Stirling, SA
Blocked drains in Stirling
Stirling has the oldest drainage, the biggest trees and the heaviest rainfall in the Adelaide Hills. We clear the drains properly, seven days a week, twenty minutes from our base.
Why Stirling blocks
It is almost always the trees
Stirling, Aldgate and Crafers sit in a band of large mature exotics and remnant gums planted over housing stock that mostly predates PVC drainage. Underneath a good proportion of those gardens is vitrified clay pipe with mortared joins. It is not a coincidence that Stirling generates more blocked drain calls per house than anywhere else we work.
Clay is a perfectly good pipe until a join moves. Once there is a hairline gap the drain is broadcasting warm moisture and nutrient into dry summer soil, and every root within reach comes to it. What starts as a few hairs through a join becomes a rope of root filling the pipe, and everything in the line catches on it.
Then there is the rain. Stirling averages roughly twice Adelaide's annual rainfall, so a line that is already restricted gets asked to carry a lot more water, and it surcharges. That is the point people usually ring us, with a gully overflowing in the middle of a July downpour.
Steep blocks make it worse again. Retrofitted runs cut around the contour often have less fall than they should, so anything solid drops out in the flat sections and builds up until the line stops.
The other thing Stirling throws at you is stormwater and sewer meeting where they should not. On a lot of older central Hills properties the stormwater was retrofitted at some point, and after a heavy night you get a sewer gully surcharging because it is taking roof water it was never meant to carry. Clearing the drain fixes today. Finding the illegal connection fixes it for good, and the camera is what tells the two apart.
How we clear it
Cutting roots out, not just pushing through them
An electric eel punched through a root mass gives you a clear drain for a fortnight. It bores a hole through the middle of the blockage and leaves the root structure attached to the pipe wall, ready to fill straight back in.
We use high pressure water jetting with root cutting heads. The jet cuts the root off at the pipe wall and scours the bore back to clean pipe, then flushes the debris out of the line rather than leaving it downstream to catch the next lot. Jetting at the correct pressure cuts root, not sound pipe.
Then we put the camera back down to see what the pipe actually looks like underneath, because a heavily rooted line usually has a defect that will keep letting roots in. Where that is the case we show you the footage and quote you on repairing that section, dug or relined. We would rather fix your drain once than clear it every winter, even if the second option is better business for us.
As well as Stirling we are through Aldgate, Bridgewater, Crafers, Crafers West, Heathfield, Piccadilly, Uraidla, Summertown, Mylor and Stirling East most weeks, so if you are in the central Hills we are already up your way.
For an older Stirling home, a camera inspection is worth doing before there is a problem rather than after. A rooted or collapsed sewer line is a five figure repair that no building inspection will pick up, and knowing about it while you still have options is a far better position than finding out when the laundry backs up on a Sunday night. Assigned Plumbing is fully licensed, PGE-274459, with 98 reviews at 4.9 across Google and Facebook.
We quote before we start, every time. You will know what the job costs and what it covers before anyone touches your drain, and if we find something else down there we stop and talk to you rather than adding it to the invoice.
What we do in Stirling
Drain clearing, root cutting and pipe repair
Tree root removal, CCTV inspections including pre purchase, high pressure jetting, surcharging drains and cracked clay pipe repair.
Experienced blocked drain plumbers
Tree roots, foreign objects or structural defects — our licensed team quickly diagnoses and clears the blockage.
High-tech drain cameras
We camera the line to locate the blockage with precision — no need to dig up your property.
Drain & sewer repairs
From a simple blockage to a complex sewer problem, we have the tools and expertise to fix it fast.
Burst pipe repairs
A burst pipe needs immediate attention. We carry the fittings to stop the leak on the spot.
Prompt, friendly and on time
Reliable service that turns up when we say, so you can get back to your routine without delay.
Honest, upfront pricing
You will know the price before we start — no call-out surprises and no fixing what is not broken.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to clear a blocked drain in Stirling?
We camera the line first, then give you a fixed price before any work starts. What it costs depends on whether it is a simple blockage or a rooted clay line that needs cutting. Quotes are free.
Can you get here today?
Often yes, and we take emergency calls seven days a week. Stirling is about twenty minutes from our base in Mount Barker.
My drain has been cleared twice before and keeps blocking. Why?
Because nobody has fixed the cause. A line that reblocks has a defect letting roots or ground water in, and the only way to know is to camera it. We will find it and show you.
Will the jetter damage my old clay pipes?
No. Jetting at the correct pressure cuts root rather than sound pipe. Where a pipe is already broken the camera shows us that before we start and we change the approach.
Do you do pre purchase drain inspections?
Yes, and on an older Stirling property it is money well spent. A rooted or collapsed sewer line is a five figure problem that a building inspection will not find.
Do you cover Aldgate, Bridgewater and Crafers?
Yes, along with Heathfield, Piccadilly, Uraidla, Summertown and Mylor. We run the central Hills constantly.
What we do
Our Services
Plumbing & gas services across Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills and surrounding areas.
Excellent · 98 reviews on Google and Facebook
What our customers say
Highly recommend Ash and the team at Assigned Plumbing for a great service, excellent response and high level of quality works completed at our place in Birdwood. The team responded to our stormwater leaks in a very timely manner, finished the job rapidly, tested and verified before providing sound advice on some future improvements. Will call on again in the future for all my plumbing maintenance and projects. Thanks team!
MAfter seeing my latest water bill had tripled I discovered I had an underground leak at the metre , luckily assigned plumbing was able to come the same day I rang them, fixed the leak and had the water back on for the weekend
SAshley and his team (Max and Darcy) are excellent – prompt, efficient, polite and respectful. Great service at a very reasonable cost. Highly recommended.
EGreat service and professional advice to help with positioning and install of wood heater at home. Thankyou Ash!
JHad Ash do two new/renovated bathrooms for us! From quote to completion, couldn’t say a bad word! Everything went exactly as he said on the day he said it would. He was very clean and respectable during the process and the workmanship was perfect. Couldn’t be happier!!
BI had a shitty job no one else wanted to touch and got hold of this great mob of plumbers and in no time they were where I needed them and they completed the job very professionally and in a timeframe that I didn’t think possible. Amazing people, great work ethics and the price was fair and reasonable. I highly recommend them for any plumbing services that you require and I will use them again if the situation arises that needs good work done correctly and within a decent time frame. Thanks Assigned Plumbing Services. 😁
TAshley and team were fantastic. Came on time, provided really good advice and got the job done and went the extra mile with additional materials (did not charge) to get the job done properly. Thanks Ashley and Maxi, appreciate your work and would highly recommend them.
JGreat plumber. Great communication, great job and great value!
SHighly professional service
A@assignedplumbing
Recent drain jobs around Stirling
A few of our latest root cutting and drain repair jobs from the central Adelaide Hills.
Free, no obligation
Blocked drain in Stirling? Let's get it sorted.
Root cutting, jetting and drain repair across Stirling, Aldgate, Bridgewater and Crafers, seven days a week, with a free quote before we start.
Where we work
Assigned Plumbing Services covers Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills and the Murraylands, including Mount Barker, Murray Bridge, Stirling, Hahndorf, Strathalbyn, Nairne and Littlehampton. You can see every suburb we service, or call 0410 063 121.