Best Plumbers

Should I get a plumber?

Plumbers can be expensive, which can make it tempting to embark on a DIY plumbing project. However, when it comes to pipe problems, toilet repairs and fixing the other plumbing-related machinery of your home, there’s often no substitute for a professional.

Good plumbing ensures hot showers stay hot, toilets flush, and that there are no unpleasant smells caused by clogged pipes. A DIY job may offer a quick fix but create more plumbing issues down the line. You might need to call an emergency plumber later - which is going to be more expensive.

A plumber has the requisite tools and expertise to assess a situation quickly and suggest viable solutions. For example, if you have a leaking tap, a plumber can advise whether you should replace the tap altogether or just an individual part like a valve seat/washer. If you have a clogged drain, they can use a plumbing snake or small CCTV camera to investigate the cause of the blockage – food, hair or other gunk – and remove it.

Types of Plumbing Services

• Emergency plumbing: Typically available 24/7, an emergency plumber will arrive at your home or commercial space at short notice, taking anywhere between 30 minutes to two hours. They deal with urgent plumbing situations such as burst pipes, overflowing toilets and gas leaks.

• Drain plumbing: If you have a blocked drain, a plumber will determine the cause of the blockage, such as a build-up of grease in the drain underneath your kitchen sink. They will then proceed to remove the blockage, or recommend that you replace your old drain with a new one.

• Toilet plumbing: Plumbers are perhaps best known for working on toilet repairs. A plumber can help if there is water pooling near the toilet base, the toilet tank is slow to refill, sewage isn’t being removed properly, or water is either constantly or irregularly running. Plumbers can also install new toilets or inspect them as part of routine maintenance.

• Fixing pipes: Plumbers can fix leaking pipes, burst pipes (an emergency plumbing service), or the issue of hot water not being delivered to your household due to a pipe problem.

• Hot water plumbing: If your home’s hot water system needs maintenance, repair or replacement, a plumber can help. This may be the case if your water takes a long time to heat up, or you’re third in line for a shower in the mornings... but when you finally turn the taps on, your teeth start to chatter. Alternatively, if your water is hot but is accompanied by low water pressure (for example, your shower feels more like a trickle even when turned on full blast), hot water plumbing might also be what you need.

• Laying new plumbing pipe: If you’re installing new plumbing as part of a kitchen or bathroom renovation, a plumber may be required to do the job properly the first time around. Plumbers also install kitchen sinks, as well as bathroom and laundry sinks.

• Plumbing traps: These are designed to stop unwanted waste materials from the sewers from entering your home via the plumbing. This unwanted waste may include sewer gases, odours and insects in the bathroom, or grease in the kitchen. A plumbing trap will seal these materials inside a small amount of liquid, which can't escape and contaminate the water supply in your home.

• Gasfitting: A gas plumber will work on the installation, maintenance, or repair of the following: LPG and natural gas pipes, gas flues, appliances and fittings. This includes plumbing work on gas BBQs and stovetops, gas hot water heaters, gas ovens, as well as gas heaters or fireplaces. Gas plumbing is a specialised skillset within the plumbing trade, so any prospective gas plumber should be fully qualified, with a license to do gasfitting work.

• Roof plumbing: A plumber can install, maintain or repair your roof plumbing or guttering, which includes roof coverings, roof flashings, stormwater piping, and the drain or tank that collects stormwater. This helps to prevent flooding or other issues caused by faulty guttering, in the event of heavy rains.

• Mechanical services plumbing: Heating, cooling and ventilation systems operate using pipes and fittings. If they need installation, maintenance or repair, a plumber can help. For example, if you’ve just invested in a ducted air conditioner a plumber can install fabricated sheet metal ductwork in your roofing.

Licensed plumbers

Since plumbing is a skilled trade, make sure you only seek out licensed plumbers who’ve completed a certificate or apprenticeship.

More specialised plumbing services may require a tradie to hold additional licenses. For example, both gasfitting jobs and those involving hot water units require more than a standard plumbing license. Ensuring a plumber is correctly licensed can help give you peace of mind that you’re getting your dream tradie and not a dud.

How much do plumbers charge per hour?

The hourly rate and overall cost is unique to each plumbing job. It will generally factor in a call-out fee, labour costs, replacement parts/ materials used, and a potential emergency plumbing fee - which can range from $50-200 on top of the actual job.

To know the ballpark figure for plumbing work, getting few quotes online is a good place to start. It’s better than just typing ‘plumbers near me’ into Google, because it factors in the details of your specific job, to give you a more realistic estimate of the costs involved.