Blocked Drains What Causes Them and How to Prevent It
Find out what causes blocked drains and how simple habits can stop them from coming back. This guide covers the common causes, early warning signs and easy prevention tips.
You don't need to know what's wrong.
You just need to say what it's doing.
Most people ring a plumber apologising for not knowing the right word for it. That's our job, not yours. Describe the noise, the smell or the puddle, and we'll take it from there.
What's it doing?
The words people actually use, and what they usually turn out to mean. Nothing here replaces someone looking at it, but it should tell you whether to ring now or finish your coffee.
I can smell gas
Leave the building before you do anything else, then call Jemena on 131 909 from outside. They run the gas network here and it's their call first, not ours. What happens next
Right now
Water is pooling under the hot water unit
Usually the tank or a relief valve. A slow weep can become a tank failure without much warning, and a full cylinder empties into wherever it's standing. Where it's leaking from matters
Today
Everything is draining slowly, not just one sink
More than one fixture pointing the same way usually means the blockage is in the main line rather than under a single trap. Why several at once is the signal
Today
Banging in the walls when a tap or the washing machine shuts off
Almost always water hammer: pressure with nowhere to go when a valve closes fast. Noisy rather than dangerous, but it works fittings loose over time. What stops it
Soon
The hot water runs out halfway through a shower
Often sediment taking up room the water used to occupy, sometimes an element or thermostat. Age of the unit usually decides which. Why a tank shrinks with age
Soon
The water bill jumped and nothing changed
A leak you can't see: under a slab, in a wall, or a toilet passing quietly. The meter will usually tell you before anything visible does. How to check the meter yourself
Soon
The shower pressure has dropped off
Could be a blocked outlet, a failing regulator, or something upstream affecting the whole street. Whether it's one tap or all of them narrows it fast. Narrowing it down
Soon
What we do
General plumbing
Blocked drains, leaks, taps, toilets and the everyday things that stop a house working properly.
Hot water
Repairs, replacements and working out which of those two you actually need.
Gas fitting
Appliance installation, gas lines and safety checks, carried out by licensed gas fitters.
CCTV drain inspection
A camera down the line when a drain keeps blocking and nobody can say why.
Bathroom renovations
The plumbing side of a bathroom rebuild, from rough-in to fit-off.
Kitchen renovations
Sinks, dishwashers, gas cooktops and the pipework behind them.
Written for here, not borrowed from somewhere colder
Most plumbing advice online is written for houses that freeze. Ours isn't. A Hunter winter won't burst your pipes, but it will find every hot water system that was already on its way out, and that's a genuinely different set of problems.
Common Signs of Gas Leaks in Your Lake Macquarie Property
Learn the common signs of gas leaks in your Lake Macquarie property. Discover how to detect, prevent, and respond to gas leaks to protect your home and loved ones.
DIY Plumbing Tips for Minor Repairs and Maintenance
Plumbing issues can be quite frustrating, and while major plumbing problems often require professional intervention, there are many minor repairs and maintenance tasks that you can tackle on your own.
Tell us what it's doing
No need to diagnose it. Describe it however it sounds and we'll come back with what it most likely is and what sorting it out involves.