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More from Venice 2
St Marco drain boat
Now Giovanni knows his way around the lagoon and the Grand Canal and all the other canals of the beautiful city of Venice.
His impressions of the sewers and sights of Venice along with his images of the way sewer is transported from the grand homes and palaces along the canals is always educational.
Apart from being a wonderful host and waterman, this excerpt from a recent correspondence underlines just how well our correspondent in Venice knows his way around his water bound city.
Hey Dave!
So can you imagine that Sophie the daughter of a friend from Evans Head, came to visit me in Venice?
Yesterday we had a great evening and this morning I had to wake up early ‘cause I had a commitment with a Norwegian novelist. He is writing a novel about somebody escaping from an island in the lagoon of Venice with a gondola, so he had to check out if it was possible for somebody to do it without knowing anything about a gondola before the moment of the escape.
I took him out on my gondola this morning at 8 for some research and now I’m back. I took these pics on the trip.
Gondolier at rest
So dear readers, this gondolier knows his S – – T.
Please enjoy some more images of Venice courtesy of Gio.
Cruise ship at anchor Venice
Prevention will reduce blocked drains.
Today it was a pleasure to meet “Dr Elliot”… This man is incredibly organised.
We were called to his home to run our drain cleaning equipment, the world-famous “Rattlesnake” high-pressure water drain cleaner, through his house drains, downstream to the sewer boundary trap at the rear of his property, adjacent to the swimming pool.
He has had blocked drains in the past and declared he didn’t want the inconvenience of a blocked sewer pipe during the upcoming holidays when his extended family would be visiting and his old sewer line would be put under pressure.
The thought of having his beautifully manicured garden dug up or even disturbed, inspired this house proud professional to maintain one of his homes main arteries – the plumbing.
He compared our house visit to check his blocked drains to a patient having a health check with their Doctor, especially as we get a little older. Pipes and people!
Dr Elliott knew where all the access points to his drains were located, how to test his sewer and all the symptoms of a blocked drain. It was a pleasure to work with such a professional.
An ounce of prevention will keep your drains running. Oh, and if pain persists, see your Doctor.
7 easy ways to extend the life of your Water Heater
Have you found yourself in a situation where its winter and you head home for a shower after work, or after a rugby or netball training session, turn on the hot water tap and the water is cold?
There are many plumbing fixtures around your home, the bath or hand basin, kitchen sink, of course the toilet. Some homes, offices and small business have multiple toilets, showers and basins.
As we move into the cooler months the average hot water heater becomes more important for all these plumbing fixtures to work.
Its easy to take these often ignored assets in your home or office for granted, but some simple actions will prolong the life of your storage water heater.
Replacing your hot water heater can usually be unexpected and sometimes expensive, but in today’s fast moving world we can easily ignore this vital cog in our daily routine.
So be sure you are aware of the following:
- Where is your water heater? You need to know where it is!
- Is it gas or electric? You need to know!
- Can you turn off the gas or electricity?
- Can you turn off the water supply to your heater? Try it! Check this valve or tap works
- Is it a mains pressure storage heater or instant (continuous)?
- If it is mains pressure, have you released the Temperature and Pressure Relief valve (T&PR valve)?
- Keep the area around this heater clean and clear. Keep long grass, paint cans etc. well clear.
T&PR valve on mains pressure external gas water heater
See the “hook” on the Temperature and Pressure Relief valve, lift it and hold it up for 30 seconds at least every three months. If this is working properly, it will discharge the hot water whilst you hold up the hook, then stop when you let it go. It is normal for it to discharge water while the heater is heating. Then the water should stop! Be careful the hot water doesn’t scald you.
Our water heater is a friend, if you are ever unsure about how your water heater is performing, or have any questions about any of the things we have outlined here, contact a professional plumber for guidance.
