A toilet that struggled on every flush
In late August 2026 we were called to a Greenwood home where the toilet was slow to flush and not clearing properly, even on a normal flush with nothing unusual going down it.
That pattern matters. A toilet that struggles on every flush is usually telling you the problem is in the drain line, not in the bowl.
Roots at the pan
We ran a CCTV camera down the line before touching anything. It showed tree root ingress at the pan section, where the earthenware pipework joins the toilet. Roots had worked into the line and were catching waste as it passed, which is why the flush kept slowing down instead of failing all at once.
Getting to it was the second problem. The inspection opening we would normally work through was blocked by pool equipment sitting over it, so there was no clear access to the drain from outside.
Going in through the pan
We removed the toilet pan to reach the line directly, then cleared the roots out of the earthenware and the connecting pipework. Once the line was clear we reinstated the pan, resealed it with silicone and test flushed it to confirm the toilet was draining properly before we left.
We asked the owner to leave the toilet unused for 12 hours so the silicone could cure, and we disinfected the bathroom and the work area before finishing up.
Roots come back
Roots will come back. We recommended relining that section of pipework as a permanent fix, and a quote for that work is with the owner. The owner knows what caused the problem and what the long-term repair looks like.
A toilet that will not clear with a plunger usually means the blockage is past the bowl, which is a different job. See our blocked toilet Perth page for how we work through it, or our blocked drains Greenwood page if you are local. Or call 0499 281 430.
More on blocked drains in Greenwood, or see more recent jobs.
