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How Can I Test My Water Pressure in Bunbury and the South West?

When we turn a tap on in our home, we expect to receive a constant stream of free-flowing water. If you turn on your taps and are greeted with anything but, you may be wondering why your water pressure is suddenly unusually high or unusually low.

A change of water pressure in Bunbury and the South West can be caused by several reasons. While a plumbing issue is a common culprit, be sure to check if any water outages or works are happening in your area as they could potentially affect your water pressure.

Did you know? The Water Corporation of WA aim to provide 20 litres of water per minute. It is important to note though that this number may not be completely accurate for everyone as often it depends on where your water services are located on your property. Read on to learn a simple test you can do at your home to see how many litres of water you are receiving each minute

• Prepare for the test
• Record your water metre reading
• Perform the test
• Take another water metre reading
• If required, call a professional

Prepare for the test

Before performing a water pressure test, ensure all taps and any appliances that use water in or around your home are turned off. Ask those that live in your home to not use any water until you have completed the test.

Record your water metre reading

Safely and carefully access your water metre and write down the black and red numbers. If you are unsure where your water metre is on your property, it is normally located on the front boundary however if you are having trouble locating it, the Water Corporation can help.

Perform the test

Turn on your front garden tap for exactly 60 seconds. Use a watch or phone to record the one minute and catch the water into buckets so it’s not wasted and you can use it to water your garden after the test.

Take another water metre reading

After performing the test, take another water metre reading. Subtract the second reading from the first reading to find out how much water came from your tap during the 60 seconds.

If required, call a professional

If you are receiving more than 20 litres per minute from your garden tap there may be an issue with your plumbing. High water pressure could potentially lead to water pipes bursting.

If you receive less than 20 litres of water in the 60 seconds or are unsure of your results, contact the Water Corporation so they can investigate further and if needed do a pressure and flow test.

Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water and Gas are your reliable plumbing professionals in Bunbury and the South West

Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water and Gas are the ‘trusted name in the plumbing industry’. The team are fully equipped to investigate and repair all aspects of plumbing plus hot water and gas and proudly service Bunbury, Busselton, Dunsborough and surrounding areas through the South West.

Speak to the team today on 9791 1608 (Bunbury) or 9759 1317 (Busselton/Dunsborough).

Reference: Water Corporation

How Can I Check If My Toilet is Leaking?

Many water leaks in a home or workplace go unnoticed. It is often only when an usually high water bill arrives, that home or business owners suspect an issue. If you suspect a water leak, don’t delay having it repaired.

One of the biggest water users in South West homes and workplaces are toilets. Today, most homes have two toilets and workplaces have multiple toilets and urinals for staff and customer use. Did you know? Older style toilets can use up to 18 litres of water each time they are flushed while new models of low flush toilets use approximately 4.5 litres for a full flush and 3 litres for a half flush.

Read on to learn how you can check if a toilet in your home or workplace is leaking:  

• Refrain from using the toilet and look out for warning signs of a leak
• Test if your toilet is leaking
• If you suspect a leak, don’t delay calling a plumber

Refrain from using the toilet and look out for warning signs of a leak

Flush the toilet and ensure it isn’t used again allowing you to look out for warning signs of a leak. In a home, let the rest of the household know the toilet is off limits and in a workplace, put an out of order sign on the toilet door. Approximately 10 minutes after flushing the toilet, if you can still hear water running or notice water pooling around the base of the toilet, there is a good chance the toilet is leaking.

Test if your toilet is leaking

Wait at least 30 minutes after flushing a toilet to do the following test. The purpose of this is to do the test when the toilet bowl is dry. Place a sheet of toilet paper under the rim at the back of the toilet bowl. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. Ensure the toilet isn’t used or flushed and wait a few minutes to see if the piece of toilet paper soaks up any water. If it does, you have a trickling toilet leak.

If you suspect a leak, don’t delay calling a plumber

If you suspect you have a leaking toilet, it is important to have it repaired as soon as possible. Each year the equivalent of 700 buckets of water is lost through residential leaks in Perth alone. A leaking toilet wastes precious water and can cause a spike in water bills until the issue is resolved.

Is a toilet in your home or workplace leaking? Call the ‘trusted name in the plumbing industry’ Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water and Gas

The Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water and Gas team have the correct tools and equipment to repair your leaking toilet.

It is important that you have a licensed plumber like the Mainline team who can correctly diagnose issues and offer full services on all toilet cisterns across all the major brands.