Remember to engage a licensed plumber to attend to your hot water heater.
https://www.thelonedrainerandpronto.com.au/hot-water-services.html
Carrying Out a CCTV Survey of Sewer Pipes
The Importance of Carrying Out a CCTV Survey of Sewer Pipes when Clearing Blocked Drains
Once again there is water all over the floor from a blocked drain, and you need to grab the phone book and look up plumbing services Sydney to find plumbers that can come out and unblock the drain. You can save yourself repeated repairs and repeated calls for service by simply having a plumbing service carry out a CCTV survey of sewer pipes, so that when there is a problem it will be easy to clear the blocked drain. The CCTV survey can tell you what caused the initial drain blockage.
There are many reasons a drain would get blocked, and having a map of where all the pipes are is going to save you a lot of money in the long run.
Tree roots, industrial waste, and cracked or broken pipes are all reasons the drain might be blocked. The problems that come with blocked drains are foul smells and potential health risks. Call a professional plumbing service to make sure that your plumbing is not going to cause you discomfort in your home or business and end up costing you many times more than it needs to.
It is said that prevention is the best cure and by having a CCTV scan and mapping of your sewer system just got a lot easier with help from professional plumbing services. The scan will clearly show small objects, hair blockages, and any other refuse that is stuck in the drain. The scan maps the sewer lines so that you can track where a problems lies.
Plumbing services that are practised in using the CCTV scans can quickly and easily solve your blockage problems. The clear detail shown with this method will save money right from the start. Instead of having to tear up half of your garden and part of your paved drive, the scan shows exactly where the work needs to be done. Plumbing services have stepped up to the plate to carry out the scans and correct any problems the home owner or business owner may encounter in their plumbing.
By using the opportunity of a blocked drain to get a CCTV scan done, you will be able to better maintain the sewer; now that you know where all the pipes run that is.
Renovation is another time you may want to use the services of a professional plumbing service. The map will give you a clear understanding of where you can and cannot build.
Call on the plumbing services of certified plumbers to address and correct the problems with your system and to maintain them as needed. The CCTV scan saves time and money that would be laid out for labour. Understanding how the pipes run in and around your house will enable you to dig anywhere on your property. Be careful, and be sure to call in a team of professionals that take care of everything from doing the scan to fixing whatever problem you may be having with your plumbing.
Burst water hose floods house.
It’s Saturday night in the city and we received an emergency call from a long term client, “HELP we have a tap over the kitchen sink that is leaking lots of water and flooding our kitchen.”
Now on a Saturday night, this sounds like a job for “The Lone Drainer and Pronto“! We were at the house within 30 minutes to repair the leaking tap!
The kitchen sink mixer tap had exploded, gushing water everywhere, and our clients who were having a peaceful dinner, could not turn the water off!
The 2 valves controlling hot and cold water supply to the kitchen sink flickmixer style tap, and the water meter at the front of the property could not be turned off. Both the taps had seized and the water just kept running out all over the kitchen!
Toilet Paper or Bidet?
The Harsh Reality of Using Toilet Paper Rather Than Washing with a Bidet
Having travelled Europe extensively, one gets used to a bidet. Coming back to Australia made some of the queried group bemoan the loss of the bidets they got so used to. The question as to whether or not it was environmentally responsible to throw tissue paper in the toilet or in the trash was raised.
The questioner remarked that they were bothered by how much tissue paper is used by a single family and they wondered just what it takes to remove the paper from sewage lines and from the treatment plants. Some experts were asked this question and they came up with answers to those questions and wonderings. Of course, all the experts came from the plumbing services fields and would know best how to deal with this problem; they gave opinions on what they felt were the best options. We also inquired at several plumbing services and a couple of places that offered a professional plumber.
When attached to a sewer line that is maintained and repaired by a city, the toilet paper is decomposed through the processing system. In order to break down any solid matter that is in the waste water, methane is used. Ways to harness this methane gas is being researched and tested to make this process more efficient. Toilet paper blockages in the sewer lines don’t happen often, but consider the fact that the blockages would be reduced if a bidet were used.
Cleaning one’s self with toilet paper in a home that is hooked to a septic tank can cause all sorts of nasty things to happen inside your house when blockages happen. Plumbing services have to be called in to remove the offending paper, and then any crack in the pipe or seam that is a little rough can gather another huge wad of toilet paper and clog everything up again. This is good news for the plumber; they appreciate the business, but for the home owner, this is a costly repair.
