To find out whose responsibility is it to repair blocked drains - property owner, council or tenant, a plumber should be called to identify the root cause and location of the blockage. If the blocked drains are on your property, it is your responsibility or your tenants.

However, there are a lot of grey areas and there should be ample evidence to pinpoint which party caused the damage. If the blockage is outside your property, your local council is responsible. Contact your local plumber, they can tell you who is responsible for the blocked drains and claim the expenses from the council if needed.

There is no one best way to fix a pipe and before your plumber would even consider pipe relining or pipe patching, we need to determine the cause of the problem itself. In some cases, blockages can be alleviated by the simple use of a high-pressure jet rodding. In order to repair a pipe with current advanced plumbing techniques, it really depends on the type and extent of the damage to the piping in question.

First, the good news - unblocking a drain is, in most cases, straightforward and fast when you ask a true expert like the drainage experts at Brisbane Plumbing & Drainage.

In the early stages - such as when a sink or bath is slow to drain - the looming prospect of a full blockage can be worrying. Many home or property owners may try to 'DIY' the solution to keep costs down, but these types of fixes are normally temporary or not overly effective.

Despite the specialist equipment and experienced know-how you benefit from by putting it in the hands of an expert, the fix is normally just a low-range three-digit cost. And that's a small price to pay for the havoc that complex tree root incursions, damaged pipes and poor installation can cause down the line.

When you ask a licensed, experienced plumber, they'll tell you there are 4 basic warning signs to watch out for when professional help could just avert a total disaster that could cause a huge mess and cost you an arm and a leg.

First, watch out for that toilet. Is the waste draining away as it should? Second, watch out for slow draining in other areas of the house, especially the kitchen, bathroom or other wet areas. Gurgling noises and foul smells are also a red flag to keep an eagle eye on because once a blockage becomes complex and total, it can be too late - and then you'll be needing a 24/7 emergency plumbing call-out and counting the damage in the thousands.

A blocked drain can absolutely be an emergency - and one that not only disrupts your life but costs you thousands in repairs and damaged assets and potentially even health impacts. After all, plumbing & drainage was one of the major advances of the 20th century in terms of keeping our homes and bodies healthy and disease-free.

Luckily, Brisbane Plumbing & Drainage have an emergency plumbing team on call 24/7 - and we really mean 24/7, and we really mean 365 days a year, too! That's because a blockage can result in flooding or devastating leaks, and those situations can spiral out of control in a matter of seconds. And with every passing second after that, you could be counting in the thousands of dollars.

Uncontrolled waste is also the perfect breeding ground for bacteria such as salmonella, which can even be fatal for vulnerable people, and your problem could even spill beyond the bounds of your property, making it even more urgent. Generally, our rule is this: If it feels like a plumbing emergency, it most certainly IS a plumbing emergency - so don't hesitate.