The 6 Top Reasons Your Plumbing Is Blocked

Functional plumbing is something a lot of us in Australia take for granted. But the truth is, it can be all too easy to find yourself at the business end of a blocked pipe.

Here is our countdown of the top 6 reasons your plumbing might be blocked, how you can fix the issue, and ways to mitigate your risk going forward.

6. Fat Blockage

A lot of people wash the fat from a frying pan down their kitchen sink with nary a second thought. What most don’t realise is that it’s common for the fat to cool and solidify while still in your pipes. As the fat builds up over time, you can find yourself with a severe blockage that’s incredibly hard to budge without the proper equipment.

If you suspect a fat blockage in your pipes it’s best to get a professional plumber involved. They’ll be able to dislodge the fat with the proper tools and get your pipes back in working order.

To avoid the issue of a fat blockage in the first place, refrain from tipping any excess grease and fat from your frying pan down your drain. Instead, tip it into a container and throw it out with your food scraps.

5. Toilet Paper Blockage

Unsurprisingly, this blockage occurs in the toilet. Sometimes excess toilet paper can block or clog your toilet drainage.

This is usually a fairly minor blockage. Plunging the toilet is often enough to dislodge the toilet paper and get things running smoothly again.

4. Foreign Objects

This problem is particularly common in households with small children. Some kids have a seemingly endless fascination with flushing the toilet and all it takes is one toy dropped into the bowl to cause a blockage.

In fact, any item other than toilet paper can cause issues if flushed down the toilet. Sanitary items like pads and tampons are common culprits. Baby wipes and nappies have also caused many a plumber headaches.

A good rule of thumb: if it’s not toilet paper, don’t try to flush it.

3. Concrete or Grout Blockage

If you’ve recently moved into a newly built or renovated house only to get blocked drain after blocked drain, you might have your tilers to thank for it.

Some tilers don’t dispose of leftover grout from their work appropriately, instead they pour it down the drain. The grout or concrete will then settle at the bottom of the pipes and set, leaving the pipe partially blocked and prone to issues.

This one is an issue for the professionals. Plumbers will use either a jet rodder or a robotic cutter to remove the set concrete in the pipe. In severe cases, the pipe will need to be entirely dug up and replaced.

2. Tree Roots

Even if you have no large trees in your yard, tree roots might be the cause of your blocked pipes. Roots can travel long distances in search of water, particularly in times of drought or low rainfall.

Even very small breaks or cracks in your pipes can give roots access enough to block up your system. Badly glued joints can also be all tree roots need to take over.

If you suspect tree roots are the cause of your blocked pipes then it’s time to call the professionals. A licensed plumber will have the tools necessary to properly clear the roots from your pipes.

1. Bad Installation

Plumbing is a licensed trade for a reason. Pipes laid incorrectly can cause any number of issues that can lead to blockages or even structural damage to your property.

A couple of common issues associated with bad installation include:

Pipe Backfall

This is an issue where the pipes are laid without the requisite minimum fall to keep water flowing fast enough through the pipe. Pipe backfall can cause paper and other sediments to settle to the bottom of the pipe, eventually creating blockages.

Crushed or Collapsed Pipes

Crushed or collapsed pipes commonly occur if the pipes aren’t laid deep enough underground. Failure to surround underground pipes with sufficient sand or gravel is another common cause.

Pipes laid incorrectly can easily break when heavy vehicles such as a car or truck travel over them. Even tiny cracks can invite tree roots to cause blockages, but a partially or fully crushed pipe can spell a major problem.

Get Quality Plumbing Services in Brisbane

Blocked plumbing can happen to anyone, but not everyone is qualified to fix the issue. SJK Collective plumbers are certified professionals who’ve been dealing with plumbing issues in Brisbane for years. We’ve got you covered.

Responsive, excellent communication, team members on time, pleasant to deal with and across all details of my order. Couldn’t recommend this company more. Professional and an example to other companies on great customer experience. Thank you for the recommendation Jordan, the great work Egan and Ben and great customer service and communication Lincoln and Mikaela! Would definitely recommend this company for any future electrical and plumbing needs!

Dean Gradidge

SJK Collective were prompt, professional and punctual. They phoned me directly, which was appreciated than just getting a text message, and they confirmed the appointment the day before attending. The technician that turned up (Nathan), was friendly, professional and knowledgeable, and was able to point out several easy but practical maintenance tips. Would happily use SJK again.

Mag “Magpye” Pye

We had Nathan and Jeff out today to service three air conditioners. They were extremely professional, thoughtful, highly knowledgeable, and very efficient. We were incredibly impressed and would unreservedly recommend them! Many thanks for such excellent work and fitting us in-- especially during such a busy time!

Katie R
These guys are awesome! We needed our sewer pipes redirected after a pool dig and it was a fairly complicated job due to the layout of our yard. Everyone was so helpful from the first phone call to arrange the job right through to Jesse and his apprentice finishing the job. Jesse was easy to deal with and very professional. The workmanship was superb and our pool contractors even commented on the high standard. Thank you SJK Collective!