Call the team at Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water and Gas for all your Bunbury and surrounding area plumbing needs on 9791 1608 today.

How to Save Water in Your South West Home

A home with fully functioning plumbing is a luxury we often take for granted. While keeping your homes plumbing in good working order ensures your family isn’t inconvenienced by a plumbing problem, it is important to understand how it can also help to save water. Conserving water is crucial, we don’t have an endless supply. Doing your part to save water around your home helps protect and preserve our environment, save energy, minimise the effect of water shortages and build safe communities. 

How can you save water in your South West home? Read on to learn 5 ways including:

• Have Leaking Toilets Repaired
• Reduce Shower Times
• Fix Dripping Taps
• Brush Your Teeth with the Tap Off
• Be on the Lookout for Leaks around Appliances

Have Leaking Toilets Repaired

Fixing just 1 leaking toilet in your home can save around 9000 litres of water each year. How do you know your toilet is leaking? If your toilet continues to make noise for longer than a few minutes after being flushed, it likely there is water still running. Water pooling at the base of your toilet or on your toilet floor is also a sign of water leaking.

Reduce Shower Times

A long, hot shower on a cold winter’s morning, is the ideal way to start your day. While this is a luxury you can still enjoy, save water and save energy by reducing shower times to 4 minutes. This is something your whole household can do to all play their part to save water.

Fix Dripping Taps

A dripping tap may not appear to waste a large amount of water. Right? Wrong! A tap that drips just 10 times per minute adds up to 600 drips per hour and over 14,000 drips a day. This is equivalent to around 3 litres of water a day. The result, an unnecessary waste of water (and money!)

Brush Your Teeth with the Tap Off

Leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth is wasting water. Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth and turn back on to rinse your toothbrush and mouth after brushing. Remind yourself and others in your household to do this is by putting a small sign above your bathroom sink with a reminder to turn the tap off while brushing.

Be on the Lookout for Leaks around Appliances

Water leaking or pooling around appliances is a sure sign there is a water leak. Be on the lookout for leaks around appliances including dishwashers and washing machines. Move these away from the wall and check the floor behind for any signs of drips or leaks every few weeks. 

Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water and Gas are the trusted name in the plumbing industry for all your plumbing needs in the South West

The team at Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water and Gas are the ‘trusted name in the plumbing industry’ and offer fast, effective and honest workmanship for all your plumbing needs. If your homes plumbing is wasting water, call our team today to have it inspected and repaired.

Call the team on 9791 1608 in Bunbury or 9759 1317 in Busselton/Dunsborough today.

What Causes Water Pipes to Burst?

A burst water pipe is a common plumbing problem and an emergency plumbing issue that can’t wait to be repaired. If you find a burst water pipe at your property, it’s important to switch off the water at the mains and call in a professional plumber for help. When a water pipe bursts, the sooner you call a plumber the less water will be wasted and quite often the less extensive the repairs required too.

Many homeowners are left baffled when they have a water pipe burst as they were not even aware, they had a plumbing problem. What causes water pipes to burst? Read on to learn a few warning signs to look out for and common culprits including:

• Unsecure Pipes
• Water Pressure Problems
• Corrosion Over Time

Unsecure Pipes

If you hear a loud clanging noise when turning taps on and off in your home, it normally means you have a plumbing problem. Water pipes lie within the wall cavities of your home and if these water pipes are not secure, they can begin to move around each time water is turned on and off. Over time, the movement of the pipes can weaken the joints, and what causes water pipes to burst.

Water Pressure Problems

To ensure water pipes function as they should, water pressure needs to be at a normal level. Too much water pressure can cause pipes and other plumbing fixtures to burst. A professional plumber can test the water pressure in pipes and if pressure is too high a pressure reducing valve can be fitted to adjust it back to the ideal level.

Corrosion Over Time 

A combination of iron oxide and other mineral deposits can build-up over time causing the inside of water pipes to gradually narrow. As this continues to occur, water is no longer able to escape through resulting in the water pipe eventually bursting.  

Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water and Gas are available 24/7 for plumbing emergencies

If you have a burst water pipe – call a plumber immediately.

Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water and Gas understand that plumbing emergencies can occur at any time of the day or night. For this reason, they provide a 24/7 emergency plumbing service to Bunbury, Busselton, Dunsborough and the South West.

If you think you may have a plumbing problem or would like your water pipes to be pressure tested, contact the team at Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water and Gas in Bunbury on 9791 1608 or Busselton/Dunsborough on 9759 1317 today.