Buying your first home in Melbourne's south-east is exciting — and a little daunting the first time something starts dripping. The most useful plumbing tips for first-time homeowners are simple: know where your water shut-off and meter are, understand the safety valve on your hot water system, learn the early signs of a blocked drain or hidden leak, get your gas heater serviced before winter, and know which problems are real emergencies and which can wait. Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, a locally based plumber in Oakleigh South, has guided new owners through their first year since 2012 — and this is the calm, jargon-free version of what actually matters. The first plumbing tips for first-time homeowners: find your stop tap and meter Before anything goes wrong, find the two things that let you stop water fast. The main shut-off is usually at your water meter, near the front boundary of the property — turning it clockwise stops water to the whole house. Many Melbourne homes also have small isolation valves (mini stop taps) under sinks and behind the toilet that shut off a single fixture. Locate them now, check that they turn freely, and show them to whoever else lives there. The day a flexible hose under the sink lets go, knowing where to turn is the difference between a mop-up and a ceiling repair. What is the PTR valve, and why does it matter? Your storage hot water system has a small safety device called a PTR valve (pressure-temperature relief valve). It quietly releases a little water so the tank cannot over-pressurise or overheat — so it is genuinely a safety part, not a leak. It is the single most useful thing for a new owner to understand, and it is also why our most-read guide is the one on how often to open your PTR valve. Read that one for the how-to; the short version is that it should be checked periodically, and a licensed plumber can show you during a service. How do I spot a blocked drain or hidden leak early? Most plumbing problems give you a warning first. A drain that empties a little slower each week, a gurgle from another fixture when you run the sink, or a bad smell are early signs of a blockage building. A hidden leak is sneakier — watch for a damp patch on a wall or ceiling, a sudden jump in your water bill, or the sound of running water when every tap is off. Skip the harsh chemical drain cleaners (they damage pipes and rarely fix the cause) and act early. We list the 5 signs you need leak detection so you know when a quiet problem is worth a call. When should I service the gas heater? Before winter, and at least every two years. A proper service is a safety check as much as a tune-up: it looks for faults like a cracked heat exchanger, which can leak carbon monoxide — an odourless gas you cannot detect yourself. If your home has a ducted or wall gas heater you have not had checked, book it in autumn rather than waiting for the first cold snap, when every plumber is busy. It is one job that is never worth putting off. What counts as a real emergency, and what can wait? Knowing the difference saves you stress and money. Treat these as urgent and call straight away: a burst pipe, a gas smell, sewage backing up into the house, or no water at all. These can usually wait for a normal appointment: a single dripping tap, a slightly slow drain, a running toilet, or a small mark you are keeping an eye on. When in doubt, a quick phone call will tell you which it is — a good plumber will give you honest guidance rather than rushing a truck out for something that can wait until morning. How do I know I can trust a plumber in my home? This is the worry behind most first-year calls: who is this person, and are they doing the right thing? Look for a plumber who is licensed and insured, shows ID, explains the work in plain language, gives a fixed-price quote before starting, and never pressures you into extras. Around The Clock Plumbing is family-run, licensed under BPC #50694 and covered by $20M public liability, and the same standard — fast arrival, accurate diagnosis, then a permanent fix — applies to a routine washer just as much as a midnight burst pipe. We set out exactly what to look for (and the red flags to avoid) in our guide to choosing a trustworthy plumber, and our customer care charter is the promise we make on tidiness, clear communication and respect for your home. Once you are settled, a light-touch routine keeps small issues small. You do not need much in year one — our guide to preventative plumbing maintenance covers the simple habits that save money and avoid emergencies down the track. Frequently asked questions: Where is the water shut-off in most Melbourne homes? Usually at the water meter near the front boundary of the property. Many homes also have small isolation valves under sinks and behind the toilet that shut off one fixture. Find and test them before you need them. What is a PTR valve and do I need to do anything with it? The PTR (pressure and temperature relief) valve is a safety device on your hot water system that releases a little water so the tank cannot over-pressurise. It should be checked periodically, and a licensed plumber can show you how during a service. When should I service my gas heater? Before winter, and at least every two years. A service checks for safety issues such as a cracked heat exchanger that can release carbon monoxide, so it is not a job to skip or delay. Which plumbing problems are real emergencies? A burst pipe, a gas smell, sewage backing up, or no water at all should be treated as urgent. A dripping tap or a slightly slow drain can usually wait for a normal appointment. How do I know a plumber I can trust in my home? Look for a licensed, insured plumber who shows ID, explains the work in plain language, gives a fixed-price quote before starting, and never pressures you. Around The Clock Plumbing is family-run and licensed under BPC #50694. Written/reviewed by Christopher Unwin — founder, Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. BPC Licence #50694, Type A gas, 22 years experience. National Council member, Master Plumbers Association. Updated May 2026 Related reading: plumbing for elderly and vulnerable residents · how to get a fair plumbing quote

Heritage home plumbing in Melbourne comes with a specific set of risks newer houses do not have: original galvanised-steel water pipes that corrode from the inside, joints where that old steel meets newer copper or plastic, and clay sewer drains that crack and let tree roots in. The signs to watch for are rust-coloured water, pressure that keeps dropping, recurring pinhole leaks, and slow or blocked drains. Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South, works on period and older homes across Melbourne's south-east and Bayside — and the goal is always to find the real fault and fix it without tearing up heritage fabric you cannot replace. Heritage home plumbing in Melbourne: the problems hiding in old pipes Homes built from roughly the 1930s to the 1980s were commonly plumbed in galvanised steel, with clay or earthenware sewer drains underground. Both were considered durable at the time; both have finite lifespans that many Melbourne homes have now surpassed. The trouble is that the worst of it happens out of sight — inside the pipe wall and under the ground — so the first you know is often discoloured water, a leak, or a drain that keeps blocking. Understanding what is actually failing lets you make a calm decision rather than an expensive panic one. How do old galvanised pipes fail? Galvanised pipes have a protective zinc lining. Over decades that zinc erodes, the steel underneath rusts, and the rust builds up inside the pipe. Two things follow: the bore narrows, so water pressure and flow drop across the house; and rust flakes break loose, discolouring the water and clogging tap aerators and appliances. As the wall thins, you get pinhole leaks — and eventually the risk of a sudden burst with no obvious warning. Rust-coloured water in the morning, pressure that has quietly fallen over the years, and small recurring leaks are the classic signs that old galvanised pipes are near the end of their life. Why is it risky where old galvanised meets newer copper or plastic? Over the years, parts of an old system get patched — a new copper or plastic run spliced into the original galvanised. Where two different metals join and carry water, you get galvanic corrosion: an electro-chemical reaction that eats away at the join faster than either pipe would corrode on its own. So a heritage home with piecemeal repairs can have a hidden weak point exactly where the old and new meet. It is one reason a proper assessment looks at the whole system, not just the leak in front of you — patching one more join onto a corroding network often just moves the next failure a little further down the line. Why do old clay drains crack and let tree roots in? Underground, many older homes still run on clay or earthenware sewer pipes laid in short sections. Clay is strong but brittle, and Melbourne's reactive clay soils move with the seasons, so the joints open and the pipe cracks. Tree roots — drawn to the moisture and nutrients — find those cracks and grow inside, where they snag debris and cause repeated blockages, and, in severe cases, collapse the pipe. If you have a drain that keeps blocking in an older home with established trees nearby, ageing clay drainage is the usual culprit, not just "something flushed." How are leaks and blockages found without ripping up heritage fabric? This is where older homes need a careful, diagnostic-led plumber rather than a guess-and-dig approach — original floors, walls and gardens are exactly what you do not want opened unnecessarily. The fault is located first, then a small, targeted area is opened. We use a Sewerin A200 acoustic leak detector to pinpoint a concealed water leak to within 0.3–0.5 m (and at depth, to 5–6 m), a Ridgid CCTV drain camera (40–305 mm) to see inside the drain on screen, and a Ridgid NaviTrack to trace pipe runs — including