Let’s be honest. Your drains will eventually get clogged. When this occurs, you must determine which type of plumbing specialist you need to call for the issue.
Most people believe that a plumber can do anything, while all plumbers are able to handle most fundamental issues related to small-home plumbing like broken taps, leaking taps, faulty hot water systems and blocked toilets. Not all plumbers are qualified to do certain tasks, like gas work and specialised drainage work.
Knowing what kind of plumbing work you need will assist you in determining which tradesperson you will need to contact.
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General Blocked Drain Plumbers
In general, any plumbing work that involves water inside or outside a property requires the services of a plumber. Some general water supply work that a common blocked drain plumber can certainly handle includes basic drain problems like a blocked toilet that just needs plunging, fixing a broken kitchen tap or a leaking shower head.
Blocked Drain Drainers
In order for a plumber to conduct drainage work, especially underground drainage work, they must first obtain a drainers licence.
If the plumbing problem necessitates the removal of water, especially wastewater, from the house or property, a drainer or drainage specialist is required, particularly for sewer and stormwater drainage problems.
So, if your toilet is dripping water uncomfortably out of your drainpipes, you should contact a drainer or a plumber who specialises in drainage work because this involves water draining outside of your house or property.
This also applies to a kitchen sink drain that is clogged and not draining water. Again, since this is wastewater that should be going outdoors, the best person to contact is a drainer or a plumber who specialises in drainage.
Drainer’s work using a specialised range of tools and equipment, some of the work they specialise in includes:
- Maintenance of drainage systems
- Pipe relining
- Sewer maintenance
- Blocked drain cleaning and repair
- Baths and toilets that are clogged
However, this is not to suggest that a general blocked drain plumber would not be able to assist you in unblocking your pipe. But if clearing the drain requires advanced tools and equipment, a plumber/drainer is definitely the right option.
A drainer specialises in drain problems that include surveying and determining blockage issues underground, which necessitates the use of a CCTV camera. They also specialise in drainpipe issues caused by roots, destruction, or collapsed pipes. They are particularly useful if you need to restore or upgrade the current drainage system.
The easiest way to assess if your plumbing issue requires a general plumber or a specialised drainer is to ask yourself, do I have a problem with water going in or water going out?
If your problem relates to water coming in, a general plumber or a specialised blocked drain plumber can help solve your issue.
If your problem relates to water going out, you are best to call a drainer.
How Do I Know If My Plumber is a Licenced Blocked Drain Plumber or Drainer?
If you need plumbing services, it is critical to ensure that the tradesperson doing the work is appropriately licenced and skilled. All licenced plumbers in Sydney will have a licence number, and often plumbers will actively display it on their website or on other marketing materials.
It may also be beneficial to note that there is a difference between a tradesperson and a contractor. A contractor completes work without supervision, while a tradesperson requires some type of minimal supervision.
A contractor can sign off on work once the job is completed, but a tradesperson cannot; therefore, it may be best to contact a contractor first. A tradesperson’s credentials can only be granted to an individual and are valid for three years, while contractor licenses can be issued to persons, businesses, and associations and are valid for one or three years.
Contractor licenses can be granted in any field of plumbing, drainage, and gas fitting work. While tradesperson credentials can only be issued in those areas of plumbing, draining, and gas plumbing work, including water plumber (fire safety systems), water plumbing (urban irrigation), draining, and gas fitting.
Although, no matter if you hire a contractor or a tradesperson blocked drain plumber, before they begin the project, make sure you check out their previous works and client reviews to ensure they are suitable for the job.
When Should You Call a Blocked Drain Plumber?
When you have a mess on your hands, you want to clean up as soon as possible. You may be tempted to use a drain cleaner for a fast and inexpensive repair, but the drain cleaner will more than likely cause harm to your pipes, resulting in a more costly problem for a blocked drain plumber.
Plumbers and block drain plumbers can handle any amount of clogging severity, so having an Experienced Blocked Drain Plumber come out to repair the damage as soon as possible is the best idea. However, if you have more than one drain in your house that is clogging up or if there is a sewer odour in the air, you must contact a plumber immediately so they can snake the drainpipe.