Plumbing31 Aug 2026 · 3 min
Water everywhere: find your toby before you need it
The five minutes between a pipe letting go and the water stopping decide how much of your house you lose. Know where the toby is now, not at 11pm in the rain.
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Notes from the tools.
Straight talk on plumbing and gasfitting — written for Kapiti Coast homeowners, by a working tradesman.
- Gasfitting31 Aug 2026 · 3 min
Gas certificates in New Zealand: what you need and when
Every new gas installation in New Zealand has to be certified by a licensed gasfitter. What that paperwork actually is, when you need it, and why it matters when you sell or rent.
Read on - Gasfitting31 Aug 2026 · 3 min
What size gas continuous-flow do you actually need?
The 16, 20 and 26 on the side of a continuous-flow water heater are litres per minute — but only in summer. Here is how to size one so it still works in a Kapiti July.
Read on - Plumbing31 Aug 2026 · 3 min
Hot water temperature rules changed. Most advice online hasn't.
Since November 2024 the maximum delivery temperature at bathroom taps is 50°C, not 55°C — while the cylinder itself still has to sit at 60°C or above. Here is why both numbers matter.
Read on - Plumbing31 Aug 2026 · 3 min
What plumbing can you legally do yourself in New Zealand?
You can change a tap washer. You cannot swap a toilet. The line between homeowner DIY and restricted work is narrower than most people expect — and it moves if the house is a rental.
Read on - Gasfitting31 Aug 2026 · 3 min
LPG bottles or mains gas? What Kapiti homes actually get
Most of the Kapiti Coast has no reticulated gas, so LPG bottles do the work. What that means for running costs, bottle logistics, and what to install.
Read on - Plumbing31 Aug 2026 · 3 min
What plumbing actually costs on the Kapiti Coast
Hourly rates, hot water replacements, bathroom renovations and filtration — the real ranges, and what moves a job from one end of a range to the other.
Read on - Plumbing12 May 2026 · 6 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.
Read on - Plumbing14 Apr 2026 · 5 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 · 7 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 · 6 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 · 5 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 · 7 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 - Plumbing15 Oct 2025 · 4 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 · 6 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.
Read on - Plumbing15 Aug 2025 · 5 min
Why your shower pressure dropped
Five common causes of falling shower pressure in a Kapiti home — restrictors, cylinder valves, blocked head, partial blockage, and mains pressure changes. What to check first.
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