01 There’s a small hissing sound near the toilet. What’s going on there?

Listen carefully around different parts of your home, covering the more obvious areas like around your toilets, taps and shower heads, but also along walls. The sound of running water is distinctive, so keep an ear out. These sounds are often a strong indication that you have a concealed leak on your hands.

02 Should I be concerned about a part of my floor that’s a little bouncy?

If you’re walking around in your home and notice that parts of your floors are a little bouncy or spongy, you might be onto a hidden leak. In bathrooms, wall or floor tiles that are loose can be due to water damage to the adhesive. Identifying these signs as early as possible is important as they threaten the strength and integrity of the flooring – and that could be dangerous.

03 Do you charge more for work in certain suburbs of Sydney?

Let us makes this very clear: In no way does location or postcode play a part in our pricing if it is within the areas we service. Only if travel will be excessive would we add that cost, and it’s certainly not a hidden cost – it would be discussed openly with the client. This is because we’re a professional outfit, and clearly communicating with our clients is very high on our list of priorities.

04 Why is there brown water coming out of my tap?

There are a couple of possibilities here, both best to check in a white basin or a white bath. Start by turning on the hot water to see if the water is brown. Then turn off the hot tap and turn on the cold tap. You could have rust or sediment build up in your pipes, which could come from old galvanised pipes in your house or if the city’s main water pipes are having maintenance carried out on them. If you’re only noticing the brown water when your hot tap is running, this is a sign that your hot water heater is starting to rust and will need to be replaced. Hot water units tend to have a life span of between 8 and 10 years, so if your system is getting close to that vintage, it might be time to have a chat to us about your options.

05 What can I do about the decreasing water pressure in my shower?

Check the shower head first – those small holes in your shower head can become clogged with mineral deposits, making it spray unevenly. Here’s a simple tip – place a bag with warm vinegar around your shower head and secure with a bag tie and soak it for about an hour. If any deposits remain, use an old toothbrush and scrub gently. Then rinse and re-attach the shower head. Voila! Poor water pressure can often be due to clogged pipes and can also be due to reduced pressure from the water main due to leakage, equipment failures or blocked service pipes but also be aware most new tapware will be fitted with a water restrictor, so if you fit new taps you may find the pressure lower than what the old taps may have provided.

06 My water bill is suddenly higher than normal. What could be the problem?

The majority of us are generally consistent with our water usage, so a high water bill is often one of the first sign that you may have be a hidden leak in your home. If your water bill is trending upwards, with no apparent change in your home routine, it’s a good idea to run a test with your water meter. Simply turn off all the taps in your home, make sure nobody flushes the toilet during your test. With no water activity in your home, if your water meter is still clicking over the numbers, this could be a further sign than you have a concealed leak. Not sure where your water meter is? It’s usually at the front of your house, towards the footpath.