Southbank
Blocked, burst or leaking in Southbank?
Blocked drains, burst pipes and leaks in Southbank, from the river frontage to the old swamp flats, passed to a licensed plumber day and night.
Plumbing in Southbank
High-rise living on former swamp
Council calls Southbank Melbourne's most densely populated suburb, and almost every job is in a high-rise. Access is booked through the building manager or owners corporation, and a blocked common stack can reach many apartments at once, so the plumber works out early whether the fault is in one unit or the shared riser.
Some towers started life as offices. Victorian Places lists office buildings converted to apartments among the new buildings, and plumbing added to a building not designed for it may mean long horizontal runs and shared stacks that need a camera to follow.
The ground underneath is the older story. The early transport routes crossed undesirable swamp or flat land, and former swamp keeps settling, so building connections can sag or pull apart at a joint.
Jobs in Southbank
Risers, long runs and settling connections
Blocked drains
Common stacks and long horizontal runs in converted office towers.
Leak detection
Leaks traced between floors in apartment buildings before a ceiling is opened.
Commercial plumbing
Strata towers, restaurants and offices near the river, with building access arranged first.
What it costs: hot water replacement cost, gutter replacement cost, toilet installation cost
Southbank questions
Newer pipework, old industry and listed warehouses
What sort of pipes are in a Southbank apartment?
The area was first defined as an area for redevelopment by the State Government in the eighties, so most homes are newer than that. PVC stacks and copper or plastic water services are more likely than clay drains, and faults tend to be at joints and fittings.
Is digging up a service riskier here?
It can be. Early wharves, building trades and a few noxious industries gave way to manufacturers and warehouses before the redevelopment, so old fill and abandoned pipework can turn up. Spoil may need careful disposal, which is allowed for in the price.
Does a heritage listing affect pipework on an old warehouse?
It may. The Southbank Heritage Review led council to apply the Heritage Overlay to more places in Southbank and South Wharf, so a former warehouse or industrial building may now be listed and new external downpipes or pipework can need a planning permit.
