Burst Pipes and Water Leaks Sydney
A burst pipe is an emergency. Turn the water off at the meter, then call 1300 111 007, after hours too. Pink Plumbing isolates the leak, locates the failed section, replaces it in copper or PEX, and pressure tests before closing anything up.
Founded 2017 · No call-out fee in business hours · After-hours emergencies · NSW Licence 311287C · Lifetime labour guarantee
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- No call-out fee in business hours
- Fixed price before any work starts
- Lifetime Labour Guarantee on every job
Nick or Julie aim to call you back within 30 minutes, 7am to 6pm seven days.
We use these details to price your job and contact you about it. Nothing else.
No call-out fee in business hours · Licensed 311287C · Lifetime Labour Guarantee
What to do right now if a pipe has burst
Stop the water first, then call us. In this order:
1. Turn off the mains. In a house, the tap at the water meter near the front boundary; in a unit, the isolation valve under the sink or laundry. Clockwise until it stops.
2. Turn off the hot water system if the leak is on the hot side: the valve on the cold inlet, plus the switch or gas control.
3. Switch off the power at the switchboard where water is near lights or powerpoints, and stay out of the room if you are unsure.
4. Call 1300 111 007.
For taps, toilets and everyday jobs, see our general plumbing page.
How to tell if you have a hidden leak
Not every burst announces itself. The meter test settles it: turn off every tap and appliance, note the numbers on the water meter, then look again an hour later without using water. If the reading moved, water is escaping somewhere.
The other signs: damp patches that never dry out, a warm spot on a concrete floor (a hot water line under the slab), a water bill that jumps, a musty smell. Finding a leak before anything is opened up is its own service, with acoustic, thermal and pressure equipment.
Where Sydney pipes burst and why
Frost is not our problem here. Sydney pipes fail for four other reasons.
Age. Galvanised steel rusts from the inside until the pipe wall gives way. Brown water and fading pressure are the warning.
Copper pinholes. Copper plumbed from the 1960s on corrodes until a pinhole opens, often inside a wall or the slab, so the first sign is a stain or a bill.
Ground movement and tree roots. Clay soils swell and shrink through wet and dry spells, working on the water service between meter and house, and roots follow the same joints.
Pressure and poor joints. High mains pressure, water hammer and a badly made joint find each other in the end.
How we repair a burst pipe
Isolate, locate, expose the minimum, replace, test, reinstate. Opening the wrong wall is the expensive mistake, so we locate precisely rather than guess from the wet patch.
We take the pressure off the line and open the smallest access that will do: a section of wall sheet, a few tiles, one hole in the garden. The failed length comes out, new copper or PEX goes in to Australian Standards, we pressure test, then reinstate and clean up.
If a house is still on galvanised pipe, or copper that has leaked three times, a patch is the wrong answer: a partial or full repipe is the honest one, quoted beside the repair so the choice is yours. Relining suits sewer and stormwater drains, not pressure pipe.
Pressure, pressure limiting valves and water hammer
High pressure shortens the life of every pipe, joint and flexi hose. Australian Standards cap pressure at 500 kPa at the outlet in new work, and parts of Sydney sit above that at the main. A pressure limiting valve at the meter brings it down, and like any valve it wears out. Water hammer, the bang when a tap or valve shuts fast, loads joints until one lets go. We test the pressure at your meter and a tap, replace the valve where needed and secure loose pipework.
Pricing
No call-out fee in business hours. After-hours, weekend and emergency call-outs carry a call-out fee, always quoted upfront before we dispatch a plumber.
Burst pipe repairs start from $233 inc GST. Every price here is a guide, confirmed on site before any work starts. What we quote is what you pay. No surprise bills.
Upfront fixed price before any work starts. You only pay for the work we do. If something on site changes the job, we stop and talk to you first.
Emergency: a pipe has burst tonight
Our emergency plumbers are available after hours across Sydney. Call 1300 111 007, after hours too: we quote the call-out fee before we dispatch and send a licensed plumber with a van stocked for burst pipe work.
