Interwar bungalows, postwar weatherboards, units and new townhouses often share a single Preston street, and so do very different drains. The camera goes down first, so the fix suits the pipe you actually have.
Preston's housing went up in waves. The southern streets toward Thornbury have Californian bungalows and Edwardian homes from the early 1900s; further north, postwar weatherboards and brick veneers fill the grid. Both eras used vitrified clay sewer pipe, and both now show its weaknesses: cracked collars, joins pushed out of line and roots that have found a way through. A drain that has been cleared a few times without a camera is often hiding all three.
Infill has changed the picture. Many Preston blocks now hold townhouses where a single house stood, with new PVC drains that often join an older line somewhere along the way. The reactive clay soil moves through the seasons and strains exactly that kind of connection, while mature street trees and backyard figs supply the roots. When a drain here blocks, the camera usually shows one of three things: roots in clay, a misaligned join between old and new pipe, or a build-up of fat and wipes.
Shifting soil pushes pipe sections out of line, leaving a lip that catches waste every time the toilet is flushed. See drain repairs.
A tree several metres from the drain can still reach it, and roots enter at the smallest gap. See tree root removal.
In newer PVC drains, cooking fat and wipes cause more trouble than roots do. See drain cleaning & hydro jetting.
A Preston job usually starts at the gully trap or an inspection opening beside the house. The camera runs to the property connection point, the locator marks any fault from the surface, and the line is jetted clear and tested. Past that connection the sewer belongs to Yarra Valley Water; on the house side it is generally the owner's, so a fault the camera finds in the main goes to Yarra Valley Water.
Northcote, Thornbury, Coburg and Reservoir are covered on the same run as Preston. Someone is on call 24/7, so a Saturday night backup can be talked through on the night rather than left for Monday.
The same crew, the same camera and the same three priced options on every job in Preston.
Where a clay section has shifted out of line, the damaged length is replaced through one small dig and tested.
Drain repairs and replacements →Before buying a Preston bungalow, a camera inspection shows the condition of the original sewer drain.
CCTV drain inspection →Jetting removes fat and wipes from townhouse drains without harming the PVC.
Drain cleaning & hydro jetting →A root cutter on the jetter hose trims the growth flush and flushes it away, then the camera checks the line is clear.
Tree root removal →Relining seals a long clay run under a driveway or slab without lifting it.
Pipe relining →Isolation testing proves whether a townhouse connection into an older line is leaking.
Static and isolation testing →Also in Preston: blocked drains, blocked toilets, drain maintenance, drain locating, sewer repairs, stormwater drain repairs.
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.
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!
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!
For an older home, yes. The footage shows roots, cracks and displaced joins in the sewer drain, which a building inspection usually does not look at.
Yes. If the new PVC line ties into an older clay drain, a fault in the old section blocks both. The camera follows the line past the connection to find it.
You explain what the drain is doing, the camera goes in and you watch the footage. The fault is located, the line cleared and tested, and you get three priced options in writing for the permanent fix.
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.