Plumbing Emergencies in Carlton Terraces and Apartments
Carlton packs a lot of plumbing into a small area. Victorian terraces sit beside student apartment blocks and newer builds near the University of Melbourne, and many of them share drains, risers and roof water. When something fails in a building like that, it rarely affects just one home.
Our 24/7 emergency plumbing team takes Carlton calls at any hour. You talk to a licensed plumber when you ring 0434 542 446, and we give you a fixed price before any work starts.
Shared Stacks and Risers in Carlton Apartment Blocks
In multi level student housing, the waste stack carries water from every floor above. A blockage low in the stack can push waste back up through a ground floor shower or floor waste while the people upstairs keep running water without knowing.
- Tell the building manager straight away so other residents stop using water until the stack is cleared
- Do not keep plunging a floor waste that is filling from below, the blockage is further down the line
- Leaks between floors usually come from a shower base or a failed flexi hose in the unit above
Terrace Homes: Pipes Hidden Under Floors and in Party Walls
Original Carlton terraces often have supply pipes running under suspended timber floors and through shared party walls. A pipe that bursts in those spaces can run for hours before water shows. Signs to watch for are a hissing sound with every tap off, damp skirting boards and a water meter that keeps ticking over.
Turn the water off at the meter. In most Carlton terraces it sits near the front boundary under a small cover in the footpath. Then call us and keep the area as dry as you can.
When to Call Us at Night
Some jobs can wait until morning. These ones should not:
- Water coming through a ceiling or light fitting
- Sewage backing up into a shower, bath or floor waste
- The only toilet in the home blocked or overflowing
- A smell of gas. Leave the building, avoid switches, call the emergency number on your gas bill, then call us for the repair
Night or day, our price is agreed with you before work begins, so there are no surprises when the job is done.
Common Questions From Carlton Customers
Can you work in a student apartment without the owner there?
Yes, as long as the building manager or owner has approved the work. We often liaise with property managers in Carlton so tenants are not left without water.
Will you shut off water to the whole building?
Only if we have to. Where possible we isolate the single apartment or riser so neighbours keep their water while we work.