Plumbing problems happen all the time and may cause a big distraction to your daily routine. While you can take care of some plumbing problems, there are cases that you really need a residential plumber for your home and fix your drain.

Do you know that plumbers do not just fix drains since they also have other services which you can ask them to do? When it comes to unclogging drains, they mostly have the most up to date de-clogging technology to carefully remove those unwanted blockages.

They can also remove the unnecessary soap scum, grease, build up organic matter and so on. For difficult clogs, they can even do a video camera inspection to see where the clogs, possible cracks, root infiltrations, and leaks are happening.

They also do the installation, repair, and do replacement of toilets, faucets, sink and even water heater. When leaks in your house occur, make sure that you fix this right away since more problems can occur if you just ignore or delay the repair of it.

Other plumbers are capable of providing service and repair for natural gas fixtures and appliances. However, you will have to make sure that the plumber is certified and well-equipped to provide gas fitting services.

Plumbers are not created equal so make sure you hire a plumber that is professional and service oriented. Whether you just want to add a new appliance in the basement, or just need minor plumbing repair, it is necessary to always look for a well-equipped plumber to ensure quality service and guaranteed result.

What should you do if you find your tap water is brown? Can you still drink from it? There are several reasons why the tap water in your house is producing such discolourations especially when you commonly know the water quality in your area.

Brown flakes appearing. If there are brown flakes coming from the tap while the water quality is still clear, there is a chance that the plumbing in your house is already corroded and these chips that are joining the water are coming from them.

Rusty colour. Rusty coloured water that comes out from your tap can be a yellowish or dark brown to black which is caused when there is a pipe maintenance, burst main pipes, fire hydrant testing, or natural causes. This rusty colour mostly goes out on its own and your water quality will be back to its old self so you do not have to worry when this happens.

What should you do if there is brown water coming out from your tap?

Do not worry first and don’t panic. Check your home if the discoloured water is coming only from one tap or if it is happening to all your faucets. Also, check if your neighbours are experiencing the same water issue or if it is only your house that is having a problem.

If your neighbours are also experiencing your dilemma, this is a good sign that there may be a water maintenance happening in your neighbourhood. If your house is the only one having water problems, there is maybe a chance that something is wrong with your water pipes. Contact a plumbing service provider especially if the quality of water coming out from the taps are not safe to use.

While most homeowners in Australia place extra care with their plumbing and gas fitting needs, they are also cautious when it comes to the price of such services. Plumbing services mostly cost around $80 an hour but can go for $75 an hour for a simple gas fitting job and $90 an hour for complex repairs and installations.

Factors that determine the cost

On average, a gas fitting or piping cost can go around $225, but this only applies to straightforward tasks that do not require removal of the existing pipes.

If the gas fitting has some issues, you will need to check the average rates to determine how much you need to spend once they are done.

Factors that will determine the prices are:

• Size of the house
• Number storeys
• Difficulty of the task
• Removal of existing pipes
• Materials needed

Residents in New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Victoria are paying gas fitters around $80 per hour. The Australian Capital Territory is paying slightly higher with $84 per hour while Western Australia cost is the highest at $99.50 per hour for the services of a gas fitting company.

Total cost for such services can go around $1,100 to around $4,500 and these are mostly depending on the simplicity and complexity of the job.

For instance, the total cost of $1,100 can be because of a damaged water pipe that made the hot water system leaked which required pipe replacement. While the total cost of $4,500 is for the services of also a pipe replacement of a hot water system that is located inside the wall of a bathroom duct.

Before you hire a gas fitting contractor, make sure they are qualified and that they are experienced so that they will be able to do the quality service that is right for your money.