Bidets would do away with the need for toilet paper and end the numerous blockages that are created when someone shoves a huge wad of paper down the toilet.
If you are really lamenting the loss of the bidet, call in the plumbing services and get your bidet installed. Almost any plumber will be more than happy to install a bidet for your home. With a bidet of your own, you will reduce the amount of paper that is used, reducing the amount of trees used in the process.
Giving up the toilet paper is much more sanitary than giving up the bidet. The bidet allows for a cleaner person while not using as many resources.
In the end it was decided that the bidet is the best way to go environmentally, for the best sanitation and for low repair bills.
Plumbing Products – Bio-Clean and Vaprooter
Plumbing Products Have Come a Long Way: A Look at Some Products and Their Benefits
Sir John Harrington, the godson of Queen Elizabeth I made a new invention for his godmother: Sir John created the flush toilet and built it for his godmother. This all took place in 1596, according to history records.
Alexander Cummings obtained the first patent for a flushing toilet in 1775. Toilets started gaining popularity, and a city wide sewer system was constructed to handle the flow of refuse. As science advanced, it was recognised that poor sanitation caused diseases and in 1880 the officials of the day decided that toilets and sewer systems were not luxuries but priorities to control human waste and disease.
Jumping to modern day plumbing, the innovations and possibilities are endless when you have plumbing services like The Lone Drainer and Pronto, experts in the field of plumbing with 40 years combined experience. Any type of renovation, plumbing emergency or plumbing need can be taken care of with just one phone call to The Lone Drainer and Pronto.
Sewer lines brought whole new problems to society that had not been faced before. Many old trees had roots that sometimes stretched for a block. These roots invaded the sewer lines because the roots are attracted to the plumbing pipes where they find a constant source of moisture. Today there is a product that eliminates this problem for you. Vaporooter is 100% safe and has been used successfully for more than 40 years. Paying for repairs is much more expensive than using Vaporooter to prevent the problem in the first place. Vaporooter stops tree root blockage from occurring.
Are you tired of having plumbing problems where roots have crushed, cracked or blocked your sewer pipes? It gets very expensive trying to keep up with repairs. So call The Lone Drainer and Pronto plumbing services and get insurance on your drains with Vaporooter.
Older homes with older pipes can produce a foul odour, but there is a way to solve that problem. The plumbing services of The Lone Drainer and Pronto have a product that will solve this problem for you faster than you could have ever imagined. You will no longer have to be embarrassed about the odour coming out of your pipes when you use Bio-Clean. This environmentally friendly bacteria waste eliminator will get your pipes spotless and odour free. What a relief it will be to walk into your home and smell the cut flowers instead of sour old pipes!
Bio-Clean performs several functions such as cleaning out the hair in the drains and pipes, and dissolves paper and cotton without using toxic chemicals. This environmentally green solution to an ageless problem is safe, will clear most of the obstruction in the drains and pipes and will not damage your pipes and/or fittings. Bio-clean is friendly to your plumbing pipes and drains.
Just what is your peace of mind worth when the plumbing goes on the blink and the missus is upset because your drains are blocked? Call The Lone Drainer and Pronto, and keep the peace in your household with Vaporooter and Bio-Clean.
Don’t Let Tree roots Take Over Sewer pipes!
Today’s post is courtesy of Joe from Woollahra Sydney.
Joe had constant problems with the trees around his Sydney home, and tree roots growing in his sewer pipes, blocking them repeatedly. He would need drain cleaning several times a year to cut the tree roots, as the London Plane trees around his home tightened their vice like grip on his sewer pipes and drains. When this happened, the sewer would overflow in his home and on some occasions the raw sewage would come up in his kitchen sink!
Joe found a way to deal with the tree roots in his sewer pipes, to stop them re-growing and blocking his sewer line.
Now, Joe and his wife Elizabeth, both teachers, travelled to South-east Asia to help those less fortunate and during their travels over summer visited Cambodia and in particular the ancient city of Angkor Wat, built in the early 12th century.
Joe at Angkor Wat Beware of tree roots!