non-metallic ones — without exposing them. Where a dig is genuinely needed, a compact 1.7T Kubota excavator keeps it tight. For how this equipment actually works, see our explainer on advanced leak detection technologies. A concealed hot water line under a slab is common in older homes — we cover that in slab and concealed hot water leaks, and the everyday 5 signs you need leak detection are worth knowing, too. We located a concealed leak using the Sewerin A200 at a commercial site in Oakleigh in September 2025, with minimal disruption to the building. Should heritage pipes be repaired, relined or replaced? Honestly, it depends on the pipe's condition — not a one-size-fits-all upsell. A small, isolated fault may simply need a repair. Degraded clay or earthenware drains can often be relined from the inside without digging: a CIPP liner forms a new pipe relining within the old one, with a 35-year design life, which is ideal for heritage homes because it preserves the original fabric. A water system that is badly corroded throughout may genuinely need staged replacement. The right answer comes from seeing the actual condition first — that is the value of fast arrival, accurate diagnosis, then a permanent fix, rather than ripping out pipe that still has life or patching pipe that does not. We walk through the trade-offs in pipe relining vs replacement, and whatever the decision, you get a fixed-price quote before any work starts (our transparent pricing guide explains how we quote). It is the same approach we used to reline the drains at Heritage Hill Museum in Dandenong in 2024. Frequently asked questions How do I know if my home has galvanised pipes? Galvanised steel pipes are silver-grey and magnetic, and are common in Melbourne homes built roughly between the 1930s and 1980s. Look under sinks or near the meter; rust-coloured water and dropping pressure are common signs they are corroding internally. Why does my older home have rusty or discolored water? As the zinc lining inside old galvanized pipes wears away, the steel rusts and flakes, discoloring the water and narrowing the pipe so pressure drops. It usually points to internal corrosion across the system rather than a single fault. Can a leak in a heritage home be found without digging everything up? Yes. Acoustic leak detection (a Sewerin A200 pinpoints to within 0.3 to 0.5 m), a Ridgid CCTV drain camera and a NaviTrack pipe locator find the exact spot, so only a small, targeted area is opened rather than the whole wall or yard. Is it better to reline or replace old pipes? It depends on the pipe's condition. An isolated fault may just need a repair; degraded drains are often relined with no digging and a long design life; a whole system that is badly corroded may need staged replacement. An honest assessment comes first. Do tree roots really damage old drains? Yes. Old clay and earthenware sewer drains become brittle and crack with ground movement, and tree roots find the cracks and grow inside, causing blockages and sometimes collapse. A CCTV inspection shows whether roots are the cause. Written/reviewed by Christopher Unwin — founder, Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. BPC Licence #50694, Type A gas, 22 years experience. National Council member, Master Plumbers Association. If you own a house in an older suburb in Melbourne, and are after a plumber in the Bayside area, a plumber in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, or a plumber in Dandenong or more, we have got you covered. Updated May 2026 Related reading: water leak detection in older homes · stormwater drainage problems in Melbourne · water hammer (banging pipes)

Apartment and multi-storey plumbing is different from a freestanding house in one fundamental way: the pipes are shared. In a unit block, vertical stacks and risers carry water and waste for many homes at once, so a blocked drain or water leak in a single apartment can affect the units below it — and the line between what you are responsible for and what the owners corporation must fix is a legal one. Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, as a trusted plumber bsed in Oakleigh, works on apartment and multi-storey buildings across Melbourne's south-east and Bayside. The short answer to 'who do I need?' is a licensed plumber experienced in strata plumbing shared systems, body-corporate access, and equipped with diagnostic equipment to trace a fault across floors. Why is apartment and multi-storey plumbing different from a house? In a freestanding house your plumbing is yours alone: one set of supply pipes, one set of drains, one roof. An apartment or multi-storey building shares almost everything. Cold and hot water are pushed upward through common risers; waste from every level falls through shared vertical stacks; and a single main connects the whole building to the street. That shared infrastructure is why a problem in one apartment is rarely just one apartment's problem, and why diagnosing and repairing it takes a plumber who understands how the whole system fits together, not just the fixture in front of them. That is why our strata plumbers in Melbourne are highly skilled to tackle such issues. How does one unit's blockage or leak affect the units below? Because the stack is shared, a blockage low in the system backs up into the lowest fixtures first, so a ground-floor or first-floor apartment can flood from a problem caused several levels up. A leak behaves the same way: water from a failed flexi hose or a cracked waste pipe on an upper floor travels down through the structure and appears as a stain on someone else's ceiling. Shared drainage in a multi-unit building behaves much more like commercial drainage than a single home's many sources feeding common lines. Which is exactly why a CCTV drain inspection is used to find where the obstruction actually sits before anything is cleared. We explain that shared-versus-single-home difference further in our guide to commercial vs residential drain blockages. Where's the line between common property and your private lot? This is the question that causes the most confusion, and the most disputes. As a general rule, anything that serves only your apartment is your responsibility: your internal hot and cold pipes, tap fittings, the waste pipes under your sink, and the braided flexi hoses behind your toilet and vanity. Anything that serves the whole building is common property and the owners corporation's responsibility: the main water supply, the hot and cold risers running up through the floors, and the shared drainage stacks collecting waste from several units. The boundary sits at the point where a pipe stops serving the building and starts serving only your lot. Because that line is a legal one, a clear, equipment-based diagnosis of where the fault actually sits often settles who is responsible to fix it. How are leaks traced across multiple floors? Carefully, and without demolishing walls on the guess that the leak is 'somewhere above'. The fault is located first, then a small, targeted area is opened. We use a Sewerin A200 acoustic leak detector to pinpoint a concealed water leak to within 0.3–0.5 m, a Ridgid CCTV drain camera (40–305 mm) to see inside a shared stack on screen, and a Ridgid NaviTrack pipe locator to trace pipe runs including non-metallic ones between floors and through common walls. In a multi-storey building that precision matters even more than in a house, because opening the wrong ceiling means disturbing the wrong resident. This is the value of fast arrival, an accurate diagnosis, then a permanent fix, rather than trial-and-error across several apartments. For how this equipment works, see our explainer on advanced leak detection technologies. Why do access, scheduling and sign-off matter in apartment buildings? In a house, the owner lets the plumber in and the job starts. In an apartment building, the strata plumber may need access to a neighbouring lot, a locked riser cupboard, a basement plant room or a rooftop, and that has to be coordinated with the owners corporation or strata manager, often with notice to residents. Work on common property usually needs body-corporate authorisation, and licensed strata plumbing work generates a compliance certificate the building's records should keep. A plumber used to strata work plans for this: arranging access, scheduling around residents, and keeping disruption and noise to a minimum. We work directly with strata and body-corporate managers including MBCM Strata, Ace Body Corp and Civium and provide the documentation a building needs; the detail of those certificates and reports is covered in our guide to compliance certificates, VCAT reports and strata documentation. So who do you actually need? For an apartment or multi-storey building you need a licensed strata plumber who understands shared stacks and risers, can coordinate access through a body corporate, has the diagnostics to trace a fault across floors, and will keep residents informed and disruption low. Around The Clock Plumbing answers calls 24/7 with a real person, useful when a leak in one unit is dripping into another at night, quotes a fixed price before any work begins, and backs the repair with a 6-year workmanship guarantee and $20M public liability cover. How we quote is set out in our transparent pricing guide, and the standard of care we commit to — tidy, communicative and respectful of your building — is in our customer care charter. Frequently asked questions Why is apartment plumbing different from a house? An apartment shares its water supply, risers and waste stacks with every other unit in the building, so a fault in one apartment can affect others. A house has its own separate pipes. Shared systems need a licensed plumber who understands how the whole building connects. Who is responsible for plumbing in an apartment, me or the owners corporation? As a general rule, pipes and fittings that serve only your apartment are your responsibility, while shared infrastructure the main supply, the risers and the common drainage stacks is the owners corporation's. The boundary sits where a pipe stops serving the building and starts serving only your lot. Can a leak in an upstairs apartment damage the one below? Yes. Water from a failed pipe or hose on an upper floor travels down through the structure and often appears as a ceiling stain in the unit below. Tracing it quickly with acoustic water leak detection and a CCTV camera limits the damage and identifies the source. How do plumbers find a leak across multiple floors? By locating the fault before opening anything. A Sewerin A200 acoustic detector pinpoints a concealed leak to within 0.3 to 0.5 m, a Ridgid CCTV camera inspects shared stacks, and a NaviTrack locator traces pipe runs between floors, so only a small, targeted area is opened. Do you need body-corporate approval for apartment plumbing work? Work on common property usually needs owners-corporation or strata-manager authorisation, and access to shared risers or neighbouring lots has to be coordinated. Licensed work also generates a compliance certificate for the building's records. A plumber experienced in strata work arranges all of this. Book now!! Written/reviewed by Christopher Unwin — founder, Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. BPC Licence #50694, Type A gas, 22 years experience. National Council member, Master Plumbers Association. Updated May 2026 Related reading: landlord plumbing compliance in Victoria · plumbing for property managers

