Several drains back up at once
A sink, a shower and a toilet all slow at the same time can only share one cause: the line they all drain into.
SEWER LINE BLOCKAGES · CAMERA · JETTING · RELINING
Blocked Sewer Drains Caboolture
When more than one fixture backs up at once, the problem is the sewer line under the house or yard, not a single drain. Caboolture Plumbing and Hot Water finds where the main line is blocked, clears it with a high-pressure jetter and tells you whether the pipe itself needs repair.
QBCCLicensed plumbersLocalKing St, CabooltureBookOnline bookingCCTVSewer line cameras
Main line cleared and inspectedBook online or call
On the tools
Signs the sewer main is blocked
Toilets gurgle or bubble
Air pushed back through the water seal when another fixture drains means the line downstream is restricted.
Water at the overflow relief gully
The grated gully outside is designed to overflow before the house does. Sewage there confirms a main line blockage.
Sewage smell inside or outside
A dry or overflowing gully and a partly blocked line both let sewer gas escape where you can smell it.
Wet or lush patches in the yard
A cracked sewer line leaks into the soil around it. Grass that grows greener along one strip is a common giveaway.
Blockages that keep coming back
If the same line blocks every few months, roots or a broken section are the cause and clearing alone will not fix it.
What causes sewer blockages in Caboolture homes
Older homes around the Caboolture town centre and along the river still have earthenware sewer lines with cement joints. Tree roots find the joints, grow into the pipe and catch everything that passes. In our experience that is the most common cause of repeat sewer blockages in the established streets.
In the newer estates at Bellmere, Morayfield, Upper Caboolture and Burpengary the sewer is PVC and roots are rarer. There the blockage is usually wipes, sanitary products, fat from the kitchen, or a section of pipe that has sagged where the ground settled.
Heavy wet-season rain adds to the load. Stormwater that finds its way into a cracked sewer line fills it faster than it can drain, so a line that copes in dry weather backs up during a storm.
How the sewer line is cleared
Camera inspection
A camera travels the line from the gully or an inspection opening and shows what is blocking it, how far along, and whether the pipe is damaged.
High-pressure jetting
A jetter cuts roots and grease and flushes the debris to the sewer. It cleans the full length of the line rather than punching one hole through the blockage.
Root cutting
Heavy root masses are cut with a rotating head before jetting. Roots will regrow, so the camera then tells us whether relining is worth it.
Pipe relining
A resin liner cured inside the damaged section seals the joints roots were using. No trench, and the driveway or garden stays intact.
Pipe reliningGood to know
Who owns which part of the sewer
In the City of Moreton Bay, Unitywater owns and maintains the sewer main in the street and the connection point at the property boundary. The house drain from your fixtures to that connection point belongs to the property owner.
That matters because the camera sometimes shows the blockage past the connection point. When it does, we tell you, and you report it to Unitywater rather than paying us to clear a pipe that is theirs to fix.
If you rent, the owner or property manager arranges sewer work, so contact them first and they can book us directly.
What a sewer clear includes
What a sewer clear includes
The job is not finished when the water goes down. We confirm the line is clear along its length and tell you what to change so it stays that way.
- Check of every fixture and the overflow relief gully
- Camera inspection before and after clearing where damage is suspected
- Jetting of the full run to the connection point
- A clear explanation of the cause and whether the pipe needs repair
How it works
1
Call or book online
Tell us which drains are affected and whether water is coming up anywhere. That decides what goes on the van.
2
Find the cause
The plumber checks the fixtures, the overflow gully and the inspection openings, and runs the camera when the cause is not obvious.
3
Price before work
You get the price for the clear before we start. Relining or replacement is quoted separately if the camera shows damage.
4
Clear, test, explain
The line is cleared, checked with water running and, where damage was involved, inspected again with the camera. You are told what caused it.
Questions answered
How do I know it is the sewer main and not one drain?
One slow fixture is a local blockage. Two or more fixtures affected, a toilet that gurgles when the shower runs, or sewage at the overflow gully outside all point to the shared sewer line.
Sewage is coming out of the grate in my yard. Is that normal?
That grate is the overflow relief gully. It is designed to release sewage outside rather than into the house when the main line blocks, so it is working as intended. Stop using water and call us.
Will you need to dig up the yard?
Rarely. Most sewer blockages are cleared through the gully or an inspection opening. A cracked or root-damaged section is usually relined from inside. Digging is for collapsed pipe or a run with the wrong fall.
Can chemical drain cleaners clear a sewer blockage?
No. They do not dissolve roots or a plug of wipes, they can damage older earthenware pipe, and they leave a hazard in the line for the plumber who opens it. Stop using water and call instead.
Sewer backing up in Caboolture?
Stop using water, find the overflow gully, then call 1300 568 203 or book online. We will confirm the visit and what to do until we arrive.