Joe was astonished by the power of these tree roots and how they could almost consume these ancient buildings. He couldn’t wait to share this and other images with us.
Joe says, “Don’t let tree roots take over your drains and sewer pipes!”
How do Tree Roots Get in Sewer Pipes And what Damage Can They Cause?
Homes that are connected to a municipal or mains sewer system have their biggest plumbing problems when tree roots have grown into pipes. In days gone by, one of the plumbing services would be called in to clear a blockage in the pipe, getting rid of those tree roots, but the tree roots would regrow and block up the sewer up again.
Regrowth of tree roots and the aggressive action of repeat cleaning earthenware or clay pipes with an electric eel or other drain cleaning equipment, is destructive to the integrity of the pipes. The pipes split, crack and crumble after the roots repeatedly find their way into the pipes. The pipe then has to be replaced at the home owner’s expense.
Tree roots are going to head for the easiest source of water they can find. A sewer pipe is the perfect environment; there is warmth, a constant stream of water and nutrients from degraded food matter. This is the perfect environment for those tree roots to take over your sewer system because the nutrient leakage through these pipes makes it even more inviting for the tree roots, and they just keep coming.
So the cycle continues!
Several things can be done to prevent root intrusion into the sewage system.
Liquid ambar, camphor laurel, ficus (fig) and London Plane trees are the worst offenders when it comes to sending roots to a convenient water source. Do not plant these varieties close to your sewage system.
Calling plumber services Sydney to make sure that you can identify where the roots are, where the crack in the pipes is, and how to finally get rid of your root problem, can be costly. It is a good idea to find a plumber that uses a sewer pipe camera in order to identify exactly where the problem is.
There is a chemical treatment that can kill the tree roots invading the pipes without killing the trees; by using an experienced plumber in Sydney that can provide this plumbing service to get rid of those tree roots, you can save yourself costly repair bills.
The best way to avoid tree roots in your sewer pipes is to remove any young trees that are trying to grow near or above the sewer pipe lines. Call in a professional from one of the reputable plumbing services and make sure that when you do engage that plumber, they do all the diagnostics necessary to identify exactly where the problem is before they set about repairing busted pipes and removing those tree roots that will continue to invade the pipe system.
Sydney Plumbers love our drinking water!
The interest over the new Sydney water desalination plant just continues to grow.
After blogging 2 weeks ago about the taste of our drinking water, a topic that is very important to me, we have been contacted by lots of people who also have an interest in our Sydney drinking water. I believe we have here in Sydney Australia, one of the best water supplies in the world and now that we have the Desalination plant, it does secure our drinking future.
Most of our clients have shared with us their thoughts on the flavour of our drinking water, the colour of the water, the taste and smell of the water; and you are all correct.
Just make sure, if you have leaking taps or running toilets, you have them repaired as soon as possible.
Save water where you can and keep drinking water. It makes you feel alive!
Does Your Water Taste Different?
Since the new Sydney Water desalination plant was commissioned January 28th 2010, we have had one of the hottest and yet wettest Sydney summers in recent years.
During this hot spell, we insisted that everyone on our plumbing service team, especially the plumbers out in the field, take water bottles and re-hydrate regularly.
Some of our team believe that the Sydney tap water is “different” since the desalination plant started mixing with our traditional water source.
I had to keep drinking to test the tap water, but, I think the water tastes a little “sweeter”.
Now “portable” water as our water supply is known to plumbing professionals, should be without:
- odour
- colour
- flavour
So we started to ask some of our clients what they thought, and we got different feedback from some of them.
Some, like me, said it is sweeter. Others reported the water was a different colour. Some even believed the new water supply had caused their taps and toilets to leak. Mind you, these comments were received whilst repairing those same leaking taps and leaking and running toilets.
So, is our water supply different? What are you mixing it with? Tell us what you think via the comments box.
As an incentive for the best Sydney Water story, I have 5 exotic Golf club caps to give away, courtesy of Champion Sports.
The US Masters begins next week Thursday April 8th – Sunday April 11th, 2010 in Augusta, Georgia, so post your comments by Friday April 16th, 2010 and the 5 best Water stories will be eligible to win a prize.