A pre-purchase plumbing inspection is a check of a property’s plumbing, drainage and gas systems by a licensed plumber before you buy, and it covers the faults a standard building inspection cannot. The most expensive plumbing problems in a home are the ones you can’t see: a cracked or root-filled sewer under the slab, a hot water system on its last legs, or illegal work hidden behind a wall. Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South, carries out independent pre-purchase plumbing inspections across Melbourne’s south-east and Bayside, and this checklist explains exactly what to ask for and why it matters before you sign. What does a standard building inspection miss? Standard pre-purchase building inspections in Australia are carried out to Australian Standard AS 4349.1, which covers the visible, accessible parts of a building’s structure. It is a worthwhile report, but it has two important limits when it comes to plumbing. First, a building inspector is not a licensed plumber, so any plumbing checks are basic and visual. Second, and most importantly, AS 4349.1 does not include a camera inspection of the underground drainage. That means you can buy a home with no idea the sewer line is partially collapsed, sagging, or full of tree roots until it backs up after you move in. The only way to actually see the condition of the buried pipework is a separate CCTV drain inspection by a licensed plumber. Your pre-purchase plumbing inspection checklist: what to ask for When you book a pre-purchase plumbing inspection, ask that it includes the following — and that you receive a written report you can actually act on: A CCTV camera inspection of the sewer and stormwater drains. A camera that handles everything from 40mm to 305mm pipe is fed through the lines to check for root intrusion, cracks, collapses, displaced joints and incorrect falls. Root intrusion is the most common hidden fault in older homes — we explain why in our guide to blocked drains caused by tree roots. A pressure or leak test of the water service. This reveals concealed leaks in walls or under the slab before they become your problem. The same acoustic and pressure techniques used for water leak detection in older homes apply here. Read more in our blog The age and condition of the hot water system. Its make, age and likely remaining life, a unit near the end of its life is a near-term cost you should factor into your offer. Gutters, downpipes and surface drainage. Whether stormwater is genuinely carried away from the building. Poor surface drainage is a common cause of damp, mould and structural movement. Gas appliances and the meter. That gas work is safe and compliant, with no obvious illegal or unpermitted installations, a check that must be done by a licensed gas fitter. We carry the latest gas leak detection equipment to identify the hazadous gas leaks in your popety. Signs of illegal or unlicensed plumbing work. DIY or unpermitted work that may need to be redone to meet Australian Standards, at your cost, once you own the property. A clear written condition report. Setting out the defects, with photos or video, and what they actually mean, so you can make an informed decision rather than take someone’s word for it. Why does a pre-purchase plumbing inspection matter? A home is one of the largest purchases most people ever make, and plumbing defects are both costly and easy to hide. A collapsed or root-infested sewer can cost far more to repair than the inspection itself, and illegal work can leave you liable to bring it up to standard. A pre-purchase plumbing report does one of two valuable things: it gives you peace of mind, or it gives you documented, photographed evidence to renegotiate the price ,or to walk away. Because the inspection is diagnostic-led we arrive, find the actual condition of the pipes rather than guessing from what is visible, and document it , any defect can then be fixed properly, whether that is a pipe relining versus replacement decision or a targeted repair. For older homes in Melbourne’s established suburbs, particularly those built before the 1980s with mature trees nearby, a drain camera inspection is especially worth it. Pre-purchase inspection vs an ongoing plumbing health check A pre-purchase inspection is a one-off check before you buy. Once you own the home, a regular plumbing health check every couple of years stops small problems becoming plumbing emergencies. We cover that in our guide to plumbing health checks every 2–3 years. The two work together: one protects the purchase, the other protects the investment. Frequently asked questions Isn’t a standard building inspection enough? Not for plumbing. A building inspection to AS 4349.1 covers visible structure and is done by a building inspector, not a licensed plumber, and it does not include a camera inspection of underground drains. A separate pre-purchase plumbing inspection is the only way to assess the buried pipework, hot water system and gas by an independent plumbing inspector. What should a pre-purchase plumbing inspection include? A CCTV inspection of the sewer and stormwater drains, a pressure or leak test of the water service, the age and condition of the hot water system, gutters and surface drainage, gas appliances, any signs of illegal work, and a written condition report with photos or video. Can I use the report to negotiate the price? Yes. Documented, photographed defects are strong evidence for renegotiating the purchase price, asking the vendor to repair before settlement, or deciding not to proceed. That is often where a pre-purchase inspection pays for itself many times over. Should I get a drain camera inspection on an older home? Especially on an older home. Properties built before the 1980s, and any home with mature trees nearby, are far more likely to have root intrusion, cracked clay pipes or sections laid at the wrong fall, none of which are visible without a camera. Do you provide a written report I can rely on? Yes. We provide an independent, forensic-grade written report with photos and camera footage, suitable for price negotiation, insurance, or a body corporate, and detailed enough to stand up if the matter is ever disputed. Book now. Get in touch with ATC plumbing for all your plumbing needs in Melbourne, including Blackburn, Doncaster, Ringwood, Wantirna South, Dandenong, Brighton, Bayside and more. Written/reviewed by Christopher Unwin — founder, Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. BPC Licence #50694, Type A gas, 22 years experience. National Council member, Master Plumbers Association. Updated May 2026 Related reading: stormwater drainage problems in Melbourne

Stormwater drainage problems in Melbourne usually come down to three things: water that can’t get away fast enough, pipes that have cracked or filled with roots, and confusion over who is actually responsible for fixing them. As a general rule, everything from your roof to the council’s drain is yours, and that surprises a lot of homeowners. Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, as a trusted plumber in Melbourne, diagnoses and fixes stormwater faults across Melbourne’s south-east and Bayside. This guide explains what causes them, how they get fixed for good by the best plumbers in Melbourne, and exactly where your responsibility ends and the council’s begins. What causes stormwater drainage problems in Melbourne homes? Stormwater carries rain from your roof, paving and surfaces away to the public network. When it backs up or pools, the cause is almost always one of these: Reactive clay soils. Much of the south-east sits on clay that swells and shrinks with moisture, slowly cracking older clay and earthenware stormwater pipes and pulling joints apart. Tree-root intrusion. Roots find their way into pipe joints chasing moisture, then expand and trap debris. It is Melbourne’s most common drainage problem, and stormwater lines are just as vulnerable as sewers. Undersized or aged pipes. Older systems were never sized for today’s intense summer downpours, so they surcharge and water surfaces in the yard or against the house. Blocked pits and downpipes. Silted stormwater pits, leaf-choked downpipes and charged (pressurised) lines that have lost their seal all stop water moving. Wrong fall. Pipes laid at the wrong grade, often poor original workmanship — let water pool instead of draining away. Common warning signs are water pooling near the foundations or under the house after rain, pits that overflow in a downpour, damp brickwork, erosion along a boundary, and gurgling drains. Stormwater