Your Guide to Common Plumbing Issues in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs

Plumbing problems can strike at any time, often when you least expect them. Living in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, you might face unique plumbing challenges due to the area’s mix of heritage homes, modern apartments, and coastal conditions. Understanding these issues and how to address them can save you time, money, and stress.

This guide explores the most common plumbing problems in the Eastern Suburbs and offers tips on how to handle them like a pro.

1. Blocked Drains: A Common Nuisance

The Problem:
Blocked drains are one of the most frequent plumbing issues in the Eastern Suburbs. Sand from coastal areas, tree roots, grease, and debris often find their way into pipes, leading to clogs.

Signs of a Blocked Drain:

• Slow-draining water in sinks or showers.
• Gurgling sounds from drains.
• Unpleasant odours near sinks or outside gutters.

What You Can Do:

• DIY: Use a plunger or a natural drain cleaner (such as baking soda and vinegar) to tackle minor blockages.
• Call a Professional: For persistent blockages, a plumber with specialised equipment like drain cameras and high-pressure jetting tools can clear the problem quickly and thoroughly.

2. Leaking Taps and Pipes

The Problem:
Leaking taps and pipes not only waste water but can also lead to higher water bills and damage to your property. This is especially common in older homes in areas like Woollahra and Paddington.

Why It Happens:

• Worn-out washers or seals.
• Corrosion in aging pipes.
• Increased water pressure causing strain on fittings.

What You Can Do:

• Tighten loose fixtures if you’re comfortable with basic repairs.
• Replace washers in leaking taps.
• Consult a plumber for pipe replacements or to check for hidden leaks using advanced detection methods.

3. Hot Water System Problems

The Problem:
Nothing disrupts a morning routine faster than a faulty hot water system. Hot water issues can stem from old units, sediment buildup, or faulty components.

Signs Your Hot Water System Needs Attention:

• Water isn’t heating up properly.
• Strange noises coming from the system.
• Water temperature fluctuates unexpectedly.

What You Can Do:

• Regularly flush your hot water tank to remove sediment buildup.
• Check the thermostat settings and reset if necessary.
• If issues persist, contact a licensed plumber to inspect or replace your hot water system.

4. Burst Pipes

The Problem:
Burst pipes can cause significant water damage if not addressed quickly. Homes in older suburbs like Randwick and heritage areas are particularly vulnerable due to aging infrastructure.

Why Pipes Burst:

• Extreme temperature changes.
• Corrosion over time.
• High water pressure or blockages causing stress.

What You Can Do:

• Shut off the main water supply immediately to prevent further damage.
• Contact a plumber who can repair or replace the damaged section of the pipe.

5. Stormwater Drainage Issues

The Problem:
With Sydney’s unpredictable weather, heavy rainfall can overwhelm stormwater systems, especially in properties near the coast. Poor drainage can lead to flooding and water damage in gardens, driveways, and basements.

What You Can Do:

• Regularly clean gutters and downpipes to prevent blockages.
• Ensure stormwater drains are free of debris.
• For recurring issues, consult a plumber to install or repair stormwater systems.

How to Prevent Plumbing Problems

Taking a proactive approach can help minimise plumbing emergencies. Here are some simple steps you can take:

1. Routine Maintenance: Schedule regular plumbing inspections to catch small issues before they escalate.
2. Mind What You Flush: Only flush toilet paper—avoid flushing wipes, sanitary products, or other debris.
3. Install Drain Covers: Prevent hair, grease, and debris from entering your drains with simple drain covers.
4. Monitor Water Pressure: High water pressure can strain your pipes, so consider installing a pressure regulator if needed.

Why Work with a Licensed Plumber?

While some plumbing issues can be tackled with DIY solutions, many require the expertise of a licensed plumber. Here’s why:

• Safety: Plumbing systems involve gas and water connections that can be dangerous if handled incorrectly.
• Efficiency: A professional plumber has the tools and expertise to fix problems quickly and correctly.
• Prevention: Experienced plumbers can identify potential future issues during routine inspections.

Roll your toilet paper from the top

All of us use the bathroom. And occasionally we want to know what’s going on in other peoples bathrooms.

Bathrooms and toilets are our workplace, and the observations made from bathrooms often go unrecorded. But today, I reckon its time to share some of those observations.

A common theme is how home owners dispense their toilet rolls on the toilet roll holder. (Click here to read about the Australian patent on toilet roll holders.) Some pull their toilet paper from the back of the roll. While others pull from the top. So we carried out a little survey

Here are the top five reasons why people prefer toilet paper to roll from the top:

1. Ease of Use: When the toilet paper is positioned with the loose end hanging over the top, it is easier to locate and grab the end of the roll. This makes it more convenient and efficient to tear off the desired amount of toilet paper without any hassle.
2. Reduced Risk of Touching the Wall: Rolling the toilet paper from the top helps to minimize the chances of accidentally touching the wall behind it. This is especially important in public restrooms where hygiene is crucial, as touching the wall can transfer germs and bacteria.
3. Neat Appearance: Rolling the toilet paper from the top provides a neater and more visually appealing look. The loose end of the roll is neatly presented, making it easier to grab and tear off without causing the roll to unravel or become messy.
4. Prevents Unwanted Unraveling: Placing the loose end at the top prevents the roll from unintentionally unraveling. If the end hangs down the back of the roll, it can sometimes get caught on nearby objects or surfaces, causing the paper to unwind and waste.
5. Intuitive Orientation: Rolling the toilet paper from the top is considered more intuitive for most people. When reaching for toilet paper, it is more natural to pull it down from the top rather than from behind the roll. This orientation aligns with our instinctive hand movements and provides a smoother user experience.