Oh and keep drinking water! We recommend it.
Toilet Leaks Waste Water
How Much Water Is Wasted When I Continue To Let My Toilet Leak?
When a meter’s flow indicator moves and you know that all the water outlets are off, both inside and outside, you can be sure that there is a leak somewhere in your lines. The continuous drip of a leaky tap, or a constantly running toilet, will add dollars and cents to your water bill in a hurry. When this happens, it is time to call for toilet plumbing services.
It is estimated that $145.00 is added to your water bill annually if the toilet continues to run after flushing. This is money you are paying out that you don’t have to. The insides of the toilet cistern are inexpensive compared to the extra money you pay because your toilet is constantly running. So it makes sense to acquire plumbing services Sydney to fix your leaky toilet or tap.
The constant running of a toilet not only wastes water but will increase your utility bill over a period of time. That extra money, not to mention the water, could be used more advantageously.
Let’s think about the water that is wasted when you continue to let your taps or toilet leak.
Wasting water is no longer something you can do and not feel guilty about it. The shortages around the world can be helped if everyone keeps their equipment in good working condition, and if we are all mindful about how we use water and how we can prevent wasting water that can be better used somewhere else.
It would not be hard to put together a list of items you could purchase with the money you are paying for the wasted water from the leaky toilet. There are many ways to spend that $145.00. Whether the money is used for a needed item or for leisure, that money can be better spent on something that you will have for a while or something you will enjoy whenever you want to. Therefore, it is well worth it to hire plumbing services to fix your leaky toilet.
So many people can be helped by you simply ensuring that you do not waste water negligently. Neglecting to take care of your household can cost you hundreds of dollars in a short period of time. Lately, the economy makes us spend thriftier; hopefully it also teaches us to be more conservative of the natural resources that are limited worldwide. Contact one of the plumbing services Sydney to make sure you are doing your part to conserve water and put the water where it will do the most good.
So you think you’re having a bad day?
Today’s blog post is from Exponential Growth Strategist Dr Marc Dussault. (http://www.MarcDussault.com).
Some days when you think you are home free, there is a trap waiting for you.
Have you ever had a day like that?
Marc takes business growth very seriously, but insists we plumbers take time to have a laugh, even at our own expense.
Thanks for the medicine Dr!
http://www.ExponentialPrograms.com
What Will Happen If I Ignore that Gas Leak?
Many people have no clue what natural gas smells like, so how can they recognise if they have a gas leak? Chemical compounds are placed in the natural gas to give it an odour which often smells like rotten eggs. This odour ensures that when a person smells it, they would be alerted to a problem. People trained in utility services, including plumber services, have the required equipment and have been taught skills to recognise and locate leaks in a gas line.
If you ignore that gas leak and do not call plumbing services Sydney, then you are placing yourself and your family at risk of being caught in a house that in the worst case, may blow up. DO NOT ignore that gas leak. It could injure you and your loved ones.
It is VERY important to know where your gas meter is, and how to turn it off. Make a point of finding this out and ensure that everyone in your household over 15 knows where it is.
When you do notice a leak, CALL, not email, your local service area to notify them of a problem. Get everyone out of the house and do not return until someone who is licensed to provide professional plumbing services says it is safe to re-enter your home.
Recognise leaks by the smell or a hissing sound, off colour vegetation in a normally green and lush area, flames if the leak has ignited, dirt coming up from an opening in the ground, or bubbles showing up in a flooded area.
When you react, be sure not to panic children or older adults. Panic only creates more problems. Have a pre-planned escape route and make sure everyone follows the plan in a calm and orderly manner.
When leaving the area, do not turn switches for lights or appliances on or off. They could send out sparks and cause an explosion.
Don’t smoke.
Leave the area and let professionals solve the problem.
Never ignore a leaky gas line inside or outside your residence.
Finding plumbing services Sydney, which will conduct a few simple tests to locate or dismiss a leaky gas fear, is not difficult to do if you look in the phone book for plumber services.