or sewer: why the difference matters Stormwater and sewer are two separate systems. Stormwater takes clean rainwater to the council or Melbourne Water network; the sewer takes wastewater from your toilets, sinks and showers to the sewerage system. It is against the rules to cross-connect them. The distinction matters because a stormwater problem — flooding, pooling, an overflowing pit is handled very differently from a sanitary blockage or a sewage overflow, which is a health risk and a different blocked drain repair altogether. Who is responsible for stormwater drains — you or the council? This is where most homeowners get caught out. Responsibility is split at a point called the legal point of discharge. Your responsibility. You own and must maintain every stormwater pipe, pit, gutter and downpipe within your boundary — and the pipe that carries your stormwater out to the council’s nominated legal point of discharge. That often includes the section of pipe running under the nature strip or road reserve to the kerb or council drain. If it carries your water, it is generally yours to maintain. The council’s (or Melbourne Water’s) responsibility. Beyond the legal point of discharge, the asset owner takes over — usually your local council for local street drainage, and Melbourne Water for larger regional catchments (generally those above about 60 hectares). Overland flow. You must accept natural overland flow from neighbouring or public land, and you must not divert or redirect stormwater so it floods a neighbour. Water flooding a neighbour from a faulty private system is generally treated as a civil matter between owners, and you can be liable for the damage. Your legal point of discharge is nominated by your council and was usually set by the building surveyor when the property was approved. These obligations sit under the Victorian Water Act 1989. For your property’s exact discharge point and rules, your local council or Melbourne Water is the authority to ask — this guide is general information, not legal advice. How do you fix a stormwater drainage problem for good with a Trusted Stormwater Plumber in Melbourne? A cheap fix clears the symptom; a permanent fix finds and removes the cause. That is the difference between paying once and paying every wet season. Our approach is built around it: Our emergency plumbers arrive fast , often within the hour across the south-east — put a Ridgid CCTV drain camera (40–305mm) through the line to see exactly what is happening, then fix the actual fault rather than clearing it and leaving. Depending on what the CCTV inspection shows, the permanent fix might be: Hydro-jetting to cut out roots, silt and debris and fully clear the line. Pipe relining — sealing cracks and root-entry points from the inside with no-dig CIPP technology and a 35-year design life, often without digging up gardens, driveways or paths. We explain the choice in our guide to pipe relining versus replacement. Re-laying or upgrading sections at the correct fall, installing new pits or subsoil (ag) drains, or increasing pipe capacity where the old system simply can’t cope. When should you call a plumber about stormwater? Call a blocked drain plumber or stormwater plumber when water pools near or under the house after rain, when a pit overflows, when you notice damp or erosion, or when downpipes back up. If water is entering the subfloor or the home during heavy rain, treat it as urgent. It is one of the urgent issues worth acting on immediately. Acting early is the cheap option: stormwater damage to footings and foundations costs far more to repair than the drainage fault that caused it. Common questions about stormwater drainage in Melbourne Who is responsible for the stormwater drain in my nature strip? You are. You are responsible for the stormwater pipe carrying water from your property to the council’s nominated legal point of discharge, including the section that runs under the nature strip or road reserve. Beyond that connection point it becomes the council’s or Melbourne Water’s. For your exact point of discharge, ask your local council. Why does my backyard flood every time it rains heavily? Usually an undersized, blocked or broken stormwater system — silted pits, root-filled or cracked pipes, leaf-choked downpipes, or pipes laid at the wrong fall. A CCTV drain camera inspection shows the actual cause so it can be fixed rather than guessed at. Can stormwater pipes be relined instead of dug up? Yes. Cracked or root-affected stormwater pipes can often be relined using no-dig CIPP technology, sealing the pipe from the inside with a long design life and no need to excavate gardens, driveways or paths. Is a blocked stormwater drain an emergency? It can be. If water is pooling against the building or entering the subfloor or home during heavy rain, treat it as urgent to protect the foundations and structure. We answer the phone 24/7 and can usually reach the south-east within the hour. My neighbour’s stormwater is flooding my property — what can I do? Stormwater flowing onto your land from a neighbour’s faulty or inadequate private system is generally a civil matter between owners, and your council usually cannot intervene. An independent written report identifying the source helps you resolve it; for overland-flow disputes, your local council can advise. If you're looking for a plumber in Bayside, or a plumber in Glen Waverley, a plumber in Bentleigh, a plumber in Caulfield, or more, we have got you covered. Get a free Quote now Written/reviewed by Christopher Unwin — founder, Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. BPC Licence #50694, Type A gas, 22 years experience. National Council member, Master Plumbers Association. Updated May 2026 Related reading: commercial plumbing maintenance plans · pre-purchase plumbing inspections · the complete guide to blocked drains

When an elderly or vulnerable resident needs a liceised plumber, the repair itself is only half the job. The other half is doing it safely, calmly, and honestly, in a way that protects someone who may be unwell, living on their own, hard of hearing, or simply unsure who to trust at home. Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South, works in homes exactly like these across Melbourne's south-east and Bayside, and how a plumber behaves on the doorstep matters as much as the work that follows. What makes a plumber safe for elderly and vulnerable residents? A safe plumber in Melbourne for an elderly or vulnerable person does a handful of simple things, every single time, that a rushed or dishonest operator skips. None of them are complicated — they come down to respect and transparency: Shows identification before coming inside. Every ATC plumber carries photo ID and arrives in a marked vehicle and uniform, so there is never any doubt about who is at the door. Explains the problem in plain language. The fault is described without jargon, often shown on the screen of a Ridgid CCTV drain camera so the resident can see the actual blocked drain or broken pipe for themselves, and there is time to ask questions. Gives a written, fixed-price quote before starting. Nothing begins until the price is agreed in writing. There is no ‘we’ll see how we go’ and no surprise at the end, which is the single biggest protection against being overcharged. We explain what honest pricing looks like in our guide to how to get a fair plumbing quote. Never applies pressure to decide on the spot. A genuine plumber is happy for a son, daughter or neighbour to be phoned and consulted first. Urgency is real in an emergency, but a fixed-price repair should never come with a countdown. Works at a calm pace and leaves the home as it was found. Shoe covers, drop sheets, tidying up afterwards, and not moving someone’s belongings without asking are all part of treating a person’s home with care. Why are older Australians targeted by plumbing scams? Sadly, older people are deliberately targeted by dishonest operators. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has reported that Australians aged 65 and over were the only age group whose scam losses actually rose in 2023, and the Council on the Ageing notes they are singled out partly because they are more likely to be home during the day. There have been well-documented cases of elderly Australians charged a small fortune for a simple repair that another plumber later completed for a fraction of the price or charged for work that never fixed the problem at all. The warning signs are consistent. Be cautious of anyone who knocks on the door uninvited offering to ‘inspect’ the plumbing, pressures for an immediate decision, will not put a quote in writing, demands a large payment up front before any work is done. Trades under several different business names, or uses frightening language about safety to rush a sale. Around The Clock Plumbing is the opposite of that pattern in every respect. It is one consistent, fully licensed local business based in Oakleigh South, not a rotating set of trading names, so the company that quotes the job is the company that does it and stands behind it. A real person answers the phone at any hour rather than a call centre, which is the difference we explain in real 24/7 plumber vs call centre. Every quote is fixed and in writing, the business holds $20 million in public liability cover and full licensing (you can see them all on our licences and credentials page), and our staged-payment, no-walk-off approach, set out in our Customer Care Charter , means no one is asked to hand over large sums for work that has not been completed. That combination is what genuine 24/7 emegency plumbing service should mean for a vulnerable household: a real plumber who answers at any hour, arrives quickly, usually within an hour across Melbourne’s south-east, diagnoses the actual cause rather than guessing, and fixes it properly the first time, so an older resident is not left calling back about the same problem next week. How can I arrange a plumber for an elderly parent who lives alone? If you