RACV revealed the top ten most common home issues requiring call outs for tradespeople, with blocked pipes and toilets topping the list.
RACV Emergency Home Assist (EHA) specialists received almost 10,000 callouts for blocked pipes or toilets in the 2024 financial year – which was 18 per cent of total callouts.
RACV head of trades Kieran Davies emphasised the importance of regular home maintenance and prompt professional assistance in emergencies.
“While some issues can be prevented with routine care, others occur unexpectedly and having emergency contacts … can help address these situations promptly, minimising damage and ensuring safety,” Mr Davies said.
“A blocked toilet, pipe or drain prevents smooth water flow, which can cause overflow or backup into the nearest outlet, and obviously, this is not something you want or are able to tackle yourself,” he said.
According to RACV, you should never flush items such as tissues, paper towel, wet wipes, tampons or menstrual products, nappies, dishcloths or sponges, ear cleaners or cotton pads, dental floss or hair down toilets.
RACV’s top 10 emergency trade callout issues were:
. Blocked pipes or toilets: topping the list with 9398 emergency callouts, representing 18 per cent of total emergency call outs.
. Burst pipes: the second most frequent issue, with 6694 emergency callouts.
. Power failures: resulting in 6562 emergency callouts (excludes area-wide blackouts).
. Broken heating and cooling systems: Accounting for 5812 emergency callouts.
. Burst taps or shower heads: causing 5718 emergency callouts.
. Broken hot water systems: leading to 5542 emergency callouts.
. Internal leaks: requiring 5295 emergency callouts.
. Lockouts: affecting 4375 Victorian households.
. Broken garage doors: resulting in 1240 emergency callouts.
. Gas leaks: while less frequent at 859 instances, remain a serious safety concern.
RACV encouraged homeowners to familiarise themselves with preventive measures and basic troubleshooting for common household issues.