Natural gas is very hard to detect because it has no odour that will alert you of a problem. Although gas companies have put a chemical compound in the gas so that it can be detected, usually a gas leak is something that happens slowly and is not noticeable. A regular check of gas lines around or in your house by an individual that is licensed to provide professional plumber services should be done periodically so that any leaks that might develop can be caught before it becomes dangerous.
Contact plumber services Sydney and leave the area until professionals can tell you it is safe to return.
Take precautions, ensure you have a plan in place and NEVER ignore a gas leak.
Sydney’s New Water Desalination Plant – Why Your Water Bills Will Go Up
Why Dripping Taps and Leaking Toilets will cost More $$$ with Sydney’s New Water Desalination Plant
Do you have a problem with a leaky tap or toilet? You will be amazed how much money dripping taps and leaking toilets will cost you per day. On an average, one house with three taps that leak at a rate of 60 drips per minute will cost you the price of 64 litres of water per day. This adds up to a whopping 23,000 litres of water per year.
The price of water will go up as new plants are added, such as Sydney’s New Water Desalination Plant. The key to keeping money in your pocket is to contact plumber services Sydney and fix the leaks!
Water conservation is on everyone’s mind these days. The cost of water is going up because there just simply is not enough water without programs such as the New Water Desalination Plant. Just as all other water recovery programs, it is expensive to run one of these plants. The more water that your dripping taps and leaky toilets waste, the less water there is for everyone, and the more you will pay for that water.
Saving money is on everyone’s mind as prices go up and budgets get slimmer. One of the best ways to save money on household bills is to make sure everything is in top operating order. You can ensure that all your dripping taps and leaking toilets are in top shape by calling in professional plumbers. Plumbing in Sydney is quite a large business and everyone needs a plumber sooner or later. You need to call the guys who are professionals and can take care of your dripping taps, leaking toilets and all your plumbing needs.
The constant drip, drip, drip of a leaky tap in the middle of the night keeping you awake is not a good way to start any day. A person with a very busy schedule, which most of us have, does not need to listen to that tap drip even one more night. Call the professional plumbing services today and get them to stop that annoying drip from keeping you awake another night.
A leaking toilet can be just as annoying and as costly. Call plumbing services Sydney to solve your problems.
Some bathroom surfaces stain quite easily. That ugly stain in the back of the sink is caused by a tap that is constantly dripping. This will ruin an expensive sink. Call in the professionals to prevent the destruction of your beautiful sinks.
The phone book has a “Plumbing Sydney” section where you can find and hire plumber services and get your dripping taps and leaking toilets fixed so you save money and water. Call today for an appointment and, see how easy and inexpensive it is to have your house in tip top plumbing shape.
Tree Roots Growing In Sewer Pipes
Are the Roots of my Neighbours Trees, or the Trees Growing Out the Front of My Property, Growing in my Sewer Pipes?
One of the major plumbing concerns is trees that send roots into sewer lines, especially in homes that were built over twenty years ago. Trees are equipped with water finding capabilities that send tiny roots in every direction in a quest for water. The trenches where there are sewer lines do not usually have hard packed soil therefore, roots gravitate to this loose soil. When these roots invade from trees growing out the front of your property or from across the street and get into the sewer system, it is time to call in the professionals who do plumbing that know how to deal with a blocked drain. Read More
Plumbing Sydney – The Advantages Of Quotes From Plumbers
There are Advantages of acquiring Quotes and Upfront Pricing from Tradesmen/Plumbers with Reliable Reputations Before Starting Simple Maintenance Jobs.
Home owners are often faced with the dilemma of trying to fix their plumbing themselves or calling in a professional plumber to get the job done. The advantages of quotes, upfront pricing and a reliable reputation can mean all the difference in the world in the amount you end up having to pay for the work done.
When looking for reputable plumbing services, check with the Better Business Bureau and with the certification board that certifies services for plumbing in Sydney. All the professionals are certified for plumbing Sydney.
Some of the things you should expect when choosing a plumber is convenient scheduling of service technicians along with a notice of their expected time of arrival. You are better able to maintain your schedule when you know what time the service technician is going to be at your door.
