Plumber Scoresby, VIC 3179

A small suburb with a mixed history

Scoresby is one of the smallest suburbs in the City of Knox, squeezed between Ferntree Gully Road, Stud Road, Ferntree Gully and Rowville, with EastLink running along its western side. It was orchard and farm country for a long time, and you can still see traces of that in the larger blocks and older homes on some streets. Most of the housing dates from the 1970s to the 1990s, with brick veneer homes on slabs and stumps, and newer units and townhouses on subdivided land.

The western and northern edges of Scoresby are commercial and industrial, with offices, warehouses and showrooms near Stud Road and EastLink. That gives the suburb a mix of plumbing work that ranges from a dripping laundry tap at home to an amenities block or backflow test at a business.

Older homes and their plumbing

The older homes in Scoresby share the same issues as much of the east. Clay sewer lines with roots in the joints, gas storage hot water units nearing the end of their life, copper pipe that is generally fine but with split flexible hoses under fixtures, and the occasional run of galvanised pipe in the oldest houses. Homes on stumps have plumbing running through the subfloor, which can make leaks easy to reach but hard to notice.

We start every job by working out exactly what is wrong. A camera inspection shows what is happening in a drain. A pressure test tells us if there is a leak in the water pipes. A proper test of a hot water unit shows whether a part has failed or the whole unit is finished. Then you get a fixed price before any work starts.

Bigger blocks, tanks and pumps

Some Scoresby properties sit on larger blocks with long driveways, sheds, big gardens and rainwater tanks. Tank water can be used for toilets, the laundry and the garden, but the connection must be done properly so tank water never flows back into the mains supply. That means the right backflow protection and, where a pump supplies the house, an automatic switch to mains water when the tank runs low.

We install and repair tank connections, pumps, switching devices and backflow valves, and we fix long underground water services that leak under driveways and lawns. Leaks on these long runs can be hard to find without the right gear, so we use acoustic listening and tracer methods to pinpoint them before we dig.

Hot water options

Scoresby homes run a mix of gas storage, continuous-flow gas, electric storage and, increasingly, heat pump systems. When a unit fails, we look at why. A failed thermocouple or element can often be replaced on the spot. A leaking tank cannot be repaired and needs replacing. We help you choose a new system based on household size, where it will go, your gas and solar setup and how long you plan to stay. We remove the old unit and lodge the compliance certificate.

Blocked drains

Blocked toilets, slow showers, sinks that will not drain and water rising in the overflow gully are the most common drainage calls in Scoresby. In older homes, roots are usually to blame. In newer homes, it is more often fat, food scraps or wipes. We clear the blockage with an electric eel or jetter and then use a camera to check the pipe so we fix the cause, not just the symptom.

If the camera shows a cracked or root-damaged section, relining can seal the pipe from the inside without digging up a garden or driveway. Where the pipe has collapsed or sagged badly, a section may need to be replaced. We show you the footage and explain your options before any decision is made.

Commercial plumbing near Stud Road and EastLink

Offices, warehouses and showrooms need plumbing that works every day. We repair and replace toilets, urinals, basins, taps and hot water units in staff amenities, clear blocked drains, and test and certify backflow devices. Where a business is growing or changing, we can adjust its plumbing to match, such as adding a staff kitchen or extra amenities. We try to work around trading hours and keep disruption to a minimum.

Gas fitting

Our licensed gasfitters connect new cooktops, ovens and heaters, service gas wall furnaces and ducted systems, find and repair leaks, and safely disconnect and cap appliances when you switch to electric. Gas heaters should be serviced and tested for carbon monoxide every two years. If you smell gas, turn off the supply at the meter, open doors and windows, and call us from outside.

Stormwater and run-off

Scoresby is mostly flat, and its clay soils can be slow to drain. After heavy rain, water can pool around a house, overflow from downpipes, or back up from blocked stormwater pits. We clear and repair stormwater lines, add pits and drains where water collects, and make sure everything connects to a legal point of discharge. On commercial sites, we clear box gutter outlets and downpipes that cannot keep up with large roof areas.

Leaking taps, toilets and showers

Small leaks add up. A dripping tap or a running cistern can waste a lot of water over a year, and a leaking shower can soak into walls and floors before anyone notices. We replace washers, seats and cartridges, repair or replace cistern valves, and fix leaking shower mixers and wastes. Where tiles have lifted or grout is crumbling because of a long-term leak, we fix the plumbing and point you to a good tiler for the rest.

Old orchard country and long services

Because parts of Scoresby were orchards and small farms until the 1970s, a few properties still have unusual plumbing: long water services running from a meter at the far end of a driveway, old sheds with their own taps and toilets, and sewer or stormwater lines that were extended as the block was developed. When something goes wrong on these properties, the first job is often working out where the pipes actually run. We use locating equipment and a camera to trace the lines and mark them, which saves a lot of guesswork and avoids digging in the wrong place.

Sheds, granny flats and outbuildings

Plenty of Scoresby homes have a shed, studio or granny flat out the back with its own basin, toilet or shower. Connecting an outbuilding to the sewer and water supply needs the right fall on the drain, enough water pressure at the far end and, often, a separate hot water unit. We can plan and install the plumbing for a new outbuilding, or fix one that was connected poorly years ago and now blocks or runs slowly.

Renovations

If you are renovating a bathroom, kitchen or laundry in Scoresby, we can handle all of the plumbing: stripping out old fixtures, moving pipes and drains to suit the new layout, roughing in new mixers and wastes, and connecting everything at fit-off. Talk to us early if you are moving a toilet or shower, because the position of the existing drains sets what is practical.

Water pressure

If your shower is weak, the cause might be an old galvanised section, a partly closed valve or a blocked filter in a mixer. If pipes bang when a tap is turned off, your pressure may be too high. We measure the pressure at the meter and recommend the right fix, such as a pressure limiting valve or replacing a tired section of pipe.

Why Scoresby calls us

We are just up the road in Ferntree Gully, we know the area, and we turn up when we say we will. You get a clear explanation of what is wrong and a fixed price before any work starts. Call 03 7036 4101 or send the form for a free quote.

Ferntree Gully ground and pipes

Ferntree Gully's ground changes as you climb towards the ranges: clay and silty loam on the lower streets, rockier, steeper ground near Upper Ferntree Gully and The Basin. Most homes built before the 1980s were connected with earthenware sewer pipe, and on a slope every joint moves a little over the years and lets roots in. Water service lines from the meter are often long and run through rocky ground or under established gardens. Stormwater has to be carried down the block and away from the house. We use cameras, locators and pressure tests to see what is happening before we dig.

How a job runs

Services in Scoresby

Nearby areas

• Ferntree Gully
• Upper Ferntree Gully
• Boronia
• Rowville
• Knoxfield
• The Basin
• Lysterfield
• Wantirna South

Guides

• Emergency or wait?
• Find your stopcock
• Tree roots in drains
• Overflow gully
• Hot water temperatures
• Hot water warning signs
• Heat pumps in the cold
• Gas heater safety
• Cistern faults
• Gutters and gum leaves
• Sloping block drainage
• Tanks and backflow