At Chiswick Plumbing, we’re the best local plumbers in Sydney & Wollongong. So, we’ve seen all types of crazy plumbing problems and there is nothing we can’t fix. But, when our clients let their issues persist for longer than they should, they start to encounter some much more intense problems. Often times, it is hard for the everyday person to identify whether there is something wrong with the plumbing.

It is easy to discount a dripping tap as no biggie or wait for that nasty smell in your shower to just go away. However, it is important to have your situation assessed before it snowballs into a bigger and more expensive fix. The following topics are some issues that we can’t see, but there are ways to identify them!

Dislodged Or Damaged Washers

Most people think that if there is an issue inside their taps, they won’t be able to notice. However, if a washer comes loose, torn or worn inside your tap, your tap will continuously drip. It’s common for people to ignore this as it isn’t the biggest deal, but a dripping tap can cause a lot of problems. You can lose thousands of litres of water from one leaky tap which inevitably adds some big bucks onto your water bill.

If your sink or shower takes a really long time to drain or has a pretty nasty smell – you have yourself a clogged drain. If your toilet is the issue, the height of the water will usually be significantly higher than usual and you may have excretion floating back into the bowl. These are both issues that no one likes to have to deal with, especially if you live in a one-bathroom household.

A blocked sink in the kitchen is perhaps the most inconvenient of them all and makes preparing meals difficult. There is a lot more risk of clogs in the kitchen due to the food waste that is pushed down the drain. Before there are any major clogs, you will likely see or smell some first signs that there is a clog.

It is a good idea to catch these blockages early instead of continuing to shower or flush the toilet until one day it just doesn’t go back down.

A leaking/running toilet is very costly but not always very obvious. If you’ve noticed that your water bill has risen significantly, you may have a silent leak on your hands. Thankfully, there is a DIY way to confirm this. Simply, put some food colouring in your upper tank and watch to see if it flows down to the bowl without flushing.

If it does, you most likely have a faulty flapper valve which essentially controls the flow of water from the upper tank to the toilet bowl. When your toilet tap is leaking for prolonged periods you can rack up some seriously large water bills and the faster you catch it, the better off you’ll be.

Leaky pipes are most often the cause of low water pressure and is a common problem in older properties. They can also cause dampness & mould in your walls and floors and attract bugs like cockroaches. Yuck!

If you’re starting to notice darkened wet patches in your walls or ceilings or an influx of bugs around your home chances are, you have a leaky pipe. There are quick fixes for these issues but in most cases, it’s best to replace the faulty pipe to prevent further damage. This can be a lengthy and expensive exercise, so don’t put off seeking help when you notice a problem.

If your dishwasher is malfunctioning, it could just be that it needs a good cleanout with some dishwasher cleaner. However, if it’s more complicated than a few dirty dishes left after a cycle, you most likely have a blockage. If you’re finding dirty pools of water at the bottom of your dishwasher, it most likely isn’t draining properly.

You may also get leakage or water escaping when you’re running a cycle which can also indicate that the water is being retained in the dishwasher because it has nowhere to go.

If there are toilets and drains in your home that are simply just not working and smell funky, you may have a larger sewerage problem. This is not a simple fix and can get really nasty if it’s not dealt with quickly. Your sewerage will essentially back up into your pipes causing a lot of inconveniences and it does require professional intervention.

If you are encountering this problem, please contact us immediately so that we can identify the cause of the problem. Whether it be a cracked pipe, blockage or collapsed sewer line, we are able to assess the damage and provide a solution.

Chiswick Plumbing are your best emergency plumbers in Sydney & Wollongong – we pride ourselves on our ability to provide Faster, Cleaner, Better plumbing, drainage and gasfitting services to everyone.