Emergency Plumbing

We offer emergency plumbing services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call for a professional Sydney emergency plumber.

Emergency plumbing problems range from damaging floods caused by burst or leaking pipes, to blocked, smelly drains and toilets that overflow and won't flush. While you might be able to take some sort of action to quell the emergency - even sort the problem out - in many cases, emergencies of this type happen because the plumbing system has failed in some way. Prevention is invariably better than cure - it's always a good idea to do all you can to avoid plumbing problems that are likely to result in an emergency.

The following are four of the common home plumbing emergencies.

1. Burst water pipes that cause flooding inside the house
2. Leaking pipe joints that cause water damage inside the house
3. Blocked drains that prevent flushing and cause toilets to overflow
4. Damage or blockages to water supply pipes so there is no water flowing to taps and appliances that need water to operate

Burst water pipes

Pipes can burst if a joint in the water system fails and pulls apart. They can also burst if the pressure in the pipes increases for some reason. A pipe might also burst if you or someone else inadvertently damages it, for example by drilling into a wall that conceals pipe work.

Pipe work does deteriorate over time, so it's a good idea to check it regularly, particularly if you live in an older house. Fix minor leaks as soon as you spot them, to prevent them from resulting in a possible plumbing emergency later on. If you are doing any drilling into walls, first make sure you know exactly how the pipes run, so you don't cause any damage. If a pipe does burst, the first thing to do is to switch off the water supply. Then call an emergency plumber.

Leaking pipes

A little leak can quickly become a big leak, and cause substantial damage. If pipes are concealed, either in walls or under floors, or even in the ceiling, you may not even notice leaks until the moisture starts to seep through. But if you spot damp areas anywhere in the house, investigate the cause immediately and do something about it before you have a flood on your hands.

Blocked drains

Drains do get blocked, sometimes because of foreign objects that fall into the drain, and sometimes because the roots of trees grow into the drain, blocking it. Sometimes waste and grease builds up gradually in traps or in the bends of pipes, again causing blockages.

Often the first sign of a blocked drain will be nasty odours, but water rising in the toilet bowl when you flush is another sure sign of a blockage. If it's bad, you won't be able to use the toilet until it has been cleared. You might be able to clear a blockage by using a plunger. Alternatively try a proprietary chemical drain cleaner that you pour down the drain and then flush with water. If these don't work, you'll have to call in an emergency plumber who will use special tools to clear the drain.

Damaged or blocked water supply pipes

Water supply pipes are usually laid underground, and then channelled either under the house or through floors and concrete slabs, and into walls so that they can be linked to the taps that we use to access water in the house. If you open a tap and no water flows, you are likely to find that the pipe has been damaged perhaps by someone digging in the garden, or that tree roots have blocked it.

If the pipes are damaged, chances are you will have a flood in the garden and an emergency plumbing problem. If tree roots are the cause, you might have to have some of the pipe work removed and replaced.