Plumbing12 May 2026 · 2 min
When to replace your hot water cylinder
Most New Zealand hot water cylinders last 10 to 15 years. A walk-through of the warning signs, and what to weigh up when it is time to choose a replacement.
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Notes from the tools.
Straight talk on plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying — written for Kapiti Coast homeowners, by a working tradesman.
- Plumbing14 Apr 2026 · 2 min
Getting your plumbing through a Kapiti winter
Frost-burst pipes, frozen outside taps, and slow drains caused by tree roots — Kapiti winters bring a predictable run of plumbing problems. A short pre-winter checklist.
Read on - Plumbing15 Mar 2026 · 2 min
Bathroom renovation: a plumbing checklist
Decisions to make before the plumber arrives — fixture spec, layout changes, hot water sizing, rough-in timing and the order trades work in. Save yourself a week of delays.
Read on - Plumbing15 Feb 2026 · 2 min
Kitchen renovation: what your plumber needs to know
Sink position, dishwasher feeds, gas hob bayonets, filtered water, fridge ice-makers. A short brief on the kitchen plumbing decisions that affect cost and timeline.
Read on - Plumbing14 Jan 2026 · 2 min
Hidden water leaks: what your house is telling you
Higher water bills, damp patches, mould you cannot explain, a meter that ticks at 3am. Seven signs of a hidden leak and what a plumber actually does to find it.
Read on - Gasfitting15 Dec 2025 · 2 min
Gas continuous-flow, electric cylinder, or heat-pump?
Three honest comparisons of the hot-water options Kapiti homes choose between — upfront cost, running cost, recovery rate, and how each suits different households.
Read on - Drainlaying13 Nov 2025 · 2 min
Blocked drains: DIY first, drainlayer second
A short guide to what you can try at home, what is wasting your time, and the point where a CCTV camera and a drainlayer saves more money than a $30 supermarket chemical.
Read on - Plumbing15 Oct 2025 · 2 min
Spring plumbing checks for Kapiti homeowners
Five low-effort checks worth running after winter — gully traps, outside taps, hot water performance, leak sweep, and stormwater drains before the next big rain.
Read on - Plumbing15 Sept 2025 · 2 min
Do you need whole-house water filtration?
When point-of-use under-sink filters are enough, when a whole-house system makes sense, and what changes if you are on bore or rainwater instead of mains supply.
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