While your personal preferences may vary, these reasons highlight the practical and aesthetic advantages of rolling toilet paper from the top.

If this post has got you thinking about toilet paper, why not choose Who Gives a Crap for your next shipment. Who Gives a Crap donates half of their profits to developing countries that don’t have plumbing, sewers and the toilets that we take for granted.

Plumbers bathroom cleaning tip #1

Some bathrooms are a little neglected; especially if there are boys in the house.

Like many among us, during Coronavirus isolation, I’ve taken the opportunity to catch up on a few old recipes, a stack of books and some cleaning. And, I feel sharing the following cleaning tip would save everyone some time.

You will need:
1. A can of the cheapest shaving cream you can find in Woolies or Coles.
2. 2 Old bath towels

Spray the shaving cream on and around your toilet, including the floor.
Taking the toilet seat off would earn extra points.

Leave it to sit for 10-15 minutes.

Then, wipe off the excess with an old bath towel and some hot water and wipe over with the other towel.

I know you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

The Lone Drainer And Pronto Coronavirus Diaries The Fudge Shop #1

The Lone Drainer Coronavirus Diaries is a chance to catch up with some friends and businesses that we help to see how they are affected during the Coronavirus lock down of 2020.

In this short clip I chat with Adam Joseph, owner of The Fudge Shop in Darling Harbour Sydney NSW.

The Fudge Shop has been shut down and Adam shares how the Coronavirus has affected his family and his business.

The Lone Drainer And Pronto Coronavirus Diaries D’Ettore Real Estate #2 Negative Gearing

In this edition of The Lone Drainer And Pronto Coronavirus Diaries, I speak with Dom D’Ettorre, principal of D’Ettorre Real Estate in Woollahra Sydney about how his negatively geared owners are being affected.

Investors have bought properties as AirBnB sites and now as travel is severely restricted the owners have to adjust quickly to manage the finance on their properties.

Some properties may be vacant for 6-12 weeks

Mum and dad investors who thought “I’m going to buy an investment property” and borrowed 90% and now lost their job… it’s going to hurt.

Listen and learn from Dom’s experience.

Tree roots don’t know about Coronavirus

Sydney April 14th 2020

Easter is over for another year.

Although our towns are slowing because of the Coronavirus, and we are quickly changing our daily home and work habits, here at The Lone Drainer and Pronto, we are still working away.

Mostly blocked drains!

Working from home is putting our normal facilities under a little more pressure. That means the internet, the exercise areas and our bathrooms.

With all that extra baking and comfort meals, our sewers are under a more significant workload. Tree roots don’t know about Coronavirus, and still seek food and water in the sewer pipes they can grow into.

So, if you hear your drains gurgling don’t ignore them. They are asking for help.

Dormant, but active underground

The Lone Drainer’s Recipe #2

I scream, you scream, we’ll all scream for The Lone Drainer’s Passionfruit Ice Cream.

I, Dave Conroy, the master of the fast but excellent tasting recipe, have developed a speedy, easy, no-equipment-necessary recipe for fantastic ice cream. OK, it’s not super healthy, but it is home made, you know every single good ingredient (3) that’s in it because you put them there and its 100% natural.

Here is the recipe:

Go to the supermarket on the way home from work.
Buy 1 can of condensed milk and 1 carton of cream and 6 passionfruit.
Stir the cream and condensed milk together in a saucepan over a low heat.
Add the insides of the 6 passionfruit and let it sit off the heat while you open a beer, watch the news, have a shower or water the garden.

Then, (and this is the good bit) raid the grog cupboard, find some vodka. Any other liquor will do, but vodka is good because it has no flavor or colour. Gin will work just as well. Anything that won’t mask the flavor of the passionfruit. Add a good slug, around two tablespoons. Stir. Put the lot in a plastic container and stick it in the freezer. It’ll be ready in about an hour.

This wondrous creation has been tried and tested in the The Lone Drainer’s Test Kitchen many times. There is science at the back of it too. The alcohol in the vodka stops the ice cream forming crystals, which make for an unpleasant texture. Alcohol just won’t freeze in a normal domestic freezer. So it keeps the ice cream creamy. Ipso facto, you don’t have to do all that churning with machines and gadgets and what not.

We’ve tried it with whisky and two espresso coffees instead of the passionfruit and that came out tops too. It’s just not a fussy recipe. But it won’t work without the grog. Trust me. I’m a plumber. And I don’t like to waste good alcohol.

Here is a picture of two thirds of my last batch of passionfruit ice cream. I did want to photograph it BEFORE eating it, but just couldn’t resist. Evidence of how good it is.

Read our blog. Cook my food. Admire our plumbing.

Never a cross word…

HOW CLEVER ARE YOU? WIN A PRIZE TODAY! (Yes! A prize from Dave, The Lone Drainer!)

The first person to email us (info@thelonedrainerandpronto.com.au) a photo of the correctly completed crossword (click on the link on the line below), wins a box of the excellent and bio friendly “Who Gives A Crap” toilet paper.

crossword