Every home in Australia will suffer from blocked drains from time to time. Sometimes this comes down to people flushing items in the toilet which should not really go down there, such as sanitary pads, for example. This means that problems may occur on your property which can cause a back-up of solid material. However, since most domestic drains connect to the mains sewer out in the street, you may also suffer from drainage problems that have been caused by neighbouring properties. Things like fat that have been poured down into the sink can cause blockages in sewer connections, for instance. Not only does this mean that wastewater will not flow away properly, but you may notice that stormwater drains also fail to cope when there is a downpour. Clearing sewer connections from inspection covers on your own is possible, but it's usually better to get a professional to do this sort of work instead. Why is this?
Working Safely in the Street
Firstly, most inspection covers on your property will be relatively easy to pick up so you can look into the corresponding drainage inspection pit with ease. However, most sewer connections, where a local drain connects to the main sewer, have much heavier covers. Not only are these tough to pick up on your own, but they often require special tools in order to remove them. Not only will a professional have these tools but he or she should have the right sort of safety equipment to ensure that road users go around an open sewer connection without causing an accident, too.
Danger From Fast-Flowing Water
If you are trying to deal with an overflowing drainage point when there is a high level of rain, it can be dangerous. This is particularly so when stormwater drains are running at overcapacity because there is a blockage further down the system. In such cases, the flow of the water can be surprisingly strong, and the last thing you want is to be knocked over or even pulled into a drainage point because you have underestimated the flow. Again, specialist training is extremely useful in this regard.
Specialist Blockage Clearing Kit
Most people are only able to use drainage rods in order to clear a waste pipe running away from their home. Although these are designed for anyone to use, they do require a degree of physical strength, especially when you are rodding a considerable distance away from where the blockage happens to be. This is not the case with professionals who will often have other methods at their disposal to clear stormwater drains and sewers. In some cases, high-pressure water jets are now used which force their way along a blocked pipe. These can clear away even the toughest of materials, such as congealed fat, for example.