Plumber in Bangalow, NSW
Plumbing work in Bangalow and the hills around it
Bangalow splits into two kinds of job. The village is built around Byron Street, which steps down a slope, with Station Street and the older cross streets running off it. Byron Creek skirts the low edge, and council's flood study shows some low land beside the creek and its side creeks goes under in heavy rain. Where water has been over a yard, the yard drains fill with silt. The other half is the country around the village, with houses at the end of long lanes on acreage. Many of those run on rainwater tanks and on-site sewage systems.
Driveways out in the hills are often long and steep, and some are gravel that goes slick after rain. Some end at a locked gate, so tell us the code or where the key is kept. If the van cannot make the last stretch, we carry the gear in on foot. In the village the problem runs the other way. Cars park along Byron Street, so it helps to tell us which side of the house the meter is on.
The older village houses are weatherboard and timber, many of them Federation or early twentieth century, and a large part of the village is a heritage conservation area. These houses usually stand on stumps with the pipes in the open underneath, which makes repairs easier to reach than under a slab. The pipes themselves can be old galvanised steel that rusts from the inside, or earthenware sewer lines that roots find. Out in the hills a house is a different system, with the roof, a tank, a pressure pump, the house, and then an on-site sewage system.
What we do here most
What Bangalow houses keep needing attended to
Most jobs here start with a pipe nobody can see, under an old floor or buried between a tank and a house.
Pipe repair
Rusted galvanised pipe under a Federation cottage
In a timber house on stumps the water pipes often run in the open under the floor, so we can see where a joint has rusted through. Old galvanised steel narrows from the inside, which is why the shower slows down long before the pipe finally leaks. We cut out the bad length, join new pipe to what is sound, and show you the piece we removed. If more of the run is the same age, we say so.
Leak detection
Tank water vanishing between the tank and the house
On a hill block the tank often sits well above the house, with a poly line running between them under the lawn. A leak there shows up as a pressure pump that keeps starting with every tap shut, or a tank that drops faster than the household uses it. We isolate each section of the line and pressure test it until one holds and one does not. A damp, green strip of ground over the line often points to where.
Sewer repairs
Roots in an old village sewer line
The village has a council sewer and its own treatment plant, and the pipe from the house to the council main is usually the owner's job. In older streets that pipe can be earthenware, with joints where fine roots get in and catch rubbish. We clear the line with the water jetter first so the CCTV drain camera can see, then find the cracked or shifted joint. You see the footage before anyone digs.
Gas fitting
Gas bottle hose and regulator at a farmhouse
Outside the village there is no gas main, so cooktops and some hot water units run from bottles secured on the verandah or beside the house. Hoses go brittle and regulators wear out, and a changeover with two bottles is easy to fit wrongly. We test every connection for leaks, replace what has hardened, and check the bottle stands where it can be reached and kept upright.
If it is urgent
If a pipe lets go on a Bangalow hill block or in the village
- 1On tank water, switch the pressure pump off at the switchboard and close the valve at the tank outlet. In the village, close the mains tap at the meter instead.
- 2Leave the pump off and do not keep opening taps to see if it has stopped, because a pressure pump running with no water can overheat. Do not dig along the line yourself.
- 3When you ring, tell us whether the house is on tank or town water, where the tank stands, how steep the driveway is, and whether there is a gate and who holds the code.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which towns do you cover?
We work across Ballina and the Northern Rivers. The service areas page lists twelve places, from Ballina, Lennox Head and Skennars Head on the coast to Alstonville and Wollongbar on the plateau, Byron Bay and Bangalow to the north, and Lismore, Mullumbimby, Brunswick Heads and Ocean Shores. If your town is not on the list, ask anyway, because the list is where the work lands most often rather than a boundary.
Do you work on homes and businesses?
Both. Most calls are houses and units, and the commercial work runs from cafes and shops to offices and holiday accommodation. The pipes and drains behave the same way, but a business usually needs the work planned around trading, so tell us when the doors open.
What plumbing and gas work do you do?
Pipe repairs, burst pipes, leak detection, blocked drains and drain cleaning, toilet repairs, tap and fixture installation, hot water systems, sewer repairs and replacement, gas fitting and commercial plumbing. Each one has its own page with what is included and how the job runs.
How do I get a quote?
Call, or send the enquiry form on the contact page. Say what is leaking, blocked or not working, where it is, and attach a photo of the fitting or the meter box if you can. We tell you what we found and what it will take before any work starts.
Do you work on bathroom and kitchen renovations?
Yes. We can handle the plumbing and gas rough-in and the fit-out for a renovation, and we work around the builder, the tiler and the other trades so the pipes are in before the walls are closed up and the fittings go on after the finishes.
What should I do first if a pipe bursts?
Turn the water off at the isolating valve or the meter. Switch off the hot water unit, and if water has reached a power point or the switchboard, leave the power alone and stay clear. Open a tap to drain the line and call us with what you can see.
How do you find a leak you cannot see?
We start with the water meter. With every tap off and nothing running, a meter that is still turning means water is going somewhere. From there we work along the line, isolating sections and pressure testing, until the leak is narrowed to one spot before anything is opened up.
How do you clear a stubborn blocked drain?
When a plunger will not shift it, we use a high-pressure water jetter to scour the line and a CCTV drain camera to see what is causing the blockage. Roots, grease, wipes and a collapsed section all look different on camera, and seeing it first means we fix the real cause.
Will you have to dig up my garden or driveway?
Not always. A blockage is often cleared without any digging, and the camera shows where a damaged line actually is. When digging is the only way to reach a failed pipe, we tell you where and how much before we start.
Why does my toilet keep running?
Usually the inlet valve or the float in the cistern is not shutting off, or the flush seal is letting water seep into the pan. It wastes water all day and often cures itself for a week and then returns. A repair is usually a matter of replacing the worn part.
What should I do if I smell gas?
Do not touch light switches or use a flame. Open doors and windows, shut the gas off at the cylinder valve or meter if you can reach it safely, and get everyone outside. If the smell is strong or anyone feels unwell, call 000 from outside. Once it is safe, call us to find the source.
Which gas appliances can you connect?
Cooktops, ovens, heaters and gas hot water units. We connect the appliance, check the gas line and the connections for leaks, and make sure it has the clearance and ventilation it needs before we hand it back.
Can you replace my hot water system?
Yes. We handle electric, gas and solar hot water systems, repairs as well as replacements. We look at your household's water use and the space you have, and tell you whether the system needs repairing or has reached the end of its life.
How do I know if my hot water system needs replacing?
Rusty water from the hot tap, a tank that leaks from the body rather than a fitting, a relief valve that never stops dripping, or a unit that keeps running out of hot water are the usual signs. A leaking fitting or a failed part can often be repaired, so it is worth having it looked at before you decide.
Can you work in a commercial kitchen or cafe?
Yes. Drains, grease build-up and fixture faults are the usual problems in food businesses, and we can plan the work around your trading. Tell us when the kitchen is quiet and what the problem is when you call.
Everything we do here
Services in Bangalow, NSW
These are the services we do in Bangalow, from old galvanised pipe in the village to tank lines, bottled gas and sewer lines in the hills around it.
Also nearby
We work in these towns too
Local, and on the phone
Tell us what is happening at your Bangalow place
Send a photo of the tank and pump, or of the wet patch under the floor, and tell us the lane and whether the driveway has a gate. In the village, a photo of the meter box does the same job. We will read it before we ring you.
0482 085 03124 hours a day, 7 days a week
Not urgent? Send us the job instead