The Solved safety check is where we conduct a comprehensive sweep of your entire premises to address any plumbing issues that may need urgent attention as well as identifying things that may need fixing in the future. At the completion of the safety check, we provide you with a report pertaining to the state of the plumbing at your premises. If our Solved Plumber has time, he or she can usually fix these issues then and there.

It's worth reviewing your hot water use well before your current system dies and then checking out the alternatives because water heating accounts for a quarter of typical household energy use. So it’s quite important to get it right. You will likely find a hot water system that saves energy, is cheaper to run and is kinder to the environment. *It’s worth noting that regulations aimed at reducing energy consumption now mean a new electric storage system is not an option for many homes.

Gas Natural gas is a good option if your premises has the connection to facilitate it. Gas is generally cheaper than electricity and because gas rates don't vary through the day, gas hot water systems can heat water as needed. A four-person household needs a tank of about 135–170L and gas systems have an energy efficiency star rating Electric An electrically heated storage tank system can be installed indoors or outdoors. They are usually relatively cheap to buy and install, but usually more expensive to run, especially if on the continuous (full day) rate. Systems that run on off-peak electricity are much cheaper to run, but need a larger tank, as the water heated overnight has to last you all day. Off-peak electricity isn't available to all homes and a four-person household typically needs a 125–160L tank for a continuous system or 250–315L for off-peak.

To simplify this equation, one person will use about 50 litres of hot water in one day. However, this metric increases if members of the house hold are spending longer periods in the shower or there is a dishwasher being used constantly.

Toilets and toilet pipes often get blocked when people put the wrong things down the toilet. Some of the things which should never be put down the toilet are paper towels, food scraps, paper, rags, cans, bottles, grease and fat. Wastewater pipes from sinks, basins and laundry tubs can get blocked if people put food waste, especially tealeaves, hot fat and other rubbish, down them. If hot fat is poured down an outlet pipe, it will set in the pipe when it cools and cause a blockage. Main sewer pipes can get blocked in other ways, for example, tree roots growing into the pipe joints and soil blocking the pipe.