Landlords, property managers and strata
A burst pipe in a unit block is two problems: the water, and who pays. We stop the water first, then put in writing whether the failed pipe sits on common property or inside a lot, with photos and a report for the owner, tenant, committee or insurer. NSW tenancy law treats a burst pipe as an urgent repair.
Why Sydney calls Pink Plumbing for burst pipes
Founded in 2017 by Nick, a Sydney plumber with nearly 20 years on the tools. Four plumbers, 40+ years of combined experience, and every job done or supervised by a licensed plumber. NSW licence 311287C, fully insured. Lifetime Labour Guarantee on every job. 160+ five-star Google reviews. Based in Earlwood, covering the Inner West, St George, the Eastern Suburbs and the Sutherland Shire, plus greater Sydney for larger jobs.
Call a burst pipe plumber now
Call 1300 111 007, after hours too for emergencies, or email info@pinkplumbing.com.au. Tell us where the water is coming from. We will tell you what the repair involves and what it costs before anyone picks up a tool.
Areas we cover
Based in Earlwood, working across the Inner West, St George, the Sutherland Shire, the Eastern Suburbs and the North Shore.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to fix a burst pipe?
Burst pipes from $233 inc GST, confirmed on site, with an upfront fixed price before any work starts. A burst pipe you cannot shut off is an emergency: call 1300 111 007, and after hours the on-call plumber answers.
Is a burst pipe an emergency?
Yes. Water under pressure damages floors, walls and ceilings by the minute. Turn off the mains and call 1300 111 007. No call-out fee in business hours. After-hours, weekend and emergency call-outs carry a call-out fee, always quoted upfront before we dispatch a plumber.
How do I find my water meter and turn it off?
In a house it is in the front garden near the boundary, in a box at ground level. In a unit, look under the sink or in the laundry for an isolation valve. Turn it clockwise.
Water is coming through my ceiling. What do I do first?
Turn off the water at the meter at the front boundary, switch off power to the affected room at the switchboard if water is near any light or fitting, put a bucket under the drip, and call 1300 111 007. After hours this is an emergency and the on-call plumber answers.
Will my insurance cover the damage?
Many home policies cover sudden damage from a burst pipe but not a slow leak that has been going for months, so check your policy. We give you photos and a plain written report of what failed and what we did, which is what insurers ask for.
How long does a burst pipe repair take?
An accessible pipe in a wall cavity, under a house or in a garden is often replaced in a couple of hours. Pipe under a slab or behind tiles takes longer: reaching it is the work.
My water bill has jumped. Do I have a leak?
Try the meter test: turn off every tap and appliance in the house, then watch the water meter for 15 minutes. If the dial moves, water is going somewhere. Call us and we locate it without guesswork.
Can you repair a leak under a concrete slab?
Yes. We locate it first with acoustic and thermal equipment, then open a small section of floor to replace the failed pipe, or run a new line around it. We quote both options before cutting.
Should I replace the flexi hoses under my sinks?
Braided flexible hoses are one of the most common causes of indoor flooding in Sydney homes. Look for rust spots, fraying or bulging; manufacturers generally suggest replacing them every five to ten years. We check every flexi hose during the free plumbing health check that comes with every job.
Do you charge a call-out fee?
No call-out fee in business hours. After-hours, weekend and emergency call-outs carry a call-out fee, always quoted upfront before we dispatch a plumber.
Do you attend emergencies after hours?
Yes, every night from 6pm to 7am. Call 1300 111 007 and the on-call plumber answers, tells you whether we can get to you tonight, and quotes the after-hours call-out fee before we dispatch. We aim to be on site within 60 minutes for emergencies in the Inner West, St George and the Shire.
Which areas do you cover?
From our Earlwood base we cover the Inner West, St George, the Sutherland Shire, the Eastern Suburbs and the North Shore, and greater Sydney for larger jobs. Tell us your suburb and we tell you the real travel time.
Get the water back on
Upfront fixed price before any work starts. You only pay for the work we do. Call 1300 111 007 or send a photo through the Instant Quote tool.
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No call-out fee in business hours · Licensed 311287C · Lifetime Labour Guarantee
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