are organising plumbing for a parent or relative who lives on their own, including from interstate or overseas, a few simple steps keep them safe and keep you in the loop: Be present, or arrange for someone to be. Book a daytime window when you, a neighbour or a friend can be there. Knowing what to expect helps too; our walk-through of what happens during an emergency call-out sets out each step so nothing feels unfamiliar. Ask for the plumber’s name and licence number. A licensed plumber will happily provide both, and a Victorian licence can be checked on the Victorian Building Authority register before the visit. Approve the quote in writing and stay reachable. You can sign off a fixed-price quote and arrange payment remotely, so your parent is never put on the spot to make a financial decision alone. Set up one trusted local provider. Having a single plumber who already knows the home means no frantic late-night search for a stranger — which is exactly the moment scams catch people out. Our guide to choosing a trustworthy emergency plumber is a useful checklist to keep on the fridge. Working with care around people who are unwell Respectful, low-key work matters most where people are at their most vulnerable. In April 2026 we cleared a blocked sewer at Ronald McDonald House, a home-away-from-home for the families of seriously ill children. An environment like that leaves no room for noise, mess or disruption, and it is a good measure of how a plumber should behave in any home where someone is frail, unwell or anxious: quiet, tidy, patient, and focused on solving the problem without adding to anyone’s stress. The same care applies to working around mobility aids, hearing difficulties or medical equipment — slowing down, speaking clearly, and never rushing the person in front of you. Frequently asked questions How can I tell if a plumber is safe to let into my elderly parent’s home? Ask for a licence number and photo ID, check the business is insured, and insist on a written fixed-price quote before any work starts. A safe plumber is never offended by these questions. ATC plumbers carry ID, arrive in a marked vehicle, and explain everything before they begin. What are the warning signs of a plumbing scam targeting older people? Uninvited door-knocking, high-pressure demands for an immediate decision, refusal to put a quote in writing, demands for a large up-front payment, operating under several business names, and scare tactics about safety. Any one of these is a reason to pause and call a trusted family member. Will the plumber explain the work so my parent can understand it? Yes. A good plumber describes the problem in plain language, shows it on a camera screen where possible, and gives the resident time to ask questions and consult family before agreeing to anything. Can I organise and pay for the work if I don’t live with my elderly relative? Absolutely. You can approve a fixed-price quote and arrange payment over the phone from anywhere, so your relative is not left to make decisions or payments on their own. Our staged-payment, no-walk-off policy means you only pay for work that has actually been completed. Do you work respectfully around people who are unwell or have mobility needs? Yes. all our Melbourne plumbers work at a calm, unhurried pace, use shoe covers and drop sheets, leave the home as we found it, and take care around medical equipment, mobility aids and anyone who is unwell, as we did clearing the sewer at Ronald McDonald House. Book now!! Written/reviewed by Christopher Unwin — founder, Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. BPC Licence #50694, Type A gas, 22 years experience. National Council member, Master Plumbers Association. Updated May 2026

Updated May 2026 — Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. A trustworthy emergency plumber is one you can verify before they arrive: an insured licensed plumber whose name and licence number you can check on the public Victorian Building Authority register, who answers the phone as a real person rather than a call centre, gives you a fixed price before any work starts, and leaves you with a written record of what was found and fixed. Across Melbourne's south-east and Bayside, the gap between a good outcome and an expensive one usually comes down to a few simple checks, made calmly and ideally before you ever need them. Here is exactly what to look for, and the warning signs that should make you stop and call someone else. What does a trustworthy emergency plumber actually do differently? Almost any plumber can stop the immediate problem: turn off the water, clear a drain blockage, stem a leak. What sets a trustworthy emergency plumber apart is what happens next. The standard worth holding out for is simple — fast arrival, accurate diagnosis, then a permanent fix. That means arriving quickly, using proper diagnostic equipment to identify the root cause rather than guessing, and agreeing on a fixed price with you before any repair begins. A plumber who skips the diagnosis and jumps straight to an expensive replacement is the one to be cautious about. That fast arrival, accurate diagnosis and permanent fix sequence is the standard Around The Clock Plumbing works to on every call-out. How do I check an emergency plumber is properly licensed in Victoria? This is the single most useful check, and most people never make it. In Victoria, plumbing work must be carried out by a licensed or registered plumber, and you can confirm anyone's status for free on the public Victorian Building Authority (VBA) register by searching their name or license number. If the work involves gas, such as a gas heater or a suspected gas leak, the gas plumber also needs a separate Type A gas licence. Gas work by an unlicensed person is both illegal and genuinely dangerous, so it is not a corner to cut. A trustworthy plumber will give you their licence number without being asked. Around The Clock Plumbing holds BPC Licence #50694, which covers the highest classes of Type A gas, backflow prevention and thermostatic mixing valve work, alongside $20 million in public liability cover and Master Plumbers Association membership. If you'd like, you can see the full list of ATC's licences and accreditations before you ever need to make an emergency call. Will a real plumber answer, or am I calling a call centre? Plenty of "24/7" numbers don't ring a plumber at all. They route to a national call centre or a lead-generation service that sells your job to whichever contractor happens to be available. You don't get to choose who turns up, you don't know what they'll charge, and they may not know your suburb at all. A genuine local emergency plumber answers as themselves and sends its own team. After-hours calls to Around The Clock Plumbing are answered by a real person, not voicemail and not an overseas call centre, and the job goes to ATC's own licensed plumbers who know Melbourne's south-east. A fair question to ask any after-hours number is simply: "Am I speaking to the plumber, or a booking service?" There's more on this in our guide to telling a real 24/7 plumber from a call centre. How should an emergency plumber price the job, and what about after-hours rates? A trustworthy plumber gives you a fixed price before they start, even at 2am, rather than running an open-ended hourly meter while you wait and worry. Ask whether there's a call-out fee, and what after-hours, weekend or public-holiday rates apply, and get it in writing before you agree. Higher after-hours rates are normal and reasonable; what is not reasonable is a vague "we'll see when we get there." Be a little wary of "free call-out" hooks, too, as the cost often reappears in inflated labour. Around The Clock Plumbing quotes a fixed price before any work begins, with no hidden extras, which is a written promise set out in its Customer Care Charter. You can also see how honest plumbing pricing is structured in our transparent Melbourne pricing guide. What are the red flags to avoid when choosing an emergency plumber? If you notice any of the following, slow down. If more than one applies, call someone else: High-pressure urgency used to rush you, such as "this has to be replaced tonight or the whole system fails," especially if it's used to stop you getting a second opinion. Refusing to put the price in writing, or quoting by the hour with no cap or estimate. No licence number offered, an unmarked vehicle, or no ABN you can look up. Jumping straight to a major replacement without first diagnosing the cause: no camera, no leak-detection equipment, just a big quote. No written report of what was found and done, which you'll need for insurance, strata or a landlord. Evasive answers about who will actually turn up, and when. What does it look like when a plumber actually fixes the problem? A homeowner in Oakleigh called Around The Clock Plumbing about a sewer that kept backing up. Three previous plumbers had each cleared it and left, only for it to block again within weeks. Rather than repeat the same temporary clear, ATC ran a CCTV drain camera to find the actual fault in the pipe, then repaired that section properly so the problem stopped coming back. That is the practical difference between clearing a symptom and fixing the cause, and it's exactly what proper diagnostic equipment is for. You can read the full Oakleigh blocked drain case study to see how it was done. Common questions about choosing an emergency plumber: How quickly should an emergency plumber arrive in Melbourne? For a genuine emergency in Melbourne's south-east, it's reasonable to expect attendance within about an hour, and often sooner. Around The Clock Plumbing aims to be on site within 60 minutes across its service area, and in many cases within 30. Ask any plumber for a realistic arrival time before you book. How do I verify a plumber's licence in Victoria? Search the plumber's name or licence number on the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) register, which is free and public. For any gas work, confirm they hold a Type A gas licence. A trustworthy plumber will give you their licence number without being asked. Is it more expensive to call a plumber after hours? After-hours, weekend and public-holiday call-outs often carry higher rates, which is normal. What matters is that the rate and any call-out fee are explained to you in writing, and that you get a fixed price before work starts rather than an open-ended hourly charge. What's the difference between an emergency plumber and a 24/7 call centre? A 24/7 call centre or lead service takes your details and passes the job to whichever contractor is available, so you don't choose who attends. A genuine local emergency plumber answers directly and sends its own licensed team. If in doubt, ask whether you're speaking to the plumber or a booking service. Should an emergency plumber give me a written report? Yes. A written record of what was found and what was done protects you for insurance claims, strata or owners-corporation requirements, and any landlord obligations. If a plumber won't document the work, treat it as a warning sign. Written and reviewed by Christopher Unwin, founder of Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. BPC Licence #50694, Type A gas, 22 years' experience. National Council member, Master Plumbers Association. Related reading: what to expect during an emergency call-out · how to get a fair plumbing quote

