What to do if you have a burst water pipe

What To Do If You Have A Burst Water Pipe

First of all don’t panic – Finding out you have a burst water pipe can be scary and it can cause a lot of damage to your home if left untreated, however there are things you can do which will help the situation and one of those is not to panic

Turn the water off if you can – Find your water meter (Usually located outside in the front yard) and turn the water off. This will stop the flow of water into your home and therefore stop the water leak. It will mean that all of your taps will not work, so fill up the kettle before you do this

Clean up any water – after you notice you have a water leak, you usually find water on your floor or near walls. To prevent further damage to your home and to reduce the risk of people falling due to slipping on the water, clean up any water that is laying around with a mop and bucket. That way you’ll kep the floors dry and keep everyone in your home safe at the same time

Call your plumber – You will need a qualified professional to take care of the burst water pipe in your home. Organise your plumber as soon as you can. This way you’ll get your leak fixed and your home back up and running sooner rather than later

Move any furniture if needed – If you have furniture sitting around the effected area that could be damaged either from water on the floor or plumbing works taking place in the area, it will be best to move the furniture out of the way that way it wont get damaged. You can always move it back once the plumbing works have been completed

Once you have organised your plumber and gotten your house ready you can relax. Your plumbing professional will know exactly what to do when he arrives and will be explaining everything to you when he does. He’ll also be explaining prices up front before he starts so there’ll be no nasty surprises.

Our professional expert plumbers perform leak detection in Melbourne, leak detection in Geelong and Leak Detection In Canberra.

9 Signs You Have a Blocked Drain

By Richie

9 Signs You Have a Blocked Drain

Your kitchen sink is slow to drain – You have been noticing for a while now that after doing the dishes or running the dishwasher, your sink is very slow to drain. Sinks can be one of the first places you will see signs of a blocked drain as they are frequently attached to the overflow

You have water sitting outside near your overflow grate – water in the overflow or near the grate is usually a sign the overflow has been working, and when it does its working because you have a blockage

Your toilet occasionally drains fully – that sipping sound that you’ve been seeing when you flush the toilet is not by chance. Toilets to this when the air flow through the pipes is disrupted by excess content inside your drain i.e. a blockage

You have sewage sitting in the back yard – sewerage in the back yard can come from the inspection shaft or boundary trap located in the yard. Most sewerage connections are in the rear yard of peoples properties. sewerage sitting around the area of connection (inspection shaft) is almost certainly caused by a blockage

You hear a gurgling sound when you have a shower – Because showers have the lowest drain point in the house, they can be susceptible to symptoms of a house blockage. Gurgling will usually occur here because the airflow has been interrupted inside the drain

Flushing the toilet makes a noise – you can also hear the gurgling sound inside the toilet. Toilets are usually the first places that signs of a blockage will occur simply because of the large amount of water used when flushing.

Your shower backs up when you use your basin – when you have multiple fixtures that are backing up, its usually a sign the connecting drain is blocked

Your toilet takes a while to drain – when a toilet backs up, the water will eventually go down, however this can take anywhere from a few minutes to well over a few hours depending on how bad your blockage is

You have a foul smell outside – unusually smelly drains especially outside is a sign that your drains are not functioning correctly.

If you have seen one or have a few of these things happening in your home an your hoping it will go away, chances are it won’t. Severe blockages rarely clear themselves and can be harder to clean if the drain is continued to be used.

Our expert professional plumbers clear blocked drains in Melbourne, blocked drains in Geelong and blocked drains in Canberra.

Are flushable wipes really flushable?

By Richie

So you like a clean bum after using the toilet? and toilet paper just isn’t cutting it? you’ll be pleased to know you are not alone and that there are options for you to stay fresh throughout the day. However, ignore these simple tips and you’ll be calling the plumber sooner than you’d hoped.

So what are these wipes?

Basically a soft cloth similar to a baby wipe. They are sold in all of the supermarkets and the makes of these wipes would have you believe that you can in fact flush these down the toilet after your done. Well theres a catch. Some companies will tell you straight up that you can only use 2 per flush and others will just tell you to wipe till your hearts content with little regard to the drain your about block. Thats right, use too many of these and the drain will block.

But they say they are flushable?

They are, however unlike toilet paper, they take a long time to break down inside the drain. So whether you wish to discard toilet paper all together in favour of these soft glorious little wipes or whether its just a quick freshen up after you’ve used the traditional paper, be sure to limit the number of wipes per flush.

So how many can I use?

This does depend a little bit on the toilet and how much water be being flushed per flush. However assuming most toilets these days have between a 4.5-6 ltr main flush its safe to use 2 and no more.

So what if I want to use more?

Then do so at your own risk, or flush and keep wiping ensuring only 2 get flushed every time, the choice is yours. Of course it does depend on the type of toilet you are using and the condition of your drains. The best solution all together is to use a bit beside the toilet as the place to put these wipes and keep them out of the drainage system all together.

