Ballarat's goldrush-era streets and old trees sit over clay sewer pipes that have had a long time to crack. Blockage Bros covers Ballarat from Melbourne's west, and the truck that comes up carries everything needed to see, find, clear and reline a drain.
Central Ballarat, Soldiers Hill, Black Hill and the streets around Lake Wendouree have homes dating back to the goldrush: Victorian cottages, miners' houses and grand residences on wide blocks. Many still drain through vitrified clay, joined with mortar that has long since cracked. The city is known for its big old trees, and the elms, oaks, willows and gums in its streets and gardens send roots a long way toward any moisture leaking from a join.
Further out, Sebastopol, Wendouree and Delacombe move from postwar housing to new estates, and the drains change from clay to PVC along the way. Ballarat's cold, wet winters keep the ground damp for months, and heavy clay soils swell and shrink with the seasons, working at old joins. Gully traps on older homes overflow when a winter storm meets a partly blocked line, and autumn leaves add to the load on the stormwater.
Elms, willows and gums can reach a clay sewer from well across the yard and fill it with fine roots. See tree root removal.
Some very old pipes have cracked enough to lose their round shape, and a liner needs a pipe that still holds it. Those lengths are dug out and replaced. See sewer repairs.
A heavy winter downpour meets a sewer already half full of roots, and the water has nowhere to go but up through the gully trap. See blocked drains.
Deciduous street trees drop leaves into gutters and pits each autumn, and a blocked stormwater line floods the yard. See stormwater drain repairs.
Jobs in Ballarat are reached from Melbourne's west, and a person answers 24/7 to hear what the drain is doing and arrange the visit. Wendouree, Sebastopol, Alfredton and Mount Clear sit inside the area too. Central Highlands Water is the authority for Ballarat's sewer mains, while the pipe running from your home out to its connection is generally the owner's. Footage that places the blockage in the main is something to raise with Central Highlands Water.
The same crew, the same camera and the same three priced options on every job in Ballarat.
Roots from Ballarat's big street trees are cleared from the old line, which is then jetted and checked on camera.
Tree root removal →Where the old pipe still holds its shape, a liner seals every cracked join along the run.
Pipe relining →A caved-in length of clay sewer beneath a period home is excavated and replaced, then tested.
Sewer repairs →On homes altered many times over a century, the locator finds where the drain actually goes.
Drain locating →Leaf-choked pits and crushed stormwater pipes are cleared or replaced before the next wet spell.
Stormwater drain repairs →The footage shows the condition of an old Ballarat sewer before anyone decides between a clear, a repair or a reline.
CCTV drain inspection →Also in Ballarat: blocked drains, blocked toilets, drain cleaning & hydro jetting, drain maintenance, static and isolation testing, drain repairs and replacements.
Once the camera shows the cause, your quote gives you all three, each with its own price.
Jetted clear today. The lowest price, but if the pipe is damaged it will block again.
The damaged section located, dug up and replaced. Fixes the cause at that spot.
The run relined or replaced, so roots and breaks cannot come back.
Prices depend on what the camera finds. You see all three before any work starts.
Reviews of McQueen Group. Blockage Bros is its drainage crew: same owner, same technicians.
Massive shout out to Brandon for attending my rental in kurunjang twice in a matter of afew weeks due to a blockage in the drain. He was friendly, extremely professional and efficient in both visits. He did an outstanding job rectifying the issue and for that I am extremely grateful and appreciative for all his efforts and hard work. Thanks Brandon!
Had Chris and his apprentice come and help with a blocked pipe. At all times Chris was very clear and transparent about what work was required and took the time to show using the camera, explaining why the pipe needed replacing. Thanks guys amazing work.
What a great experience! Initially dealt with Ashley to get an emergency booking and she was absolutely fantastic and assured me everything would be okay and the would fix the problem. I had the pleasure of having Harley come out to my place to fix a very smelly blocked drain problem and he was great. Called before arriving and once here, was very transparent with everything he needed to do, reassured me he would be able to fix it and then once he did fix it, made sure it was clean and even turned my fans on to air the crap smell. Will definitely recommend these guys and will 100% use them again if I need to!
Ryan and Michael from McQueen group provided me with thorough and very helpful advice. They did a great job identifying the reason my shower wouldn't drain properly and they fixed the problem efficiently. They were very professional and friendly to deal with. Highly recommended.
Great work by Chris today, really appreciate response to call out on a weekend, and fixed the blockage for us!
Daniel was earlier than scheduled time, he phoned me to advise he was on his way, i appreciate that very much. Attended property for toilet blockage, able to fix promptly and also gave me some tips for moving forward to help avoid blockages, very knowledgeable and assured they'd be back immediately if I experience any further issues. I'm very impressed and would highly recommend. Thanks team
Ryan was fast and efficient at fixing a clogged drainage system. Thanks guys!
Yes. Ballarat is part of the area Blockage Bros covers, with the crew coming up from Melbourne's west. Ring, describe the problem, and you will be told when the crew can get there.
Often, provided the pipe is still round and whole enough to take a liner, which then seals every crack and join from the inside. Any length the footage shows has caved in gets dug out and replaced instead, and the quote spells that out.
That comes down to where the blockage is and what caused it. After the camera has shown the cause, three priced options are set out in writing before any work starts, and you pick one.
A blocked sewer raises a quick question: is this mine, the landlord's or the water authority's? Here is the general picture in Victoria, and why the camera footage settles it.
Read the guide →
Dirty water rising up through the shower or a floor waste is a sign the main sewer line is blocked. Here is what to do in the next ten minutes, and what happens when the crew arrives.
Read the guide →If the same drain blocks again and again, something in the pipe is letting it happen. Here is what usually causes it, why clearing alone only buys time, and how to stop it.
Read the guide →We find it. We fix it. Ring now and someone on call picks up, day or night.