A commercial plumbing maintenance plan is a scheduled agreement where a plumber proactively inspects, services and certifies your building's plumbing on a set cadence — instead of waiting for something to fail. For any business, reactive plumbing is the expensive option once you add up the real costs: lost trading hours, emergency after-hours rates, water damage to stock and fit-out, and the risk of a compliance breach. Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, a reliable plumber in Oakleigh South, runs maintenance plans for businesses across Melbourne's south-east — from single sites to multi-site operators — built around one idea: catch problems before they close your doors. What does a commercial plumbing maintenance plan include? No two plans are identical, because a café, a petrol station, and a strata building have very different plumbing. A good commercial plumbing maintenance plan is built around your site's actual risk, and typically includes: Scheduled drain maintenance. Preventive jetting and CCTV camera inspection of the drains most likely to block — kitchen lines, floor wastes and car-park pits — before they back up during service. Backflow prevention testing. Annual testing of testable backflow devices by a licensed plumber Melbourne, with results lodged to your water authority as required. Thermostatic mixing valve (TMV) servicing. Annual servicing and calibration of TMVs, which matters especially in healthcare, aged-care and childcare settings. Grease trap and trade-waste support. Coordinating grease trap servicing and keeping you aligned with the trade waste agreement for your premises. Hot water and gas checks. Servicing of hot water plant and commercial gas appliances so a failure does not shut you down mid-week. A priority-response agreement. When something does go wrong, plan clients go to the front of the queue. Documented reporting. A record of every plumbing inspection and certificate for your compliance file. The exact compliance items depend on your site and your water authority, so part of setting up a plan is simply working out what legally applies to you and putting it on a schedule — the commercial equivalent of the plumbing health checks we recommend for homes. Why does reactive plumbing cost more than a maintenance plan? 'If it isn't broken, don't touch it' feels cheaper, but it rarely is. When commercial plumbing fails without warning, you usually end up paying several times over. There is the emergency plumbing call-out itself, often at after-hours rates. There is the downtime — a restaurant that cannot use its kitchen, or a service station that has to close a forecourt, loses revenue by the hour. There is secondary damage, where a hidden leak rots a floor or ruins stock long before anyone sees water. And there is the compliance risk: a missed backflow test or an overflowing grease trap can bring a notice or a fine from your water authority. A maintenance plan trades a small, predictable scheduled cost for protection against those large, unpredictable ones. It is the same logic as our , scaled up to the stakes of a business. What plumbing compliance does a commercial property need scheduled? Commercial sites carry obligations a house never does, and most run on an annual cycle set by Australian Standards and your local water authority. The common ones are backflow prevention device testing, thermostatic mixing valve servicing, and — for any premises producing food waste, oil or grease — a trade-waste agreement with scheduled grease-trap servicing. Drainage on commercial sites is also a different animal to a home; the causes and fixes for blocked commercial drains are not the same as residential ones, as we explain in commercial versus residential drain blockages. The practical value of a plan is that you are not trying to remember which certificate is due when — it is scheduled, completed and documented for you. Can one plumber maintain multiple sites? Yes, and for multi-site operators it is far simpler than juggling a different plumber in every suburb. ATC maintains plumbing for businesses with sites across Victoria — we look after more than 50 BP and Shell service stations for Jasbe Petroleum, several McDonald's restaurants, and community sites such as Ronald McDonald House. One provider means one point of contact, a consistent standard, and a single set of records across every location. Our diagnostic-led approach — fast arrival, an accurate diagnosis with a truck-mounted hydro-jetter running at 5,500 PSI or a CCTV camera drain inspection, then a permanent fix — is what stops the same fault recurring across a portfolio. For drains we can often reline a failing pipe rather than dig it up; the pipe relining versus replacement decision is one we will walk you through. ATC holds Water Industry Co-ordinator clearance, $20 million public liability cover and a 6-year workmanship guarantee. Common questions about commercial maintenance plans How often should commercial drains be cleaned under a plan? It depends on the site — a busy commercial kitchen may need jetting every few months, while a low-risk office might need it annually. We set the cadence based on what your drains actually do, using CCTV to confirm it is working. What happens if there's an emergency between scheduled visits? Maintenance-plan clients get priority response. We attend quickly, make the site safe, and because we already know your plumbing, we usually diagnose the problem faster. Is a maintenance plan worth it for a small business? Often yes — even a single grease trap, backflow device, or hot water unit failing at the wrong time can cost more in downtime than a year of scheduled servicing. The plan is scaled to your site, so you are not paying for things you do not have. Do you handle the compliance paperwork for our water authority? Yes. We carry out the required testing and servicing and provide the documentation for your compliance file, so certificates stay current and are lodged as needed. Can you maintain several locations under one agreement? Yes. We look after multi-site operators across Victoria, providing a single point of contact and consistent records for every site, from retail chains to service-station networks. Written/reviewed by Christopher Unwin — founder, Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. BPC Licence #50694, Type A gas, 22 years experience. National Council member, Master Plumbers Association. Updated May 2026 Related reading: plumbing for property managers · landlord plumbing compliance in Victoria

What Is a Pressure and Temperature Relief Valve? The pressure and temperature relief (PTR) valve — sometimes called a TPR valve — is a critical safety device on every hot water system. It's designed to release pressure or temperature if either exceeds safe operating limits, preventing the tank from failing catastrophically. Every storage hot water system has one, usually on the side of the tank near the top. How Often Should You Test It? The PTR valve on your hot water system should be tested every 6 months. Testing involves manually lifting the lever on the valve briefly — water should flow freely from the discharge pipe and the valve should reseat (stop flowing) cleanly when you release the lever. If the valve drips after releasing, it may need replacing. If no water flows when you test it, the valve may be blocked or seized — it needs immediate attention from a licensed plumber. Why Testing Matters A PTR valve that fails to operate correctly is a serious safety risk. Hot water systems operate under pressure — a tank failure caused by a blocked relief valve can be explosive. In addition, PTR valves that have never been tested can seize over years of non-use, making them unable to operate when needed. Regular testing also confirms the discharge pipe is clear and directing water safely away from the unit. Signs Your PTR Valve Needs Attention Watch for: the valve weeping or dripping continuously (may indicate excessive pressure in the system or a faulty valve seat); water staining on the wall or floor near the discharge outlet; the valve releasing water in large amounts without being manually triggered (indicates the system is over-pressurising); or a valve that's obviously corroded or damaged. Any of these signs require a licensed plumber to assess. ATC Plumbing carries out all hot water system plumbing inspections and PTR valve replacements across Melbourne's south-east. Book now for same-day hot water services. Located in Oakleigh South, if you're after a plumber in Oakleigh or need a plumber in the Bayside area or a plumber in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, we have got you covered.