Happy flushing

What to do if you smell gas inside your home

By Richie

Open all doors and windows to ventilate the room – The first thing you should do is open and window or door you can to get some fresh air inside. Find the nearest door to you and do it straight away. This will lessen the concentration of gas in the air and make it easier to breath

Remove people and pets from the area - Getting everyone inside the house to safety is key here. Helping family members to a sheltered place outside away from the gas leak is priority. Ensure all pets have been removed and everyone in the house has been accounted for

Turn off all ignition sources – IF you have any flames in your home make sure they are turned off (Cookers, Stoves) Ensure any smokers in the house do not light up cigarettes

Isolate the gas supply to your home – You can find the gas shut off valve to your home located on the gas meter. If you know where your gas meter is and can safely access the area, then shut off your gas supply. This will stop the gas leak from getting worse.

Call for help – Call a plumbing professional who specialises in gas leaks and tell them you have an emergency. They will fully understand your position and will arrange for a qualified plumber to attend and get your leak found and fixed.

Why we use water jets and not cable machines to clear drains

By Richie

Why water jet machines are the best way to clear your drain

The plumbing industry has come a long way in the past 10 years and drain technology has been leading the pack in terms of new tools and devices to help clear drains and also keep them cleared once the drain is open. In the olden days, the only real tool for cleaning drains was a cable drain machine (electric drain eel). These would come in various sizes and brands but the main one most plumbers would use would be a K1500 made by Rigid. They were a robust, relatively inexpensive, and reliable go-to tool for clearing and removing blockages from domestic and commercial drains.

Although lots of plumbers these days still use the K1500, Water jet machines are increasing in popularity due to the ease of use and versatility but there are other reason to use a jet machine that few plumbers know about.

They are less likely to get jammed and stuck. Using any drain equipment comes with its risks and one of the biggest risk is getting the machine you are using stuck inside the drain. This can happen many ways but usually comes down to experience. We often see many DIY'ers hiring equipment from a hire shop then attempting the drain clear themselves. While this can be a cheaper way to go, if things go wrong it can mean big trouble in terms of retrieving the equipment and also drain repairs which can be expensive. Jet machines (When used by an experienced operator) have a much less likely chance of getting stuck in the drain.
They can be used inside. Most plumbers these days will encounter a situation where they will need to bring their drain clearing equipment inside. Most modern new homes that are built on concrete foundations have limited access to the drain laid beneath them and in some cases they don't allow access at all. Bringing an electric eel cable machine inside is a drain cleaners worst nightmare for several reasons but the most is they are so destructive that the insides of a customers house can be very badly damaged. Damages and scratched skiting boards, damaged flooring, Holes in plaster are only a few of the troubles plumbers can encounter even if they prepare the area with drop sheets. Water jet machines however connect with flexible non damaging hoses that don't move around when in use plus they stay clean and are much easier and more hygienic to use.
They can be used with CCTV camera systems. Now most plumbers who use cable machines would argue that you can use a camera with a cable machine, however what they won't tell you is that you cannot use them at the same time. So if you want to save money and don't want your drain job to take all day, water jet systems are the best way to go. You can use the CCTV camera system at the same time which means the plumber can inspect the drain as its being cleaned with saves time and it also gives you a much better job and a cleaner drain.

As you can see High Pressure Water Jet systems are far superior to their mechanical counter parts. They do however require a substantial upfront investment, regular maintenance and the right training, but when used correctly, can ensure your drains are cleaned and cleared to the highest standard which will ensure they will stay clear for longer and save you money.

When looking for a plumber to clear your blocked drain, insist they use a high pressure water jet machine and that they are trained in the right drain clearing techniques. Clearing drains is an art as well as a science. Your plumber should have a thorough working knowledge of how drains have been run in the past on older homes as well as the newer techniques used so they can choose the right water jetting equipment to be used with your drain. Things your plumber should be aware of when they arrive at your home are

How old your home is
Where the connection point to the main is
Where any inspection openings are located on your property
What fixtures are blocked
Any past work you have had done on your drains - including any unblocking service you may have had
How long you have had the problem for
How often your drain blocks up or if this is the first time

Your plumber should do a very thorough analysis of your whole drain system and ask you lots of questions to get as much information from you as possible before they recommend what they will do. Check out any plumbing reviews first before you select a plumber and you should be in safe hands

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About The Author

Richard Foster

Founder, Operations Manager

Richie has been the owner and operator at Fix It Right Plumbing since 2007 and has been plumbing since he was 16. He has had vast experience in domestic, commercial and industrial plumbing. He is a firm believer in doing it once doing it right. Richie's passion for getting to the bottom of a problem created the culture that exists in all the plumbers at Fix It Right and also the slogan "Preventing Plumbing Disasters"

1300 664 932 or

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It's probably one of the most asked question in our industry so I'm going to go through it step by step.

How much do plumbers in Melbourne and surrounding areas charge? What is a good hourly rate? Should I get a quote upfront? How much mark up should I expect to pay on materials? Do I need an itemised bill?

I'd like to address each of these questions to give everyone a clear guide to plumbers and how they charge.

