All over Auckland we see a variety of large and small plumbing issues. These are the most common in our local suburb of mount albert.
1.The dreaded Dux Qest.
This is every home owners worst nightmare. This is one of the first plastic pipes to be produced (back in the 70's and 80's). It's a ridged black pipe that is very prone to leaking. We can relatively easily repair the part of the pipe that has failed but different parts of the pipe are going to fail in the future and the only way to confidently repair the system is to completely replace it. Unfortunately Mount albert is one of the worst affected suburbs due to when the majority of houses were built. How to check if you have Dux Qest? take a look at your pipework and if its black and says "polybutylene" then you have it. Don't be concerned will all back pipe, newer pipe that is far far superior is also black.
2.Handmay plumbing.
Always check that the person doing your plumbing is registered with the PGDB (Plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers board. Our governing body). It's illegal to do plumbing on a house that's not your own or that you intend to sell after your renovations and for good reason to, we attend countless issues when the incorrect part has been installed or the correct part has been installed incorrectly causing a leak.
3.Hot water cylinders and valves.
The normal life of a hot water cylinder is 20-40 years. The normal life for hot water cylinder valves is 5-15 years. Both the cylinder and valves can be replaced when needed and is a common occurrence we see. We usually recommend Rheem branded cylinders for replacements because they're made right here in Auckland and we recommend Apex branded valves because we believe these are the best on the market.
4.Driping taps.
To have a leaking tap is a common occurrence all over Auckland not just in mount Albert. 4 times out of 5 it's a simple fix and a replacement cartridge is all that is needed. The other 1 time out of 5 the tap needs to be replaced because the leak is not repairable. We can help you choose the new tap and most of the time get you a better price than your able to get by yourself.
5.Leaking traps.
Leaking traps are also a common occurrence all over Auckland not just in mount Albert. A leaking trap is an easy fix we just change out the trap for a more modern designed one and test the whole waste line to make sure there are no other issues. There can be many reasons why a trap starts to leak but the most 2 common reasons are that in insinkerator has wobbled it loose or the trap seals have perished due to age or maybe both.
