First, decide if it is an emergency
Some plumbing problems can wait a day and some cannot. Treat it as urgent if water is pouring from a pipe, sewage is coming back up through a floor waste or toilet, a ceiling is sagging with water, or you have no way to stop a flow.
If anyone is in danger, such as from a strong gas smell or water near electrical fittings, leave the area and call 000. Where you can do it safely, turn off the water at the main stop tap, which in most Kensington homes sits near the front boundary or the meter.
Match the symptom to the service
Water escaping or appearing where it should not
A pipe that has split or a fitting that is spraying water calls for burst pipe repairs. Damp patches, a rising water bill, a meter that keeps ticking with every tap off or mould behind a vanity suggest a hidden leak, which is where leak detection comes in. The difference matters: a burst needs the flow stopped now, while a slow leak needs finding before anything is opened up.
Drains, toilets and slow water
Water that drains slowly, gurgles or backs up in more than one fixture usually means a blocked drain further down the line. If the problem is limited to one toilet that runs constantly, will not flush properly or rocks on its base, toilet repairs are the better fit. When a toilet and a shower both struggle at the same time, think drain rather than toilet.
Hot water and gas
No hot water, water that runs lukewarm, a leaking tank or a pilot that keeps going out falls under hot water repairs. Gas fitting covers work on the gas supply itself, such as connecting or moving a cooktop, heater or gas hot water unit, or tracing a faint gas smell that is not an emergency.
Anything that will not wait
Emergency plumbing is the right fit for the urgent jobs above, where stopping the damage comes before anything else.
What to check before you choose
A few quick checks narrow it down:
- Is the problem in one fixture or several? Several usually points to the drain or supply, not the fixture.
- Does the water meter move with all taps off? If so, a leak is likely.
- Is your hot water system gas or electric, and roughly how old is it?
- Did anything change recently, such as renovation work, heavy rain or a new appliance?
Licences and paperwork worth knowing
In Victoria, the plumber's licence or registration has to cover the class of work being done, so gas fitting and drainage need the right coverage, not just general plumbing. Ask for a plumbing compliance certificate when the job costs $750 or more including labour, parts and materials. For most gasfitting and below-ground sanitary drainage work, you should receive one whatever the price.
Your next step
Pick the service that best matches your symptom from the list on this page, note where the problem is and when it started, and check whether the water or gas can be safely turned off in the meantime. If two services seem to fit, choose the one closest to the cause, such as the drain rather than the toilet, and mention the other symptom too.
