Relief when you need it most
We tend not to think about the impact blocked pipes might have on our home – until it happens!
The reality is that all sewer systems are prone to occasional blockages, be it from roots in pipes or waste that has been inappropriately disposed of down your kitchen sink or toilet.
If your sewer pipe was to suffer a blockage, you should remember that what happens next is a matter of physics.
The waste material has to escape somewhere and if you don’t have a properly functioning Overflow Relief Gully (ORG), the most likely outcome is that you’ll find it bubbling up from your shower base or toilet and cascading along your floors.
Not a pleasant thought, is it?
What is an ORG and why is it important?
An overflow relief gully (ORG) is a drain-like fitting located outside the home that’s designed to release any sewage overflow away from the interior of your home and outside to the garden – well clear of your home and valued possessions.
ORGs are usually located at the end of the house sewer pipe, close to the dwelling. From the gully, the sewer line heads straight for the sewer main connection. On a large house with several bathrooms there may be more than one ORG.
If installed correctly, an ORG works because it is fitted at a depth that is lower than any other waste outlet in the home. If the sewer pipe becomes blocked, it will overflow outside your house, NOT IN YOUR BATHROOM.
Over flow relief gully
ORGs protect our properties
It’s your responsibility to ensure your home is fitted with a properly designed and operational ORG.
Why not take a moment now to work through this handy checklist?
Your ORG should NOT be:
- Covered by landscaping and/or garden beds
- Covered by any object, such as a pot plant
- Unable to pop off because it is corroded, filled with silt or concreted in
This last point is really important. The plastic grill that sits in the concrete must be loose, so that if a blocked pipe causes an overflow, the pressure will lift the lid off enabling the waste material to be directed away from your home, not back into it.
A final word about ORGs
ORGs are a critical part of your sewerage system, and as such should not be altered by the homeowner without checking with a licensed plumber, or the authorities.
Does your ORG pass with flying colours? If not, talk to us today about converting your old gully trap into a fully-operation ORG.
In the event of a blocked sewer, you’ll be glad you did!
