Residential, commercial and emergency plumbing across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs
Plumbing FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions we're asked most often — about our services, pricing, emergencies, and how we work. Can't find what you're looking for? Call us on 1300 29 27 31, any time.
FAQ GUIDE
Common plumbing questions, answered
About Triple Eight Plumbing
Triple Eight Plumbing is a Melbourne-based residential plumbing company founded in 2012 by directors Brett Ward and Garth Patterson. We specialise in residential maintenance plumbing — blocked drains, hot water, pipe relining, and general repairs — across Melbourne's eastern suburbs, working from our base in Knoxfield.
We service Melbourne's eastern suburbs — from our home ground around Knoxfield, Rowville, Ferntree Gully, Boronia, Scoresby and Wantirna, through to Kew, Camberwell, Hawthorn, Toorak, Malvern, Richmond, Box Hill, Glen Waverley, and the wider Whitehorse area. Call 1300 29 27 31 to confirm we cover your street.
Yes. Triple Eight Plumbing is fully licensed and insured. We're members of Master Plumbers, our work is carried out to Australian Plumbing Standards (AS/NZS 3500), and our plumbers are licensed and registered for the work they perform — including gas and backflow where relevant.
We've been operating since 2012 — more than a decade serving Melbourne's east. Between them, directors Brett Ward and Garth Patterson bring over 20 years each of hands-on plumbing experience.
Triple Eight Plumbing was founded and is run by Brett Ward and Garth Patterson. Brett specialises in residential maintenance plumbing and is a Master Plumbers member; Garth specialises in drain relining as a certified Nu Flow franchise partner and is a member of Backflow Australia.
Our services
We handle the full range of residential plumbing services: blocked drains and drain cleaning, CCTV inspections, no-dig pipe relining, hot water repair and installation, burst and leaking pipes, tap and toilet repairs, gas appliance work, backflow testing, and general maintenance. Emergency plumbing is available 24/7.
Our focus is residential maintenance plumbing — homes, units, and rental properties across Melbourne's east. We also work with property managers and body corporates on residential rental and strata properties.
Yes. We carry out residential gas work such as hot water systems, gas cooktops, and appliance connections, compliant with Energy Safe Victoria requirements.
Pipe relining is a no-dig way to repair a damaged or root-affected drain from the inside, without excavating your garden or driveway. We use the Nu Flow relining system, and co-director Garth Patterson is a certified Nu Flow franchise partner. It's often the best long-term fix for ageing clay drains.
Yes. We repair, service, and install all hot water system types — gas storage, electric storage, continuous flow, and heat pump. If your system has failed, we'll give you an honest repair-or-replace recommendation before any work starts.
Bookings, quotes & pricing
Call us on 1300 29 27 31 or request a quote through our website. We’ll confirm a time that suits you and let you know how soon we can get there. For emergencies, call any time — we’re available 24/7.
Yes. We give you an upfront price before any work begins, so you know what you're paying before we start — no surprise invoices. For drain issues, we diagnose the problem first, usually with a CCTV camera, so the quote reflects the actual job.
It depends on the job — a leaking tap and a collapsed drain are very different. Rather than guess, we assess the problem first and give you an upfront quote before starting. Call 1300 29 27 31 for an estimate or to book a diagnosis.
Payment is due on completion, once you're satisfied the work is done. We'll confirm accepted payment methods when you book.
Emergencies & availability
Yes. We're available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for plumbing emergencies across Melbourne's east — including weekends and public holidays. Call us at any hour.
Burst or badly leaking pipes, blocked or overflowing sewers and toilets, no water, gas leaks, and hot water failures in cold weather are all emergencies. If water or gas is escaping and you can't stop it, call us straight away.
For a burst pipe or major leak, turn off your water at the mains, usually near the front boundary or water meter. If you smell gas, turn off the gas at the meter, don't use electrical switches or open flames, and ventilate the area.
Response times depend on your location and how busy we are at the time, but as a local team based in Melbourne's east we aim to reach emergencies as fast as possible.
Blocked drains & pipe relining
The most common causes are tree roots getting into ageing clay or earthenware pipes, grease and food build-up in kitchen lines, foreign objects, and collapsed or misaligned sections of old pipe. In Melbourne's established, leafy suburbs, tree roots are usually the culprit — a CCTV inspection shows the exact cause.
Usually, yes. We clear most blockages with high-pressure water jetting, and where a pipe is damaged we repair it with no-dig relining rather than excavation. Digging is a last resort.
A properly installed relined pipe is designed to last around 50 years. It forms a smooth, seamless new pipe inside the old one and seals the joints where roots get in, so it's a genuine long-term fix rather than a temporary patch.
Hot water
Yes. Hot water failures are one of our most common call-outs. We'll diagnose the fault — whether it's the unit, the gas or electrical supply, or a valve — and give you an honest recommendation on repairing or replacing. No hot water in cold weather is treated as a priority.
It depends on the system's age, the fault, and running costs. As a rule of thumb, a newer unit with a minor fault is worth repairing, while an old unit with a major failure is usually better replaced. We'll give you the honest numbers so you can decide.
Property managers & strata
Yes. We work with property managers and agents across Melbourne's east on rental maintenance, repairs, and emergency response, with prompt communication and clear invoicing. Contact us to set up a regular arrangement.
Yes. We work with body corporates and building managers on common-property drainage, hot water, and burst pipe response across apartment and townhouse developments, with the documentation these properties require.
Guarantees & community
Yes. We stand behind our workmanship, and manufacturer warranties apply to the products and systems we install. If something isn't right, we'll put it right.
Yes. We donate $1 from every job to Beyond Blue, supporting mental health in our community. It's a cause that matters to us, and it adds up across the many jobs we complete each year.