Burwood
Blocked, burst or leaking in Burwood?
Blocked drains, burst pipes and leaks in Burwood, from the old Ballyshannassy village to Gardiners Creek, passed to a licensed plumber day and night.
Plumbing in Burwood
Made roads on one side, orchards on the other
Before and just after the war, Victorian Places says, one main road was a dividing line in Burwood: settled streets with made roads on one side, small farms and orchards slowly filling in on the other. Drains west of it are likely older, possibly earthenware, while the eastern streets mostly carry later postwar pipe, so the method can change across a single road.
Most of the suburb went up in the two decades after the war as detached brick veneer houses. eMelbourne notes that many streets on the Box Hill side remained unsealed until well into the fifties, and sewer connections laid in that era have now run for a long time. Root entry at an old joint is the common finding.
Melbourne's first postwar drive-in opened in a valley beside Gardiners Creek. Homes on that low ground are where stormwater gathers, so the street pit and the legal point of discharge are checked for silt before the house drain is blamed.
Jobs in Burwood
Two eras of pipe and the creek flats
Blocked drains
Brick veneer house drains on streets that remained unsealed long after the houses went up.
CCTV drain inspection
A camera to see whether a line is old earthenware or later postwar pipe.
Gutters and downpipes
Downpipes and pits on the creek flats, where heavy rain collects.
What it costs: hot water replacement cost, gutter replacement cost, toilet installation cost
Burwood questions
Creek flats, a registered school and root entry
Why does a yard near the creek flood when the drain is clear?
Low ground in the creek valley takes water from the surrounding streets. If the street pit is full, a clear property drain still backs up, so the outlet is looked at first.
Does plumbing at the old school site need heritage approval?
Yes. The Former Burwood Primary School is on the Victorian Heritage Register, so drain or pipe work touching the building or its land needs a Heritage Victoria permit or a confirmed exemption before it is booked.
How are roots dealt with in an older sewer drain?
Roots are cut back first, then a camera shows whether the joint is cracked or only open. A sound pipe with one bad joint may suit a patch, while a run of failed joints usually suits a lining.
