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Precision Pipes

Blocked drain or toilet? Do this before it overflows

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No call-out fee · Usually same-day · 180+ five-star reviews

Step 1 — right now

Do this before you do anything else

This costs nothing and doesn’t need us. It’s the difference between a mop and an insurance claim.

The base of a toilet pan where it meets the floor, the first place to look when a blockage backs up
  1. 1

    Stop flushing and stop running water

    Every extra litre has nowhere to go. This is the single thing that decides whether you’re mopping a floor or replacing carpet.

  2. 2

    Toilet about to overflow? Shut off its water

    There’s a small tap on the wall behind or beside the pan. Turn it clockwise until it stops. The cistern won’t refill and the pan can’t overflow.

  3. 3

    Check whether more than one fixture is affected

    If the shower gurgles when you flush, or two fixtures are slow, the blockage is in the main sewer line — stop using water in the house entirely.

  4. 4

    Don’t reach for caustic drain cleaner

    It rarely shifts an established blockage, it damages older pipework and seals, and it sits in the trap making the line genuinely hazardous for whoever opens it next.

Step 2 — what it probably is

The usual causes, in plain English

  • Tree roots at a pipe joint

    Extremely common across the Hills and Hornsby, where mature trees sit over old clay sewer lines jointed every 600mm.

  • Fat and food build-up

    The usual kitchen culprit. Fat goes down warm, hits cold pipe a metre along, and sets.

  • A cracked or sunken pipe

    If the same drain blocks more than once a year, something structural is wrong and clearing it again won’t fix it.

Step 3 — what it costs

So you know before you ring

One fixture is the cheapest job we do.

A single blocked fixture is the cheapest job we do. A blocked main line needing high-pressure jetting is more, and tree roots more again. Depth and access matter. We run a camera before and after either way, so you can see what caused it and that it is actually clear.

  • No call-out fee
  • Fixed price before we start
  • Lifetime labour warranty

Step 4 — get it fixed

Ring us, or we’ll ring you

Calling gets you an answer fastest. If you’d rather not wait on the phone, leave your details and we’ll call you back.

Call 0406 711 214

  • Lifetime labour warranty

    Every job we do is backed for as long as you own the property.

  • Fully licensed & insured

    NSW Licence NSW LICENCE PENDING. Compliance certificates on every job.

  • No call-out fee

    We don’t charge to turn up, and we don’t charge to quote.

  • Fixed price up front

    You approve the price before we start. It doesn’t move afterwards.

Book a plumber

We’ve filled in what’s wrong — just add your details.

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Include your suburb and we’ll tell you how soon we can be there.

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What people say

5.0 from 180+ Google reviews
  • “Excellent service, very friendly and went above and beyond to get what was needed done.”
    Google reviewReviewer name not published
  • “Great communication, Colin was professional, polite and friendly and did a magnificent job. Highly recommend for any plumbing needs.”
    Google reviewReviewer name not published

Still wondering

Common questions

Stop flushing, then turn the small isolation tap on the wall behind or beside the pan clockwise until it stops. That prevents the cistern refilling. If water is already at the rim, don’t flush again to 'clear' it.

Because the underlying cause was never found. Usually tree roots at a joint, a crack, or a section of pipe that has sunk and now holds water. A drain camera identifies which in about fifteen minutes — until you know, you’re paying for the same clear over and over.

Almost always. Blocked drains are priority work because a blocked main line can back sewage up inside the house.

More about our blocked drains service

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