Plumbers in Melbourne Reveal the Top 5 Reasons for Call-Outs

What are some of the most common reasons to call-out a plumber in Melbourne? Today we reveal the top five reasons for call-outs to homes across Melbourne:

• Shoddy Installations

Anyone who has seen the television series Holmes on Homes knows that there are plenty of terrible contractors out there in Canada just as there are here down under. In the series, host Mike Holmes takes on shoddy installations that in some cases did more damage to the home than good.

Similarly, if you’ve recently moved into a new home or your home has recently been remodelled, there is a possibility that the quality of work completed left damage to the plumbing. We get call-outs quite frequently from homeowners for just this reason alone – the previous contractor did such a bad job that we need to come in and set things right.

• Concrete/Grout Blockages

Following on from the previous point, newly finished remodels and installations such as in the bathroom can leave behind unwanted excess concrete or grout that can end up working its way into the drain and thereby solidifying and creating a blockage.

A qualified plumber will use a jet rodder or robotic cutting device to remove any set concrete or grout stuck in the drain. Sometimes, however, the drain will need to be completely replaced.

• Excess Toilet Paper in the Toilet

One of the most common causes for call-outs is from blocked toilets, quite often as a result of residents using too much toilet paper when doing their number twos. This isn’t normally a big deal, since toilet paper is fine to flush down the toilet (no big surprise there). The problem can block the toilet if too much is flushed down at once, so if simple plunging won’t get it out you may need a plumber to come by with a toilet snake (not a real snake!) to dislodge the blockage.

• Fat Blockages in the Sink

This problem is quite common in the kitchen sink, where grease and liquefied fats can often be simply discarded down the drain without second thought. Although in their liquid form, it would appear that it’s perfectly fine to dump these fats down the drain, they can solidify and create a nasty blockage further down the drain. This normally needs to be removed with the assistance of a reliable plumber.

• Special Mention: Toilet Paper Shortage

It may seem embarrassing to look back on today, but The Great Toilet Paper War of 2020 at the onset of the global pandemic did have repercussions on plumbing call-outs. Battles were fought in historic locations such as Aldi and Woolworths with the victors claiming their rightfully earned rolls of toilet paper. 

For some Australians who perhaps didn’t realise that the world was going to end and failed to stock up on toilet paper, the resulting massive shortage led to many families getting creative with their choice of wiping fabric. Some used tee-shirts, some used nappy wipes, and many used kitchen paper towels. The problem is, most of these products should never be going down the drain since they lead to blockages. Let’s hope these types of call-outs go down in the future.

Murphys Plumbing

Blocked toilet? Clogged shower drain? Blocked drain ?No problem. Call us at Murphys Plumbing today.