, they are most often lured towards sewer drains. An expert plumber and drain cleaner can come by and clear roots out of your pipes before they become a big problem.
Compare Vaporooter and Stop Tree Roots in Drains.
Blocked drains fixed… Free! What your Plumber doesn’t know
Does your home get blocked drains caused by tree roots? What if I gave you a written guarantee. We’ll fix your blockage for FREE! It sounds crazy, but its true!
It’s a simple process that less than 5% of Australian maintenance plumbers know about. In fact, plumbers don’t want you to know about it ’cause it Stops Tree Roots in Drains. It’s called Vaporooter and it works.
We protect over 328 families who got blocked drains 3-4 times a year before Vaporooter was introduced. Their pipes were blocked by tree roots. Not anymore!
Check out these case studies and learn a little more.
Spring brings shoots and tree roots
Spring in Australia brings new growth to our trees and shrubs. New shoots above ground means the trees are growing underground as well, and new tree roots means blocked drains.
As Australia’s leading authority on tree roots in drains, with over 15,000 blocked drains under my belt and I’ve used all kinds of drain cleaners, its safe to say I know a lot about fixing blocked drains.
Having said that, I can tell you that there is a simple way to Stop Tree Roots in Drains. It’s called Vaporooter!
Over the next few weeks I’ll share some of my blocked drain experiences and how you can prevent them from happening at your place ever again!