If you have recently noticed water pooling around your yard after a good downpour of rain, you may be wondering what’s causing the sudden flooding on your property.
If it’s been a while since the rain stopped but the water hasn’t gone down, the chances are good that you may have a blocked stormwater drain, or your stormwater drainage may be poorly designed.
If this is the case, you need to start thinking about how you’re going to unblock your drain ASAP and prepare for any large rain events in the coming months. With storm season well on its way, a blocked stormwater drain could spell disaster for your property if a large volume of water is trapped and the only way it can go is into your property.
So, are you ready for storm season? Unblock your stormwater drains now with our expert stormwater plumbers on the Central Coast.
Prevention can save you a lot of time and trouble
A blocked stormwater drain can be a huge problem, especially if you live in an area that receives lots of rain and all at once.
Rather than letting your drains become blocked and risking damage to your property due to flooding, you should attempt to keep your drains clear. Regular maintenance and clearing of any debris throughout the year can help avoid a lot of trouble and costly repairs down the road.
What can cause a blocked stormwater drain?
There are a number of contributing factors that can lead to a blocked stormwater drain. These causes are often environmental and will require you to be on the lookout for them. Take a look at some possible causes here:
- Tree roots growing into or through the stormwater drains
- Dirt and debris buildup
- Leaves and garden debris at the entrance
- Sludge buildup
- Sediment accumulation
- Lack of maintenance leading to drain damage and collapse
How to tell if your stormwater drains are blocked?
Generally, it is fairly easy to tell if your stormwater drains are blocked. You will often be able to observe a few different indicators that all is not right with your drains. These can include:
- An unpleasant odour coming from your drain
- Gurgling sounds that can indicate a blockage
- Water levels that are much higher than they should be
- Slow water drainage from your property which can indicate that water is having difficulty moving through the drain or pipe
How do you unblock stormwater drains?
Whether or not unblocking your stormwater drains is going to be a simple task or not, will depend on what kind of blockage it is. If it’s a simple case of garden debris blocking your stormwater drain cover, you can clear away this debris yourself when it’s dry.
Just be sure to take safety precautions, and if it looks like it may be a difficult job, get a professional in to assess the situation for you. If it looks to be a more serious blockage, then it’s time to call in the experts.
Professional plumbers will have specialised equipment with them such as high-pressure water jetters and cameras which are designed to get the job done quickly and safely.
If you attempt to fix any issues yourself, be aware that you probably won’t have the same technology and insight as a professional plumber, so if you get started on what appears to be a simple fix, this may turn into a very frustrating job that could be resolved much more effectively by an expert the first time around.
When it comes to stormwater drains, it’s always a good idea to consider the following do’s and don’ts:
Do:
- Keep your yard clear of leaves and garden debris that can be swept into your drains
- Clear away the drain covers and grates on sunny days to make sure they are not covered in debris
- Call in a professional if your drain smells particularly bad – there may be foreign substances in there
- Use necessary safety gear if you are going to try and clear the blocked drain yourself.
Don’t:
- Attempt to unblock your drain during a heavy storm or flood – this is dangerous and you could be seriously injured in the process
- Do not pour any chemicals down your drain
- Do not dispose of anything such as food waste, garbage, chemicals or paint down the drain – this can cause a tough blockage
- Don’t try to clear out a blockage that is deep within the drain or hard to get to; call in a professional plumber to clear it up for you.
Call in a professional to help
If you think that your stormwater drains are blocked and you need assistance unblocking them, get in touch with a professional.
A plumber will not only be able to unblock your drains for you, but they will be able to assess the pipes and ensure that they are strong and stable.
Utilising special cameras they can see into the drains to make sure that nothing invasive such as tree roots are going to cause you problems in the near future.
Need help getting your stormwater drains ready for storm season?
If you think that your stormwater drains are blocked and you need assistance getting them cleared out, we can help.
The team at O'Brien Plumbing Wyong are experts when it comes to plumbing and stormwater maintenance and repairs. Get in touch with us today and see just how we can help you and your home get storm-ready.
