What Are the Common Plumbing Issues That Homeowners in Sydney Face?

Life in Sydney can be a delightful experience, with the perfect balance of urban and village living features to enjoy. From a plumber’s point of view, you will find well-constructed residential properties with effective plumbing systems and nary a qualm — on most days.

However, there are certain plumbing issues that homeowners in Sydney face that are not exactly ignorable. While most of these issues can be easily resolved with a little intervention on your end, you will need professional help to deal with plumbing issues when they get out of hand.

Here are some of the most common issues that prompt homeowners to call for professional plumbers.

Common Plumbing Issues in Sydney Homes

Blocked Drains

Blocked or clogged drains are one of the leading issues that homeowners in Sydney often face. A blocked drain is impossible to ignore and can lead to plumbing emergencies such as a rapidly flooding bathroom or kitchen. If the issue is not dealt with immediately, a blocked drain can wreak havoc and damage your home. Some signs of blocked drains include bad smells from your sink or shower drain and gurgling noises in your pipes.

Your immediate reaction may be to use a plunger or empty a bottle of drain cleaner to solve the issue. In some cases, this may even work. But it is best to exercise caution. Your plumbing system is a lot more intricate than it may seem at the outset, and you will need expert knowledge to know which tool to use for the job and how to clear your blockage effectively.

In most cases, the best thing you can do is call an emergency plumber. A professional plumber can use advanced drain cleaning equipment to locate and clear your clog.

Clogged or Leaking Toilets

The toilet is perhaps the most used plumbing fixture in our homes. But this reliable fixture can quickly become a nightmare if it starts leaking, or worse, if it clogs up.

It is fairly easy to spot the symptoms of a clogged or leaking toilet. You will find that the contents of your toilet are flushing away slowly or not at all. A clogged toilet can be caused by too much debris collecting in your toilet pipes. Something as simple as a rusty pipe can also result in a major toilet leak.

Of course, you can use a plunger to get rid of a blockage in the toilet temporarily, but you should definitely call a professional. A clogged or leaking toilet can become a health concern and affect your well-being significantly, so it’s always best to have stubborn water leaks or persistent clogs examined by a professional plumber for a permanent solution.

Clogged or Dripping Shower Heads

Mineral-rich “hard water” can accumulate on your shower heads and cause a range of issues. While Sydney has some of the softest water in Australia, lime scale and mineral deposits can still accumulate on your shower head, leading to clogs and reduced water pressure.

To avoid this, it may be a good idea to opt for shower heads with rubber faceplates. They do not accumulate minerals as easily and they make it simple to remove the build-up. Once you fix a rubber plate, you can clean and maintain it using a toothpick, brush it clean, or soak it in vinegar overnight.

But if your shower head reaches a point where it is no longer functional, call a qualified plumber to take care of the issue.

To learn more about the impact of hard water and soft water on your plumbing system, click here.

Clogged or Leaking Faucet

A leaky faucet is quite easy to spot — you will hear the constant sound of dripping and leaking from your tap. If you do not attend to the issue, you will end up with rising water bills. In most cases, leaks occur due to a faulty faucet that needs to be replaced. But in other more serious circumstances, you may have a corroded valve, which will require a professional plumber to intervene.

However, more often than not, replacing the washer or seal on your tap will fix the leaking and dripping faucet. You can also install a washer-less faucet, preferably a spring-and-seat faucet, which will be more durable and long-lasting while preventing the need to ever change a washer in your tap again.

You can also easily end up with a clogged faucet in your home, which can be caused as a result of deposited lime scale or other scum that has disrupted the water flow in the connecting pipes.

If you’re not sure what has caused your blocked or leaking faucet, call a professional plumber for a comprehensive check of your system. An expert can identify and fix the cause of your problem.

Lack of Hot Water

Most systems are well-designed and do not cause frequent issues. However, every once in a while your water heater could malfunction, disrupting your shower experience and causing a range of other inconveniences.

An experienced plumber can help you narrow down the cause of your hot water problems and provide the services and repairs you need to restore your hot water system. 

If you’ve been caught in a surprise cold shower or your hot water keeps fluctuating in the kitchen sink, call a plumber to solve this common plumbing issue.

Rusty Water Pipes

As you may already know, there are several heritage properties in St George and surrounding Sydney areas. These residential properties sometimes have plumbing systems that are decades old, if not more. And as pipes get older, they tend to get rusty and even corrosive.

Rusted pipes can contaminate your water supply (which we will discuss in detail in our next point), and result in unhygienic water entering various plumbing fixtures in your household. A little bit of rust doesn’t necessarily affect your health or well-being, but it is better to get your pipes fixed and repaired ASAP. Rusty and corroded pipes are also more likely to break and collapse, resulting in the need for pipe replacement or pipe relining services.

Contaminated Water

A lot of Sydney homes today have water filters, and rightly so — polluted water can affect people who consume it in several ways. 

The drinking water in Sydney is generally of great quality, but on rare occasions, you might end up dealing with contaminated water. As stated above, rusty and corroded pipes are one of the main sources of contaminated water in Sydney. In 2016, researchers from Macquarie University identified copper and lead contaminants in NSW drinking water, which most likely occurred due to the use of lead-based solders and materials in brass fittings.

If you are concerned about potential chemicals or contaminants in your drinking water, you can get water filters installed on all the faucets and taps in your house. 

You will need a licensed plumber to assist you with this. If the cause of your contaminated water is rusted or corroded pipes, your plumber can also get to the heart of the problem and provide a permanent solution.

Gas Leaks

If you have gas appliances or fixtures on your property, you are at risk of gas leaks. Gas can leak from a BBQ, a gas stove or oven, or a gas water heater, to name just a few.

If you can smell gas, the first thing to do is make sure all your gas appliances are switched off. You can also turn off the gas supply to your property if necessary.

For professional gas leak detection and repair services, call a licenced plumber who is also qualified to perform gas fitting work.

Seek Professional Help for Your Plumbing Issues

In most areas of Australia, including Sydney, the quality of both the water and your plumbing system will be fantastic. However, that doesn’t mean plumbing and gas issues cannot occur. 

As a homeowner, you can rely on All Needs Plumbing to assist you with all your plumbing-related issues. Our experienced, qualified, and licensed plumbers can come to your home and get the job done. 

Our professional plumbing services include solutions for burst pipes and leaky pipes, as well as removing tree roots from drains and all plumbing installation and plumbing repair works. We can also help you with bathroom renovations, problems with hot water tanks, and all common plumbing emergencies.
If you do run into a plumbing issue and require professional assistance, contact us and we will send over a licensed plumber to your home.