Rainwater Tanks and Harvesting Systems Sydney
Pink Plumbing installs, connects and repairs rainwater tanks across Sydney, from BASIX connections on new builds to pump repairs when the water stops. Call 1300 111 007. We plumb tanks for toilets, laundry and garden use, not for drinking.
Founded 2017 · No call-out fee in business hours · After-hours emergencies · NSW Licence 311287C · Lifetime labour guarantee
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Takes 60 seconds. Tell us the job and we call you back with a fixed price, or send a photo through the Instant Quote tool.
- 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 a rainwater system does for a Sydney home
A rainwater system catches roof water, holds it in a tank, and pumps it back for toilets, the laundry and outdoor taps. Those uses take a large share of household water, which is why a connected tank shows up on the bill.
We plumb rainwater for non-drinking use. Drinking, cooking and ice need treatment and testing, and we do not claim a tank is safe to drink from. For better water at the kitchen tap, filtration is the answer.
For taps, toilets and everyday jobs, see our general plumbing page.
BASIX and rainwater tanks on new builds and renovations
If your project needs a BASIX certificate, there is a fair chance it commits you to a tank connected to toilets, the laundry and outdoor taps. We plumb to what your certificate says.
BASIX sets water and energy targets on new NSW homes and many larger renovations. Your certificate and your site decide the tank size and the outlets it feeds, so send us the certificate or the plans and we will price the plumbing that satisfies it, inside a renovation or a new bathroom.
The parts of a proper install
The tank is the visible part. The rest decides whether it still works in five years.
- Tank and base. A level, load-bearing base sized for a full tank. Water is heavy.
- Leaf screens and first-flush diverter. Screens keep leaves out; the diverter dumps the dirty first run.
- Pump. Sized to the outlets it runs, and sited away from bedroom walls.
- Automatic mains changeover. So the house never runs dry: outlets switch to mains when the tank empties, and back when it fills.
- Backflow prevention. Where the system meets mains water, so rainwater cannot travel back into the drinking supply.
- Overflow to stormwater. Not into the garden, where it undermines the base.
- Labelled pipework and taps. Marked as required, so the next person knows which line is which.
Slimline tanks for narrow blocks
A terrace can have a tank. Slimline tanks are built for the gap down the side of an Inner West terrace or semi, and they hold a useful volume in very little width.
With no side access, we look at under-deck tanks or a bladder in a subfloor space. A site visit settles the rest: getting the tank in, where the downpipes land, and where the pump can sit.
Pump repairs and servicing
Most rainwater call-outs are pump call-outs. The pump does the work, so it is what wears.
- Will not cut in. No water at the rainwater taps: usually the pressure switch, the power supply, or a dry-run cut-out.
- Runs constantly. A leak on the pressure side, a cistern passing water, or a failed pressure switch or non-return valve. This burns motors out.
- Noisy or vibrating. Loose mounting, worn bearings, or a pump drawing air from a nearly empty tank.
- Weak flow. A blocked filter or foot valve, a clogged diverter, or a changeover stuck on mains.
A service clears the screens, flushes the diverter, checks the pump and float switch, and tests the changeover both ways. Once a year suits most homes. Internal tank cleaning is a specialist trade, not ours.
Connecting an existing tank to the house
Plenty of Sydney homes have a tank on one garden tap and nothing else. Connecting it to the toilets and laundry is where it starts paying.
We check the tank, base, screens and diverter, size the pump, run the line inside, fit the changeover and backflow protection, label the pipework and test by switching supplies. Where the tank also feeds irrigation, a pool top-up or an outdoor kitchen, we cover those connections.
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.
Upfront fixed price before any work starts. You only pay for the work we do. Tank installs are quoted after we have seen the site, because access and pipe runs move the price. Interest-free payment through Payright is available for larger installs. Ask us what rebates currently apply.
Landlords, property managers and strata
Tanks on unit blocks are common property, and so is the pump that serves them. We service and repair both.
For committees and building managers, that means written quotes and photos of what we found. For property managers, one number that answers and paperwork for the file.
Why Sydney calls Pink Plumbing
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.
Talk to a rainwater tank plumber
Call 1300 111 007 or email info@pinkplumbing.com.au. Tell us what you have, or what your BASIX certificate asks for, and we will tell you what the job involves and what it costs.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I drink rainwater from my tank?
We plumb tanks for non-drinking use: toilets, the laundry, garden taps and washing the car. Drinking, cooking and ice need treatment and testing, so we will not connect a tank to a kitchen tap and call it safe.
Do I need a pump?
For toilets, the laundry and usable pressure at outdoor taps, yes. Gravity only works when the tank sits well above the outlet, which almost no Sydney backyard offers. We size the pump to the outlets it runs.
What happens when the tank runs dry?
Nothing you will notice, if the system has an automatic mains changeover. When the tank empties, the valve switches the toilets and laundry to mains water, then back to rainwater once it refills. Without a changeover, those outlets stop.
Does council need to approve a rainwater tank?
Often not. Many domestic tanks fall under exempt development in NSW when they sit within the size, height and setback limits and the overflow runs to stormwater. Limits vary by council and by site, so we check your property first.
Why is my rainwater pump running all the time?
Usually a leak on the pressure side, a cistern or tap passing water, or a failed pressure switch or non-return valve. The pump senses the pressure drop and restarts. Left alone it will burn out, so switch it off and call us.
Can you connect my tank to the toilets?
Yes. It is the most common rainwater job we do: a pump, a line into the house, an automatic mains changeover, backflow protection and labelled pipework. You get an upfront fixed price before we start. 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 does your fixed pricing work?
Upfront fixed price before any work starts. You only pay for the work we do. The online quote tool gives you a guide price in about a minute; the plumber confirms the exact price on site before touching anything.
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 your tank plumbed properly
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
Payright available - get it done now, pay it off over time.