Emergency Plumbing
Burst Pipes/Flooding?
If you have just discovered a major water leak, have a look for your main valve (TOBY tap) to shut down the water supply to the house.
If lucky enough to find it, and open it, turn it clockwise to shut off.
Failing that we will make every effort to get there as quickly as we can.
Contact iPlumber NowTurning Off Your Water Supply – Find Your TOBY Tap
In Hamilton and surrounding areas, the Toby is generally in, or near the footpath, under a circular metal lid, with a small rectangular cut out in the middle, which will help you open it.
Take a large flathead screwdriver with you as you may need to twist this so it aligns with the keyways, and then be lifted out (some can be a bit stubborn!)
Local Councils can also let you know your ‘TOBY Location’ – they can get overgrown easily which makes them hard to find.
For rural properties with a trickle feed to a tank and a pump, if you don’t how to isolate your water supply, it’s sometimes as simple as cutting the power to the pump.
Faulty TOBY Taps
If your TOBY Tap is faulty, call your local council for an urgent (within 1 hour) response, as it is their responsibility to keep these valves in working order
Local councils will also give you a TOBY Location as they get overgrown easily which makes them hard to find.
Common TOBY Taps:
- A blue plastic circular lid, which you may need 2 screwdrivers to twist it open.
- A larger, rectangular metal, chequer plate type lid, which will need prying open also, and may contain multiple gate valves, so once you have figured out which one does your house, mark it with a tag of some sort.
- A rectangular blue plastic lid similar to above.
- Some more modern houses have a shut off valve in the garage wall, usually behind a white plastic ‘pop in’ panel.
- Some properties may have a shut off under the house near the trap door, or if down a long driveway, in the ground near the house inside a bit of 100mm pipe.
Hot Water Cylinders
If your hot water cylinder has burst, just turning off the water isn’t enough, as the tank will still be full, and will need draining also, we can assist with this and price up any repairs or replacements generally on the spot.
Make sure the power or gas is turned off to this, and there should be a valve that isolates just the hot water cylinder nearby, and sometimes one that you can drain it with.
When replacing/installing a hot water cylinder it is a good idea to install a safe tray incase it ruptures. Having an annual maintenance check can help prevent this also.
Blocked Drains:
If you have a plunger try your luck with that, and it may be enough to get you through till the next business day, otherwise give us a call and we will ask a few questions to determine the best next step.
Take preventative measures with your drains and have them insepcted by camera every few years, as its generally when you have a house full of guests that they decide to pack it in!
In general, being proactive about your homes plumbing system will give you piece of mind and more often than not, save you time and money.
Have your house checked every 1-2 years and put those fires (floods) out before they start!
Other Urgent Plumbing & Gasfitting Work
For any other urgent plumbing & gasfitting work we will make every effort to get there as quickly as we can.
Navman monitors the exact location of the entire fleet in real time.
Fleet visibility assists with getting the closest technician to the job in the shortest amount of time, as well as providing accurate reportable activity and job costing, saving you money.
Need a plumber or gasfitter now?
We will get there as quickly as we can!