Water damage from a plumbing leak is one of those problems where the first hour decides how much it ends up costing you. Stop the water leak, make the area safe, and photograph everything before you start cleaning up, because that early record is what your insurer will lean on later. Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, a trusted plumbing service in Oakleigh South attends water-damage emergencies across Melbourne's south-east and Bayside, and the pattern is almost always the same: the people who come out of it well are the ones who acted fast, documented the damage, and got the real source found and fixed rather than just mopped up. What to do first when you have water damage from a plumbing leak When you find water damage from a plumbing leak, work through these steps in order. The aim is simple: stop the water, keep everyone safe, and protect your insurance position before you touch anything. Stop the water. If you can see an isolation tap under the sink, behind the toilet or near the appliance, turn it off. If you cannot, shut off the whole-house supply at the water meter. Not sure where it is or how? Our guide on how to turn off your water meter walks you through it. Keep clear of water near electricity. If water is near power points, light fittings, downlights or the switchboard, do not touch it. Switch the power off at the board only if the board itself is dry and safe to reach, otherwise leave it and wait for help. Water and electricity together are the one part of this you never gamble on. Photograph and film everything before you clean up. Take wide shots and close-ups of the damage, the water, and anything you think is the source. Keep any failed part, like a split flexible hose. This is your evidence, and you cannot recreate it once it is mopped away. Move what you can. Lift furniture, electronics and valuables clear of the water, and get rugs, documents and anything absorbent off wet floors. Then start drying out. Soak up standing water and get air moving to limit mould, but only after you have recorded the damage. Call a licensed plumber. You want the source found and stopped properly, and a written report on the cause that you can hand to your insurer. Water and electricity: when a leak becomes a safety risk Not every leak is dangerous, but some are, and it is worth knowing the difference. A leak that reaches electrical wiring, a switchboard, power points or ceiling downlights can turn a wet floor into a live one. If you see water around any of those, stay out of the area, do not flick switches in the wet zone, and if there is any doubt at all, leave the property and call for help. Because ATC holds a Restricted Electrical licence (ESV D17236) alongside its plumbing and gas qualifications, our team understands exactly where the water-and-electrical line sits and how to make a flooded area safe before working in it. Why a leaking ceiling isn't always where the leak is Here is the trap with concealed leaks: water runs along joists, pipes and the back of plasterboard, so the wet patch on your ceiling or the stain on a wall is often metres away from the actual leak. Cutting in where the damage shows usually means opening up the wrong spot, then the next, and the next. The better way is to find the true source first, without demolition. We use acoustic leak detection with a Sewerin A200, which pinpoints a hidden leak to within 0.3 to 0.5 metres and can trace pipes at depths of 5 to 6 metres, along with thermal imaging and CCTV drain cameras where the problem is in the drains. That is the heart of how we work: a fast arrival to stop the damage, accurate diagnosis to find the real source, and a permanent fix so the same leak does not come back. If your home is older or has a mix of pipe materials, our guides on water leak detection in older Melbourne homes and slab and concealed hot water leaks explain what is involved. How do I document a plumbing leak for an insurance claim? Most Australian home insurance policies cover sudden and accidental water damage, often described in your policy as an escape of liquid, such as a burst pipe or a hidden leak you could not reasonably have known about. What they usually will not pay for is repairing the worn pipe or fitting itself, and they generally exclude gradual leaks, wear and tear, or a slow leak you could have spotted and ignored. In practice, your claim often comes down to showing the damage was sudden and accidental, so a few simple things make a real difference: Document before you clean up. Photos and video of the damage, plus any failed part, exactly as described above. Get a written report from a licensed plumber. A clear report stating the cause, the location and that the damage was sudden rather than gradual is often what tips a claim from declined to accepted. It is the same kind of documentation we prepare for property managers and bodies corporate, explained in our guide to plumbing compliance certificates and reports. Describe the leak accurately. The words you use with your insurer matter, so be precise about what happened and when you noticed it. Ask about trace and access cover. Many policies pay the reasonable cost of locating a hidden leak, for example opening a wall, when the claim is accepted, so it is worth asking. Read your PDS. Your Product Disclosure Statement spells out what is covered and what is excluded for your specific policy. One honest caveat: ATC is a plumbing company, not an insurer or financial adviser, and every policy is different, so confirm the detail with your own insurer. If a claim is knocked back and you do not think that is fair, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) offers a free, independent way to dispute it. Repairing the damage and stopping it happening again Putting things right after water damage from a plumbing leak is really two jobs. The first is the plumbing: fixing the cause permanently, whether that means replacing the failed section or relining a pipe where that is the better long-term answer, so you are not back in the same spot in six months. The second is the building make-good, which is the drying, replastering, repainting and flooring, and that is often where your insurer and a restorer come in. We fix the plumbing cause, provide the documentation for your claim, and can coordinate with builders or restorers so the work is sequenced sensibly, because there is no sense repainting a ceiling before the leak above it is sorted. You will get a fixed-price quote before any work starts, so there are no surprises on top of the stress, and our pricing approach is set out in full in our guide to transparent plumbing prices in Melbourne. ATC is fully licensed and insured, carries 20 million dollars in public liability cover, and backs its workmanship with a 6-year guarantee. Frequently asked questions about water damage from a plumbing leak: Does home insurance cover water damage from a plumbing leak? Most Australian home policies cover sudden and accidental water damage, an escape of liquid such as a burst pipe or a hidden leak you could not reasonably have noticed. They generally do not cover gradual leaks, wear and tear, or the cost of repairing the faulty pipe itself, and coverage varies between policies, so always check your PDS. Should I clean up the water before taking photos? No. Stop the water at the fixture or the meter for safety, but photograph and film the damage before you mop up or remove anything, because those images are key evidence for your claim. Once it is recorded, dry the area to limit mould. Who do I call first, a plumber or my insurer? Make the area safe and stop the water, then call a licensed plumber to find and stop the source and give you a written report on the cause. With that report in hand you can lodge a clear, well-supported claim with your insurer. Can a plumber find a leak behind a wall or ceiling without demolishing it? Yes. Acoustic leak detection, thermal imaging and CCTV drain cameras can pinpoint a concealed leak to within centimetres, so only the right spot is opened up instead of guessing and cutting into several areas. Is a leaking ceiling a plumbing emergency? Treat it as urgent. Water pooling above plasterboard can bring a ceiling down and is dangerous near light fittings and wiring. Turn off the water, keep clear of the area, and call a 24/7 plumber to make it safe and find the source. Updated June 2026 Written/reviewed by Christopher Unwin — founder, Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. BPC Licence #50694, Type A gas, 22 years experience. National Council member, Master Plumbers Association.

Updated May 2026 — Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. Water leak detection in older Melbourne homes is the process of locating a hidden leak — behind a wall, under a concrete slab, or beneath the ground — without digging up the house to find it. In older homes especially, acoustic technology is what makes this possible: a sensitive listening device picks up the distinctive sound a pressurised pipe makes as water escapes, letting a plumber pinpoint the leak to within about half a metre before lifting a single tile. Here is why older homes leak in ways newer ones don't, how acoustic detection works, and when it's worth calling for a water leak detection plumber. Why acoustic water leak detection finds what plumbers miss in older homes A plumber without the right equipment has to guess where a hidden leak is, and chasing it often means cutting exploratory holes or lifting flooring until the source turns up. Acoustic water leak detection removes that guesswork. It listens for the specific sound of water escaping a pressurised pipe and traces it back to the exact spot before anything is opened up. In older homes, where pipes are more likely to be corroded, jointed and buried under decades of renovation, that precision is the difference between one neat repair and a wall full of holes. As a local plumber in the Bayside area, ATC Plumbing has the skills to tackle your water leak issue in no time. Why do older Melbourne homes develop hidden leaks? Older homes often run on ageing galvanised steel or early copper pipework that corrodes from the inside out, along with original joints that loosen over time. Melbourne's reactive clay soils make it worse: they swell and shrink with the seasons, shifting the ground and putting stress on buried pipes and slab plumbing. Add tree roots seeking moisture and decades of additions and renovations, and a slow leak can run for months behind a wall or under a slab before anyone notices. How does acoustic leak detection actually work? When water escapes a pressurised pipe through a crack, pinhole or failed joint, it makes a distinctive sound that carries through the pipe, the surrounding soil and even a concrete slab. A sensitive ground microphone and acoustic detector pick up that sound, and by comparing how strong it is at different points, the plumber traces it