The GCO Plumbing & Gas team handle a burst pipe in Noosa Angela, a resident from Noosa, was woken in the middle of the night by the sound of running water. When hopping out of bed to investigate she stepped onto a soaking wet carpet. Following the noise, she checked under her vanity basin in her ensuite to find the cold water connection into her taps had burst and was spraying water everywhere. She immediately turned her property’s water off and contacted GCO Plumbing & Gas who were on-site early the next morning. When GCO Plumber Greg arrived he found the burst pipe was caused by a heavily corroded flexible connector.  This would be very simple and cheap to replace, however, the damage caused by the water flooding was significant. As Angela was living on the third floor of an apartment complex, the water had not only caused damage in her unit, but also the unit below. Upon inspection of all other remaining flexible connectors to taps and toilets, Greg found most others to have corrosion of varying amounts, and with Angela’s permission, all remaining connectors were replaced with new ‘Burst Proof’ PEX flexible connectors. This would prevent the same issue from occurring in other places in her apartment. As Greg discussed with Angela, the heavy corrosion was possibly caused by salt in the air due to living close to the beach, therefore, it would be best to keep an eye out for any corrosion appearing in the future. Plumbing corrosion from living near the beach Salt and moisture in the air is just a fact of life when you live in close proximity to a beach. These conditions can, unfortunately, cause corrosion and damage your plumbing systems, leading to larger plumbing problems such as water leaks or burst pipes. If you notice either of the following, it could be a sign of pipe corrosion: Flaking or brittle pipes are a sure sign that your plumbing is beginning to corrode.  If the water from your taps has a reddish/brown tint (consistently) then it is possible that your stainless steel or iron pipes are experiencing corrosion.     If you suspect corroded pipes or are experiencing a burst pipe on your property, contact the plumber Sunshine Coast locals can depend on. We can help you with your general plumbing needs as well as a range of other commercial and domestic plumbing services. Licensed plumbers available 7 days a week. Call GCO Plumbing & Gas on 0409 190 733 or email greg@gcoplumbing.com.au

GCO assists with a water leak repair in Maroochydore Andrew, a resident from Maroochydore, was shocked to receive his most recent water bill from Unity Water. The bill for this usage period had skyrocketed and was more than triple his last bill. As his water usage habits hadn’t changed Andrew suspected that there may be a water leak somewhere on his Maroochydore property. Andrew called Greg from GCO Plumbing & Gas, who promptly attended to investigate the problem. The first thing Greg did was check the water meter. He found it to be turning at a significant rate (higher than it should be). After confirming the meter reading, Greg then checked for any obvious water leakage from toilet cisterns, as well as all internal and external taps. Unfortunately, there were no obvious, easily fixed leaks. In order to find the sneaky water leak, Greg had to get out the pipe and water leak detection equipment. After using the pipe and water leak detection equipment, the leak was identified under Andrew’s concrete driveway from the main water supply pipe between the water meter and the house. With the client’s approval to get the job done, Greg neatly cut the driveway to remove a section of the concrete slab in order to access the leak underneath. He then excavated down to expose the leaking pipe. After replacing the leaking section of pipework and verifying that there were no further leaks, Greg backfilled the soil, reinforced and re-concreted the cut section of the driveway. Andrew was concerned about this happening again, therefore Greg discussed with Andrew some options to help prevent such unwanted surprises in the future. The option Andrew chose was to fit a leak detection monitor device to his water system, which detects water flow over a period of time, and shuts off the water if the flow time is exceeded. Andrew was very happy with this outcome, and could relax without worrying about any nasty surprises when his next Unity Water bill arrives. If you are experiencing unexpectedly high water bills or suspect a water leak on your property call us for water leak detection Sunshine Coast locals can rely on. We also assist with general plumbing requirements and a range of other domestic and commercial plumbing services. Contact the plumber Sunshine Coast locals trust – GCO Plumbing & Gas! Fully licensed plumbers available 7 days a week. Call GCO on 0409 190 733 or email greg@gcoplumbing.com.au