A service plumber and a contract plumber

A service plumber is a plumber who will come to your home day or night and save you from anything from a dripping tap to a full blown burst water pipe emergency. They usually have sign written vans and you can find them in the Yellow Pages or on Google and they usually have a website and some reviews (Notice I said usually)
A contract plumber is a plumber that gets most of their work from builders and/or renovations. These guys specialise in new builds and tend to be booked up for months in advance. They are set up for dealing mostly with builders and can be very hard to get a hold of over the phone.

Now that we have that out of the way, there are two ways plumbers can charge and they often get mixed up

Hourly rate (Time + Materials) - this is when a plumber will typically charge a call out fee ($80-$160 and sometimes more) then charge an hourly rate or a division of that (per 15mins or per 30mins) once they have arrived. The good thing about this is you can keep an eye on the time and roughly know how much the bill will come to. The downside is that you have no control over how much your bill will be at the end and controlling your costs can be very difficult.
Flat rate (Standardised pricing) - this is similar to quoting upfront but is used for small jobs as well. (quoting is usually done for larger jobs where you may even get 3 quotes). This is where your plumber will price all the tasks that need to be done upfront before they start so you know what the total bill will come to before they start. Sometimes there will be a dispatch fee (usually small ranging from $39-$69) and that will usually get waived once you go ahead with any work.

Choosing the right plumber for the job.

If you have a large project (renovation or are building a new house) It makes sense to get a plumber that specialises in this type of work (Contract plumber). They tend to be set up for this, they should have the right tools (Excavators, lazer levels, pex piping tools) and will quote upfront and are used to competing with other plumbers for work. They will be competitively priced and usually very fast at completing the work. They can be messy, hard to get a hold of (especially after hours) and paper work will typically be the last thing they think about. (Think invoices, compliance certificate, permits and the like). Using a service based plumber on a large project could be likened to going to the milk bar for your weekly shop - you are paying more for convenience when you don't need to.

Service plumbers however are the ones you call when you have a small job or need someone really quickly. They tend to charge more than contract plumbers and are usually more organised and a lot easier to get in contact with. They will also have specialist tools and equipment that project plumbers don't have (Such a leak detection equipment or CCTV cameras). Service plumbers can use both methods of charging (hourly rate or flat rate)

So which way of charging is best?

While hourly rate can seem attractive - it often seems low especially when the hourly rate can be between $60-$120 per hour because you may already have an idea of how long you "think" a job should take. There are some things you will need consider when choosing a plumber who charges by the hour

Will they have all the parts with them when they arrive? - or will they need to get them (and charge you for the time they spend)
Are they experienced in the job they are doing for you? - this may seem like an obvious one (After all you've called a plumber right) But Plumbing is a very broad trade and your plumber may take longer to complete some tasks (and therefore charge you more)
If something goes wrong are they going to charge you extra to fix it? Again seems obvious but some plumbers on an hourly rate (Especially at the lower end) expect to be paid even if they are fixing their own stuff ups
What happens when the job takes longer? Is there a cap on how long the job will take or are you throwing money to wind?
Are you paying for the plumber to answer their phone? Many small plumbers will get calls while they are on your job (They need to answer it after all and don't have a receptionist) Are they going to be doing that on your time? or do they pause the "clock" while they take a call?
How much is your plumber charging for parts? Do they give you the "trade price" and if so will they show you the receipt or do they charge a margin? and if so do they offer a warranty for their parts and will they handle a warranty claim on your behalf on larger items like hot water systems or heaters?

Is flat rate a better option? If you feel more comfortable knowing how much a job will cost you before the plumber starts work - here are some things you should look for...

Is the call out fee/dispatch fee waived when you go ahead with work? Sometimes it is and sometimes it is added to the bill
Have you checked the reviews for the plumber? A great way to get a gauge on a plumbing business you have not used before is to see what other people who have used them have said. Do a quick Google search and check the reviews. some good review sites are
- Google
- Facebook
- Trustpilot
- Product review
- Yelp
What warranties does the company offer on the products or services they sell? Most plumbers and plumbing companies should offer at least a 10 year warranty and be willing to stand behind their work if something goes wrong.
What are they like answering their phone? How hard was it for you to get through the first time you called them? If it was hard the first time, imagine how hard it will be if you have a complaint.

The bottom line

It is almost impossible to give a price over the phone or otherwise without actually seeing the job. Any plumber that tries to do this is doing you a disservice for several reasons...

No plumbing job is ever the same so the price is inaccurate which can lead to two things happening
1. The plumber will charge you more than they quoted you which will leave a bad taste in your mouth
2. The plumber won't charge you more and will try to do half a job to get out of it by taking as little loss on the job as possible (inevitably leading to faulty workmanship and an angry customer)

Do your research into which method of charging you are most comfortable with and research each plumbing company to see how reputable and experienced they are.

You should always know how much a job will cost you before any work is started and you should know who will be liable if something goes wrong.

You should feel comfortable with the company you have chosen and the process should be fairly easy from initial call to completion.