Children aren’t always to blame for sticking the wrong items down the sink and toilet, leading to costly plumbing disasters.
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According to a Sydney plumber some common items that cause blocked drains include nails, hair, paper towels and even tampons.
Today Tonight plumber Matthew Kippos, based in Sydney, said most blocked drains are preventable.
“Some people put tampons, paper towels and wipes down the drain that don’t break down. Some other items I see are hair, nails and sometimes kids will stick strange items down the drain like toothpaste bottles, straws and paddle pop sticks. It can cause a big issue which can be costly when it’s something you can prevent,” Mr Kippos said.
He advises residents to only flush toilet paper down the toilet, while all other items should be placed in garbage bins.
Mr Kippos said repairing blocked drains can cost $49 to hundreds of dollars, depending on the problem.
Meanwhile, Sydney landlord, Dimitri Moskovich urges residents to compare plumbing quotes and to be aware of increased prices for emergency jobs.
“I have gone a very long way from an unsuspected naive flat owner to a landlord who knows how everything works. The price should not be higher than a call out cost for that particular plumber, unless you make it an emergency job,” Mr Moskovich said.
Sydney Water reported one resident was hit with a plumbing bill of $16,000, caused by flushing wipes down the toilet.
One of the most common issues is when oils and food scraps are put down the kitchen sink drain.
“Many of our customers are being hit with expensive plumbing bills because they flush items they shouldn’t or pour fats and oils down their sinks or drains. These can combine with other things that shouldn’t be flushed, which then turn into big, congealed clumps or ‘fatbergs’ in the sewer. Fats and oils should also be placed in a container and disposed of in the bin,” Sydney Water spokesperson, Peter Hadfield said.
Sydney Water said that the wrong items can damage the environment with overflows caused by sewer blockages, but there are simple solutions available.
“We advise to use a simple sink strainer to remove food and other scraps from entering the drain,” Mr Hadfield said.
Some other solutions to avoid a blocked drain is to consider emptying pockets before washing clothes and to consider using disposable shower hair strainers, available at stores such as Bunnings Warehouse.