What to do when it’s Christmas Day and you have a plumbing disaster?
(And no plumber is available… or the call-out fee makes your eyes water)
Christmas Day plumbing dramas always pick the worst moment — but with a few quick steps, you can keep things safe and under control until a qualified tradie can attend. Here are the three big emergencies you may face, and what you can safely do yourself.
1. Blocked Toilet or Sink
A blocked loo is the most common Christmas Day call-out — thanks, festive feast!
Try these steps before panicking:
Stop flushing to avoid overflow.
Use a flange plunger with slow, firm plunges (not wild jabs). If you don’t have a plunger you can use your toilet brush or even your mop.
If multiple fixtures (toilet, shower, sinks) are slow or backing up, it may be a sewer blockage — tree roots, collapsed pipe, or heavy blockage. DIY won’t solve this, but it’s usually safe to wait until after the holidays unless sewage is overflowing.
Avoid: chemicals, sticking your hand down the trap, or flushing “just to check”.
2. Major Leak or Water Escape
If water is spraying, flooding, dripping through ceilings, or coming from a burst pipe:
🔧 Turn off your water at the mains immediately.
Find your water meter tap at the front boundary (near your front tap!) and turn it clockwise to shut off water to the whole house.
Then:
Turn on a few taps to relieve pressure and clear the pipes.
Move belongings, use towels/buckets, and keep the area clear.
If water is near electricals, turn off power at the switchboard and stay away.
For a burst flexi-hose, you can often turn off the small isolation valve under the sink so the rest of the house can still use water.
Avoid: taping/gluing pipes, walking under a sagging ceiling, or turning water back on too soon.
3. Suspected Gas Leak
Gas leaks require immediate attention — and no DIY attempts.
You may notice a sulphur smell, hissing, or gas coming from an appliance or pipe.
🔧 Turn off your gas at the mains immediately.
Find your gas meter tap at the front boundary and turn it across to shut off gas to the whole house.
Turn off appliances, open doors/windows for ventilation.
Do NOT use lighters, stoves, switches, or anything electrical.
Leave the house and call 000 if the smell is strong.
Then contact your gas provider for further details
When in Doubt — Text Us
Plumbstruct Industries is available for genuine plumbing emergencies over the holiday break.
Text 0411 030 954 with your name, suburb, a short description, and a photo/video.
We’ll reply as soon as we can.