Emergency Plumber Lyall Bay

Lyall Bay emergencies between the surf and the clay-capped dunes

Lyall Bay faces straight into Cook Strait, and its homes cop salt spray and wind more than most in the city. Outdoor taps, hose connectors, garden showers and exposed pipe on the beach side corrode quickly, and a fitting that looked fine in autumn can split in a winter southerly. When that happens we replace it with materials suited to a marine site instead of putting back the same part that failed.

The two sides of the bay were built differently. The western streets went up first, after 80 sections were sold in 1896 and the tram reached the beach in 1909. The eastern side was sand dunes until the council levelled them and capped them with clay from 1925, and later homes went onto the old Centennial Exhibition site. That eastern ground can shift in a strong earthquake, so drains there are worth a look after a big shake, especially if a gully trap starts draining slowly.

Many Lyall Bay houses are older and sit on piles, so leaks under the floor are reachable. Sand is the less obvious problem: it can blow into gully traps, cesspits and outdoor drains near the beach and settle in a line until it blocks. We jet it clear and check the grates. On sections close to the sand, we also make sure each cesspit grate sits flush and is not half buried, because a covered grate sends stormwater straight across the yard.

Local tip: If you live near the Lyall Bay beachfront, rinse and check outdoor taps and hose fittings a couple of times a year, since salt is what usually makes them fail suddenly.