Tempering Valves and Queensland’s 50°C Hot Water Rule
A tempering valve mixes hot and cold water so water reaches your bathroom taps at no more than 50°C, while the tank stays at 60°C or more to control bacteria. In Queensland a temperature control device is required on new and replacement hot water systems. Most manufacturers recommend servicing every five years. What a tempering […]
Stormwater Drainage and Blocked Downpipes: A Sunshine Coast Wet Season Guide
Stormwater drains carry rain from your roof, downpipes and yard to the street or council drain. On the Sunshine Coast, heavy wet season downpours quickly find blocked gutters, downpipes and pits. Clear gutters before summer, check downpipes flow freely, and call a plumber if water pools near the house or bubbles out of pits. How […]
Why Do My Drains Smell? Sewer Smells Explained
Most drain smells come from a dried-out trap in a little-used shower or floor waste, which lets sewer gas into the room. Run water for 30 seconds to refill it. If the smell stays, the cause may be a blocked vent, a failed toilet seal, a partly blocked drain or a broken pipe, which a […]
Burst Pipe? What to Do in the First 10 Minutes
Turn off the water at the main stop valve, usually at the meter near the front boundary, turning the handle clockwise until it stops. Then switch off the hot water system and any power near the water, open a cold tap to drain the pipes, and call an emergency plumber. Photograph the damage for your […]
Low Water Pressure and Water Hammer: Causes and Fixes
Low water pressure in one tap is usually a blocked aerator or failing tap part. Low pressure through the whole house points to a partly closed valve, a leak, a failing pressure limiting valve or old pipes. Water hammer, the bang when a tap shuts, comes from pressure that’s too high or pipes not secured. […]
Leaking or Dripping Tap? What You Can Fix Yourself in Queensland
Older taps usually drip because the washer or jumper valve has worn. Mixer taps drip when the internal cartridge fails. In Queensland, QBCC lets homeowners replace a tap washer or jumper valve themselves, but replacing a cartridge, the tap or any pipework is licensed plumbing work. Why taps drip How a tap fails depends on […]
What Is an Overflow Relief Gully? (ORG Explained)
An overflow relief gully (ORG) is the small grated fitting outside your home, near the bathroom or laundry. If the sewer blocks, sewage overflows there instead of backing up inside the house. QBCC says its top must sit at least 150 mm below the lowest fixture and at least 75 mm above the ground, and […]
Hot Water System Leaking? What to Do Right Now
A small drip from the relief valve drain line while the system heats is normal. A steady flow, water from the tank body or a pool around the base is not. If the tank itself is leaking, turn off the power or gas, close the cold water valve on the inlet and call a plumber: […]
Tree Roots in Drains: CCTV Inspection, Root Cutting and Pipe Relining
Tree roots find their way into drains through cracks and old joints, then grow into a mat that catches waste. A CCTV camera inspection shows exactly where and how bad the damage is. Light roots can be cut out with a jetter, but if the pipe is cracked or keeps blocking, relining or replacing that […]
Who Fixes What: Unitywater vs Your Pipes
Unitywater looks after its water mains, meters and sewer network. Pipes on your side of the meter, and the private sewer drains on your property, are the owner’s responsibility to maintain and repair with a licensed plumber. If you’re not sure where a problem sits, call a plumber to locate it. The short answer Unitywater […]