back to the precise location. Around The Clock Plumbing uses a Sewerin A200 acoustic leak detector, which can pinpoint a leak to within roughly 0.3 to 0.5 metres and works at depths of up to 5 to 6 metres. That accuracy means a hidden leak gets the same treatment as any other job: fast arrival, accurate diagnosis with the right equipment, and a permanent fix to the one section of pipe that's failed, rather than to the whole floor. What are the signs you might have a hidden water leak? A hidden leak rarely announces itself. The common signs include: A water bill that jumps with no change in how much water you're using. A damp, warm or discoloured patch on a floor, wall or ceiling. A musty smell, or mould appearing somewhere that shouldn't be wet. The sound of running water when every tap is turned off. A drop in water pressure you can't otherwise explain. An area of floor that feels warm underfoot, which can signal a hot water line leaking under the slab. The water meter still ticking over when everything in the house is switched off. There's a fuller rundown in our guide to the five signs you need leak detection. What can acoustic detection find that other methods can't? Acoustic detection is built for pressurised water leaks — the supply lines running under slabs, behind walls and underground. That's a different job from a CCTV drain camera, which inspects the inside of drains and sewers on the waste side. For a concealed water leak, acoustic pinpointing, sometimes combined with thermal imaging and correlation, finds what a camera can't see and what guesswork misses. ATC carries the full range, which you can read about in advanced leak detection technologies, and there's more on concealed hot water leaks in our guide to slab leaks and concealed hot water leaks. A real example: pinpointing a leak at a commercial site in Oakleigh In September 2025, Around The Clock Plumbing was called to a commercial site in Oakleigh with a hidden water leak. Using the Sewerin A200, ATC located the leak acoustically and pinpointed it precisely, so the repair could target the exact section of pipe instead of excavating across the site on guesswork. That's the practical payoff of acoustic detection: less digging, less disruption, and a fix aimed squarely at the actual problem. Call our expert commercial plumbers in Melbourne for all your commercial plumbing needs. Common questions about water leak detection in older homes How accurate is acoustic leak detection? With the right equipment, a leak can be pinpointed to within about half a metre. ATC's Sewerin A200 locates leaks to roughly 0.3 to 0.5 metres and works at depths of up to 5 to 6 metres, which usually means one targeted repair rather than exploratory digging. Can you find a leak under a concrete slab without digging? Yes. Acoustic ground microphones can hear the sound of water escaping a pressurised pipe through a concrete slab, which lets a plumber pinpoint the leak before lifting any flooring. What causes hidden leaks in older Melbourne homes? The usual causes are corroded galvanised or older copper pipes, joints that have loosened over decades, and ground movement in Melbourne's reactive clay soils, which stresses buried and slab pipework. Is acoustic leak detection the same as a CCTV drain camera? No. Acoustic detection finds leaks in pressurised water pipes, while a CCTV camera inspects the inside of drains and sewers. They solve different problems and are often used alongside each other. How do I know if I have a hidden leak? Watch for an unexplained jump in your water bill, damp or warm patches, a musty smell, the sound of running water with the taps off, or the water meter moving when everything is switched off. If you suspect a hidden leak, Around The Clock Plumbing's water leak detection service uses acoustic equipment to find it with minimal disruption, and you can review the team's licences and accreditations before you book. Written and reviewed by Christopher Unwin, founder of Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. BPC Licence #50694, Type A gas, 22 years' experience. National Council member, Master Plumbers Association. Related reading: pre-purchase plumbing inspections · plumbing in heritage and older homes

Published June 2026 — Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. A burst pipe or a blocked drain at the worst possible moment is exactly when people get taken advantage of. You’re stressed, water is rising, and someone is standing in your hallway quoting a number. Most Melbourne plumbers are honest — but a small number rely on that pressure, and knowing the warning signs is the best protection you have. Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, as a trusted plumber in Oakleigh South has spent more than two decades doing this work the straight way, and this guide lays out how the scams work, how to check a plumber is properly licensed, and what a fair-dealing plumber does differently. How Plumbing Scams Usually Work Most dodgy jobs follow a familiar script. It often starts with an unsolicited approach — a cold call, a letterbox flyer, or a door-knock ‘noticing a problem’ with your pipes. From there, the tactics are predictable: manufactured urgency (‘this has to be fixed today or it’ll flood’), a quote given verbally and never in writing, and a demand for a large cash deposit before any work is done. A common version is the job that balloons — a cheap-sounding call-out turns into a long list of ‘extra’ problems once the plumber is under the house, with the price climbing well past anything you agreed to. The pressure is the point: you’re meant to feel you’ve no time to check anything or get a second opinion. How to Check a Plumber Is Licensed in Victoria In Victoria, plumbing work is regulated by the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), which became the state’s building and plumbing regulator on 1 July 2025, taking over the role previously held by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA). You can check whether a plumber is properly registered or licensed using the free ‘Find a Practitioner’ directory, currently on the VBA website at vba.vic.gov.au. A few things worth knowing: licensing applies to individual plumbers, not companies, so check the name of the person who’ll actually do the work — not just the business. Every registered or licensed plumber carries a BPC plumbing practitioner ID card, and it’s reasonable to ask to see it; the back of the card lists the classes of work they’re allowed to carry out. Specialised work such as gas fitting, backflow prevention and thermostatic mixing valves each require their own class, so a plumber doing gas work should be licensed for it. Warning Signs Worth Walking Away From They approached you out of the blue — a door-knock, cold call or flyer. You're being pushed to decide on the spot. They want a large deposit before they've properly looked at the job. There's no written, fixed-price quote. They won't show a licence or BPC practitioner ID card. The only contact is a call-centre number, and no one can tell you who's actually coming. The price jumps mid-job without a clear, written explanation. What a Straight-Dealing Plumber Does Differently A fair-dealing plumber is easy to recognise once you know what good looks like. It starts before anyone arrives: a real, local person answers the phone — including after hours — and gives you an honest arrival window rather than a vague promise. They turn up when they say they will. On site, they diagnose the problem properly with the right equipment — acoustic leak detection with a Sewerin A200 to pinpoint a hidden leak, or a Ridgid CCTV camera down a drain to see exactly what’s blocking it — rather than guessing and upselling. They explain what’s actually wrong in plain terms, then give you a written fixed-price quote before any work starts, so the figure you agree to is the figure you pay. When the job’s done you get an itemised invoice, and the work is backed by a guarantee. None of that relies on pressure — it relies on doing the job correctly and standing behind it. Around The Clock Plumbing is registered and licensed with the Building and Plumbing Commission under licence #50694, and holds Type A gas, backflow and thermostatic mixing valve qualifications. The business carries $20 million in public liability cover, backs its work with a six-year workmanship guarantee, and has operated across Melbourne’s south-east since 2012 (ABN 49 159 059 702). Founder Christopher Unwin has 22 years in the trade and sits on the National Council of the Master Plumbers Association. Every job is quoted as a written fixed price before work starts, and we never ask for a large upfront deposit — the same standards this guide suggests you hold any plumber to. Common Questions About Plumbing Scams and Licensing How do I check if a plumber is licensed in Victoria? Use the free ‘Find a Practitioner’ directory, currently hosted on the Victorian Building Authority website at vba.vic.gov.au. Plumbers are regulated by the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), and every registered or licensed plumber carries a BPC practitioner ID card you can ask to see. Because licensing applies to individuals rather than companies, check the name of the person doing the work. Who regulates plumbers in Victoria? Victoria’s plumbing regulator is the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), which took over from the Victorian Building Authority on 1 July 2025. The public register used to verify a plumber is still accessed through the VBA website during the transition. What are the warning signs of a plumbing scam? Common red flags are an unsolicited approach (a door-knock, cold call or flyer), pressure to decide immediately, a demand for a large deposit before the job is properly assessed, no written fixed-price quote, refusal to show a licence or ID card, and a price that suddenly balloons mid-job without explanation. Should I pay a plumber a large deposit upfront? Be cautious. A reputable plumber gives you a written fixed-price quote before starting and does not demand a large deposit before seeing the job. Around The Clock Plumbing provides a written fixed-price quote upfront and never asks for a large upfront deposit. What should I do if a plumbing job suddenly costs much more than quoted? Stop and ask for the change to be put in writing, with a clear explanation of why the price has changed. You are entitled to that, and it is reasonable to get a second opinion before agreeing to extra work — especially if you feel pressured to decide on the spot. Written and reviewed by Christopher Unwin — founder, Around The Clock Plumbing Pty Ltd, Oakleigh South. BPC Licence #50694, Type A gas, 22 years experience. National Council member, Master Plumbers Association. Related reading: how to tell a real 24/7 plumber from a call centre · what a fair plumbing quote looks like · transparent plumbing prices in Melbourne