K Jarman

Excellent service, especially after hours. Reasonable callout fees too. Definitely give these guys a try. Updating this review to include a comment on their recent installation of our kitchen rangehood. Neat and tidy, no fuss, and the electricians were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommended.

Elly “Elly” Bruce

We started using SJK to get our aircon cleaned and serviced. Because of how great they were we contacted them to use their plumbing service when we had a leak at our water meter. After initially contacting the service recommended by Urban Utilities and finding ourselves frustrated, SJK responded quickly and had the issue fixed before the "recommended" repairer had even returned a quote. We've since used the plumbing service on a number of occasions and have always been happy with the professionalism, demeanor, and work quality of the technicians.

David Lewis
We had SJK install a new Fujitsu ducted air at home. The service was great! Guys were very punctual, personable and professional. They gave us confidence the job was done really well. We are really happy to recommend!

Ros Moran

Nathan and Dom were so professional when they installed the air conditioners to our property. They were on time, only too happy to remove their shoes and kept the areas where they worked clean and tidy. They cleaned up everything and took all their rubbish away. They were polite and just so lovely to deal with. Such a credit to your company. Thanks again Nathan and Dom!

Kerri King

SJK was wonderful to deal with. Nick that came out on site was very professional and great with getting the required job completed. Really appreciate the efforts and would definitely use them again.

Pratibha Ratish

Responsive, excellent communication, team members on time, pleasant to deal with and across all details of my order. Couldn’t recommend this company more. Professional and an example to other companies on great customer experience. Thank you for the recommendation Jordan, the great work Egan and Ben and great customer service and communication Lincoln and Mikaela! Would definitely recommend this company for any future electrical and plumbing needs!

Dean Gradidge
SJK Collective were prompt, professional and punctual. They phoned me directly, which was appreciated than just getting a text message, and they confirmed the appointment the day before attending. The technician that turned up (Nathan), was friendly, professional and knowledgeable, and was able to point out several easy but practical maintenance tips. Would happily use SJK again.

Mag “Magpye” Pye
We had Nathan and Jeff out today to service three air conditioners. They were extremely professional, thoughtful, highly knowledgeable, and very efficient. We were incredibly impressed and would unreservedly recommend them! Many thanks for such excellent work and fitting us in-- especially during such a busy time!

Katie R
These guys are awesome! We needed our sewer pipes redirected after a pool dig and it was a fairly complicated job due to the layout of our yard. Everyone was so helpful from the first phone call to arrange the job right through to Jesse and his apprentice finishing the job. Jesse was easy to deal with and very professional. The workmanship was superb and our pool contractors even commented on the high standard. Thank you SJK Collective!

K Jarman
Excellent service, especially after hours. Reasonable callout fees too. Definitely give these guys a try. Updating this review to include a comment on their recent installation of our kitchen rangehood. Neat and tidy, no fuss, and the electricians were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommended.

Elly “Elly” Bruce
We started using SJK to get our aircon cleaned and serviced. Because of how great they were we contacted them to use their plumbing service when we had a leak at our water meter. After initially contacting the service recommended by Urban Utilities and finding ourselves frustrated, SJK responded quickly and had the issue fixed before the "recommended" repairer had even returned a quote. We've since used the plumbing service on a number of occasions and have always been happy with the professionalism, demeanor, and work quality of the technicians.

David Lewis
We had SJK install a new Fujitsu ducted air at home. The service was great! Guys were very punctual, personable and professional. They gave us confidence the job was done really well. We are really happy to recommend!

Ros Moran
Nathan and Dom were so professional when they installed the air conditioners to our property. They were on time, only too happy to remove their shoes and kept the areas where they worked clean and tidy. They cleaned up everything and took all their rubbish away. They were polite and just so lovely to deal with. Such a credit to your company. Thanks again Nathan and Dom!

Kerri King
SJK was wonderful to deal with. Nick that came out on site was very professional and great with getting the required job completed. Really appreciate the efforts and would definitely use them again.

Pratibha Ratish
I recently had Matt from SJK install a sink under my house and from turning up on time to give the quote and then again turning up on time to do the installation the service was great. Matt was friendly very professional and in a tricky plumbing situation and his work was fantastic I intend to use SJK for my air conditioning needs very soon and look forward to the same great service that I now know that SJK provides. Cheers Peter Ellis

Peter & Carmel Ellis

Need help with blocked plumbing? Get in touch today to see how we can help you

SJK Collective

SJK Collective are a team of experts who will get the job done affordably and professionally! Situated in Brisbane, SJK Collective is a locally owned company who have been around for over 10 years. With a motto of ‘no problems, only solutions’ SJK Collective offers a full scale electrical, air conditioning, plumbing, gas and solar service to Brisbane and surrounding regions.