There are a few things that could be going on.

On a hot water tank you could have a problem with a heating element which isn’t heating the water. It could also be one of the thermostats malfunctioning which can mean you end up with no hot water, very little hot water or even hotter water than you expect.

The dip tube on the cold side inlet of the hot water tank may also have a split in it near the top meaning the cold water short circuits straight to the hot side when water is used.

If you find you have a lack of pressure or flow rather than actual lack of heat at any faucet you could have an obstruction in the piping somewhere.

At Black Fern Plumbing and Gas we have the experience to quickly diagnose and fix the issue and get your hot water system back online.

If you have gas lines or appliances in the building and you smell gas, evacuate the area immediately and when in a safe location call your gas supplier or technician. Do not use any electrical equipment or light switches, and do not smoke or use any open flames. Gas has a very distinct smell like rotten eggs so is hard to miss.

Tankless water heaters should be serviced at least once a year to ensure they are running efficiently and safely including flushing of the heat exchanger with a descaling agent to guarantee the equipment remains in operational condition and reduce the mineral build up that occurs in the heat exchanger over time.

Tankless heaters are complex appliances and have many parts that need attention over time.

At Black Fern Plumbing and Gas we provide full range of service to any and all hot water heaters.

The chemicals in ordinary drain cleaners are extremely toxic. Trust me I have the burns to prove it! The chemicals in these drain cleaners are also bad for your drainage pipes causing them to deteriorate over time of used regularly. If this happens your drain lines will need to be replaced.

There are more environment friendly drain cleaners on the market using bacteria and enzymes that will do the same job as the chemical cleaners if used correctly. If you have a question about drain cleaners or which one to use call your local plumbing expert at Black Fern Plumbing and Gas.

Yes. Hard water can be very damaging to your property. If you have had excessive soap consumption, damaged clothing from the laundry, skin problems, tastes or odours from your water that are undesirable or faucet and fixture deterioration, then you have a water problem.

At Black Fern Plumbing and Gas we can solve your water problem in an efficient and timely manner.

Backflow preventers are devices installed in a water pipe system that only allow water to flow in one direction. For example, the device allows water from the city's public water supply to flow into your home's piping but stops water if and when it ever tries to flow backwards into the main water supply.

If you have an irrigation system on your property, fire suppression, food processing, chemicals such as hair salon products or a boiler system then some form of backflow prevention is required depending on the hazard rating. These are only a very few examples as the list is a long one. Simply put, if there is a chance of cross contamination of undesirable water to flow back into your water system or into the main city supply and to other houses through back pressure or back siphonage then backflow prevention is required.

Call us at Black Fern Plumbing and Gas and we can help you with your backflow prevention requirements.

A frost-free or freeze-free spigot work on the basis that when the spigot is shutoff the water is shutoff back inside the house and the remaining water in the frost-free spigot, which come in lengths from 4” - 12” long, drains out.

This only works if the spigot doesn’t have a hose connected to it though. If you were to leave your hose on the spigot after using it then this cannot occur as the hose and spigot remain full of water. Then if the temperature was to drop to freezing point this would freeze the water in the piping causing ruptures in the spigot.

The bad thing about this with a frost-free spigot is that this rupture usually occurs inside the house near the end of the spigot where your water piping attaches causing damage to inside your house.

A recent spike in your water bill could be due to several factors.

Some are major plumbing problems, and others are minor issues easily fixed. Leaking toilets, faucets, irrigation or leaking water mains are the most common causes and even the smallest flow of water from a leak can result in thousands of gallons of wasted water. One drip from a faucet every second is equivalent to 2000 gallons per year of wasted water.

At Black Fern Plumbing and Gas we are experts in the field of water leaks. Call us now to get your water issue looked at.

Water hammering is a pressure surge caused by a rapid change in flow velocity in the pipeline. This phenomenon is referred to as "water hammering" because the pressure surges are frequently accompanied by a noise that sounds as if the pipeline were being pounded with a hammer.

A common cause are poorly supported water piping, especially hard pipe such as copper along with fast acting shutoffs valves commonly found in the form of solenoid valves on dishwashers, clothes washing machines or fridge water lines.

Call us now and Black Fern Plumbing and Gas can help diagnose and solve your water hammer issues.

The most common cause of a dishwasher being blocked is not cleaning the dishwasher and not removing the larger chunks of food matter or foreign items such as plastic wrappers off the plates or items put in the dishwasher before it is used. A dishwasher has a filter positioned in the bottom just before the water enters the drain pump chamber, if this filter is never cleaned or has excessive build up of food then this can lead to blockages.

This can also lead to a very bad smelling dishwasher over time. These filters are easily located and cleaned and if an odour remains, a wash with vinegar can clean it right up.