Merivale has been a fashionable residential suburb since the 1860s, and some of its narrow streets and lanes still hold restored original cottages. Rising land values in the 1990s brought a burst of subdivision and infill housing. The February 2011 earthquake badly damaged the Papanui Road shops, and William Sefton Moorhouse's former home on Naseby Street was demolished after the 2010 and 2011 quakes. Skip the bottle of drain cleaner and leave the toilet where it is. We work from the gully trap or an inspection point wherever we can, keep the mess outside and show you on camera what was holding the water up at your Merivale property.
Merivale drains: original cottage laterals, infill driveways and shared lines
Merivale's housing is a mix of two eras sitting on the same sections. The restored cottages in its narrow lanes go back to the suburb's early days, and many still drain through older pipe with mortared joints. When land values rose in the 1990s, plenty of those sections were subdivided, and a new house or townhouse was often connected into a line that already served the front home. The result is drains that change material partway along, and joints between old and new that catch wipes and fat.
Infill also means shared drains. Where two or three homes send their waste down one private line to the street, a blockage in the common length stops every household on it, and the question of who pays depends on where the obstruction sits. We find that point with a locator and camera before anyone argues about it, and give each owner the same footage. The Record of Title and any easements on it show who shares what.
Narrow lanes and tight side paths can make access awkward, so we work from the gully trap or an inspection cap rather than lifting fixtures. Around the Papanui Road shops and the rebuilt Carlton corner, commercial kitchens add fat to the mix, and those lines tend to need jetting rather than a cable. Where a cottage drain blocks more than once, we look for roots and for a step at the old-to-new join before suggesting anything else.
Local tip: On a Merivale infill site, check your title for drainage easements before a blockage happens, so you already know which neighbours share the line.
Blocked Drains in Merivale: Local Factors
On land that moved in 2010 and 2011 a drain can have sagged, cracked or pulled apart at a joint even where it was repaired afterwards. A dip holds waste and keeps blocking, so after clearing we look at the line on camera to see if it has settled.
For anything else, see our plumbers in Merivale.
How We Handle Blocked Drains in Merivale
Every drainlayer arrives with an electric eel, a jetter and a camera, so most Merivale blockages are cleared on the first visit and you see the footage before we leave.
Pricing: quotes are free, and every job gets a fixed price before we start, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Blocked Drains Jobs We Do in Merivale
- Blocked stormwater sump
- Repeat blockage diagnosis
- Overflowing gully trap
- Blocked laundry tub
- High pressure water jetting
Blocked Drains Merivale FAQs
Our Merivale townhouse shares a drain with the cottage at the front. Who pays to clear it?
Owners on a shared private drain usually split the cost of the common section, while each looks after the branch to their own home. Our camera shows which part is blocked, which settles most of the discussion.
Who is responsible for a blocked drain in Merivale?
You look after the private drain on your own property. The council looks after the public main and the connection to it. Where the blockage sits decides who pays, and our camera shows exactly where that is.
Do you use chemicals to clear drains?
No. We clear drains mechanically with cutting heads or water jetting. Strong chemicals can damage older pipes and are a hazard for whoever opens the drain next.
Blocked Drains Near Merivale
- Blocked Drains St Albans
- Blocked Drains Papanui
- Blocked Drains Christchurch Central
- Blocked Drains Fendalton
- Blocked Drains across Christchurch