Burst pipes is something that most homeowners experience  from time to time. Some of the common causes we see is;

• Accidental breakages during gardening or renovating.
  
• Corrosion and old age of pipes.
  
• Movement due to high water pressures or cold temperatures.
  
• Clogs and blockages that lead to pressure build up. 

Your first immediate steps are to turn off the water main. This will turn off the water supply to the pipe and prevent any further water leakage or damage until you contact an emergency plumber. 

How to turn off a water main
The water main tap is commonly found at the front of the house. It may be exposed or  protected by a cover plate. When you locate it, all you need to do is turn the valve clockwise for the water supply to be immediately cut off from your house. It's a good idea to have someone check that it has worked by trying to turn on another tap within the house. If you do not know how to turn off the water mains, do not hesitate to call Cattley Plumbing for immediate advice and troubleshooting on your water main tap. 
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The next step is to call a licensed plumber to diagnose and repair the issue. Cattley Plumbing services the northern Illawarra suburbs from Helensburgh, Thirroul and Wollongong and can provide immediate troubleshooting and fast repair. Contact James Cattley for fast and reliable service on 0409 875 391.

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Taking care of your gutters and ensuring they are clear of leaves is vitally important to ensuring your home's safety and integrity.
 
Living in the beautiful surrounds of the Northern Illawarra brings us close to nature and trees. Whilst the shade is wonderful in summer, the falling leaves can pose many a problem for a home owner.

4 Reasons to keep the leaves out of your gutters

1. Dried leaf litter in gutters is a potential fire hazard. Leaves, sticks and debris quickly becoming an ignition point when under an ember attack during  bush fire. 

2. Leaves block flow of water flowing from the roof, along your gutters and down the downpipes. This type of blockage will cause water to pour over the sides of the gutter and down around the base of your home. Over time this will cause cracks to form and damage the foundations of your home. 

3. Over flowing water will also cause fascia boards to rot, increasing the maintenance on your home and reducing the value. 

4. Rain water can overflow over the back of the gutter into the eaves and damage the internals of the house.

So what can you do? 
1. Regular maintenance and clearing of your gutters is important. The frequency of this will depend on the amount of trees you have surrounding your house, the type of trees and the environmental conditions (dry, windy weather is perfect condition for leaf litter)

2. If you do not wish to continually have to risk life and limb climbing up a ladder to remove leaf litter you can install gutter guard which is a fire rated aluminium mesh that will keep leaves out of your gutter while allowing water to flow in. 

At Cattley Plumbing we like to use the Australian made and fire resistant Leaf Stopper brand. 
Check out their website here for more information on the benefits. 

We can come and assess your gutters today and provide you a quote to ensure your home is safer in both fire and rain. 

​Call James today on 0409 875 391

Prevention is better than cure they say, and when it comes to the drains in your kitchen and bathrooms there are some simple tips that will help prevent your drains getting clogged up. 

Grease, fats and oils are your main culprits here. When they are disposed of down the sink they have the ability to quickly congeal, further trapping small food scraps and debris. Over time this concoction of fat and food particles will block your drain.
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You will know there is a blockage by 
- slow drainage or no drainage of water from the sink
- food odours emanating from the sink 

To prevent this, always ensure you sop up excess oils and fats from your pans and cookware  with a paper towel and dispose in the bin. When having to wash greasy pans/plates, use the hottest water you can and run hot water down the drain at the end of the wash up. 

We would also highly recommend using a mesh or food trap filter over your sink to catch large food particles and prevent them from going down the drain. 

The main culprit in the shower and vanity sink is a combination of hair, dirt, skin particles and soap scum. Over time, soap scum from hand wash, shampoos, body wash, toothpaste and shaving products solidifies on the walls of pipes and easily traps hair and dirt. 

Whilst the use of soap cannot be avoided, ensure you wash hot water down the sink or shower regularly to try and dissolve this soap scum. It is also important to regularly clean the shower grate, removing hair that is tangled within it. Leaving this will eventually mean hair makes it way down the drain and gets entrapped amongst the soap scum 

• Firstly, remove any visible hair or debris from the sink
• A bent wire hanger can be useful for pulling hair out of the first few inches of a drain. Simply bend the wire hanger into a hook, then push the wire into the drain and use the hook to fish out the hair.
• Slowly poor hot water down the sink to try and dissolve any fat or soap scum
• You can try a simple plunger to try and dislodge the occlusion. Plug any other holes in the sink with a rag or plug. Ensure the plunger is in an upright position and completely covers the clogged drain. Plunge about ten times vigorously to try and dislodge and remove the blockage.

If you still have not managed to have success in clearing the drain it is time to call in a professional licensed plumber. At Cattley Plumbing we can come out and assess your drain, and quickly clear your blocked drains. Using professional equipment, we can remove the blockage and provide you with clear running drains again. Call James form Cattley Plumbing  today on 0409 875 391

You can be assured that when your hot water system decides to kick the bucket, it will be at the most inconvenient time, so you will want to get help and make decisions immediately.
When you call us at Cattley Plumbing, we want to help you decide on what is the best choice of replacement to suit your individual needs. 
Here is a basic run down of what some of the options are: 

There are pros and cons to all systems depending on where you live, cost, energy ratings and personal preferences. Choice online offers a clear and basic run down on these pros and cons of each energy source and types of systems. Head over to their free information guide here.

In conjunction with this, contacting your local hot water system specialist who understands the options along with the Australian Guidelines and Regulations can ensure that you will have the best hot water system for you needs immediately. Our tradesman at Cattley Plumbing are honest, friendly and open to any questions you may have. Servicing the local area of Sutherland, Wollongong and the Northern Illawarra suburbs from Helensburgh to Thirroul and Bulli, you can be assured that repairing or replacing your hot water system will be a fast, efficient and easy process so you can enjoy that piping hot water once again. 

Call us today on 0409 875 391. 

Information provided by Sydney Water states that one in four people in Sydney is flushing wet wipes down the toilet.
Why on earth would people do this?
I can tell you why - because they are marketed as 'FLUSHABLE' wipes. 
As a plumber heading out to households with blocked drains and blocked toilets, I have seen that these flushable wipes are indeed not flushable. These wet wipes increase the risk of pipe blockages by mixing with human waste, fat and getting tangled among roots. Any plumber will tell you that they are a disaster waiting to happen. 

This short video from Choice illustrates how well these flushable wipes break down. 

So next time you go shopping, please do not believe the hype on the pack. Wipes, whether they claim to be flushable or not belong in the bin, not down your toilet. 
In the event you do have a blocked drain or blocked toilet, give Cattley Plumbing a call. We provide fast and emergency service for blocked drains and blocked toilets. Servicing the Sutherland shire, Northern Illawarra Suburbs from Helensburgh through to Wollongong, we can ensure fast and reliable service. Contact James today 0409 875 391