Small jobs, done right.
A dripping tap or running toilet might feel small, but they waste a lot of water and the water bill shows it. A slow drip is 50+ litres a day. A continuously-running toilet can be 200+. Both are quick fixes, usually same-day if you ring us before lunch.
We do these small jobs because we know how they often turn into bigger problems if left. Today's worn tap washer is next year's burst tap if the body corrodes around it. Today's leaking shower mixer is next year's tile-and-waterproof tear-out if water gets behind the wall.
What we fix.
- Dripping kitchen and bathroom taps (mixers and standard)
- Mixers that won't shut off cleanly
- Running toilets (water continuously cycling into the bowl)
- Toilets that won't flush properly
- Slow-filling toilet cisterns
- Worn seals, washers and O-rings
- Tap reseating and resealing (when the brass body has scored)
- Shower hose replacements
- Shower mixer cartridge replacements
- Garden tap and hose-cock replacements
- Outdoor washing-machine cock replacements
- Bath spout replacements
Running toilet, the biggest silent water waster.
A toilet that runs continuously can waste 5-20 litres an hour. Over a year that's 40,000-175,000 litres, possibly $200-1,000 off your water bill.
Three common causes:
- Flapper valve worn or warped. Doesn't seal properly between flushes. Water seeps from cistern to bowl. $15 part, 20 minute job.
- Fill valve faulty. Won't shut off when the cistern's full. Water keeps coming in, overflowing into the overflow tube and down to the bowl. $50-80 part.
- Flush button stuck. Sometimes the dual-flush button binds and partially activates the flush. Easy fix.
To check yourself: listen for water moving inside the cistern when no one's flushed recently. Or put a few drops of food colouring in the cistern, wait 15 mins without flushing, if colour appears in the bowl, the flapper's leaking.
Dripping tap, what's actually wrong.
Depends on the tap type:
- Old quarter-turn / handle tap (twist 90° to open): internal seal or washer is worn. Replace washer, possibly reseat the brass body if it's scored. $20-50 fix, 30 minute job per tap.
- Mixer (single lever): cartridge is worn. Most mixers have a ceramic-disc cartridge that lasts 5-15 years. Replace the cartridge, $40-120 depending on brand. 30 minute job.
- Old style screw-down tap (multiple turns to open): washer worn. Replace washer. Some old-style taps need reseating with a special tool.
If your tap drips, doesn't get worse over weeks, fix it now. The brass body slowly scores from water hammering through the gap, and eventually you need a whole new tap instead of a $20 washer.
When to replace vs repair a tap.
Honest take:
- Tap is under 5 years old: repair. The body's fine, just internal parts wearing.
- Tap is 5-15 years old, brand is decent: repair if it's a simple washer or cartridge swap.
- Tap is 15+ years old: often worth replacing. The brass body may be scored, the chrome plating may be lifting, the spindle's worn. Cost difference between repair and a new tap is small at that age.
- Tap has been repaired more than twice already: replace.
- Cheap tap from Bunnings / department store: often replace, the internals aren't designed for long life, you'll be back in 6-12 months.
- Premium Australian brand (Sussex, Phoenix, Astra Walker): repair confidently, these things last decades with the occasional cartridge change.
Bathroom mixer specialists.
Quality wall-mounted mixers and modern tapware are what we install most. We're proper installers, not just repairers, so we can match what's there or upgrade you.
Things we look at on a mixer install:
- Hot/cold orientation correct (hot left, cold right, every time)
- Mixer body level, a 1° tilt looks wrong every time you walk into the bathroom
- Spout reach correct over the basin/bath (no splashing onto the bench)
- Cartridge action smooth, replace any cartridge that feels gritty
- No silicone fingerprints, scratched chrome or chipped finish
If you've got premium tapware to install, we'll do it to manufacturer spec so your warranty stays valid.
Aerators, the $10 upgrade that saves water.
An aerator is the little screen inside the tap nozzle that mixes air with water. Makes the flow feel just as wet at a lower volume. Most kitchen taps lose their aerator (it falls off, gets clogged with mineral scale, or breaks).
$10 to replace, 5 minute job per tap, saves 30-50% of flow without you noticing. Especially worth doing in the kitchen sink where you run the tap most.
We carry common aerator threads in the van, we'll fit one on any service visit if your existing one's missing or broken.
Small jobs FAQ.
- Minimum call-out fee? No call-out fee during business hours. You pay for the actual job. We don't punish small jobs.
- Can I just buy washers from Bunnings and DIY? If you're handy, yes, but use the right washer for the tap (different tap types need different washer profiles). And turn the water main off first.
- How long should a tap last? Quality tap: 20-30 years with the occasional washer or cartridge change. Cheap tap: 3-7 years.
- Why does my tap whistle when I turn it on? Worn or wrong-size washer. Easy fix.
- Toilet not flushing strongly enough? Often a partially-blocked S-bend or weak fill valve. Quick diagnosis.