You should also expect a service technician to be well groomed and wear clean boots/shoes or protective booties inside your home in order to protect your floors. A complete plumbing system investigation should take place with a provision of price before the job is started. A couple days after the service call is made to your home, there should be a follow up call that checks to make sure everything is working just the way it is supposed to.
On the occasions you need to call in professional plumbing services, make sure you get estimates and a repair plan that specifies that no work will be done without your authorization and you should, if you can, get a second opinion if there is any more work to be done. Having to search for plumbing contractors in Sydney may seem like a daunting task, but if you just follow a few simple steps you can get your work done professionally and have peace of mind knowing you shopped around, and checked out the plumbers credentials.
One of the advantages of having an upfront pricing is that you are better able to budget for the cost of the repairs or new plumbing that may have to be installed. Knowing ahead of time what something is going to cost enables you to ensure that only the work that needs doing will be done, and anything extra will be placed on a separate estimate and quote.
It is understood that at some point in time something in the sewer system and plumbing system is going to go wrong after years of use. Taking care of the maintenance of your home is much easier when you are doing business with certified professional services for plumbing. As you look in the phone book or search engine for “Plumbing Sydney” keep in mind the things that a quote with upfront pricing can do for your budget and your peace of mind. It is always easier when you know what to expect from the plumbing services you are going to get.
Upfront pricing helps prevent “cost over-run” when the plumber seems to continue to find one thing after another wrong and wants to charge for each and every extra procedure. Don’t get ripped off, check credentials, get an upfront quote, and make sure you know exactly what the plumber is going to charge you for.
Expensive Kitchen Sink Repairs
During an Advanced Business Mastery session I had the pleasure to meet Peter August from Australian Bullion Company, www.austbullionco.com.au.
Peter’s knowledge of Gold and other precious metals, his wealth of experience, and his stories about the mystical and precious metals he deals in, had us all amazed.
In the early 1980s, when the price of gold was around $400 per ounce, I was called to an elderly lady’s home to assist with a blocked sink. I removed all the usual cleaning products from the blocked drain; detergent, sponges and a nest of plastic bags.
Two of the plastic bags were surprisingly heavy to lift. I needed both hands and all my strength to lift these two bags onto the kitchen bench. Inside each of the bags was a gold bar roughly the size of a house brick. I felt like I was in Aladdin’s cave! The elderly lady was standing over my shoulder. She didn’t offer any explanation…. and I didn’t ask.
I went out to the truck to get some more tools to finish the plumbing repairs and when I came back in, the bags and their precious contents were gone.
Based on the standard mass of a gold bar and the price at the time, I estimate that one of those bars would have been worth about $160,000.
Meeting Peter reminded me of this incident. After retelling it to him, he pointed out that earlier this month (September 09) gold had reached a price of US$1000 per ounce, and then estimated that one of those bars would have been worth at least US$400,000.
Not a bad mornings work.
Peter J August, Managing Director of Australian Bullion Company:
Eradicating tree root problems
Tree roots are a very common cause for blocked drains, however the extent of damage that tree roots can cause before a problem is recognised, can vary greatly. To get rid of a tree root problem you must know what condition of the pipes are.
The Lone Drainer and Pronto has a number of weapons in its arsenal to combat those all-invasive tree roots; but in order to decide on the correct solution for the situation at hand, it is good practice to know what is happening with the drain. In many cases we insist on the use a special drain camera to view the location of the blockage and the condition of the connecting pipes.
The drain cameras we use are an enormous cost saver and allow us to determine the condition of underground pipes. Our pipe locating equipment shows us where to dig, minimising the need for large excavations to locate them. This reduces the guesswork and helps us make informed decisions on how to treat your particular blocked drain. In 2009 it makes great sense to use the technology available to us; it helps us help you!
https://www.thelonedrainerandpronto.com.au/plumbing_services.php
Plumbing Emergency – Now, that is Pronto!
The fastest dispatch and delivery of service for a plumbing emergency was…yesterday morning!
The previous plumbing emergency that we attended to had a setback because another sustained downpour had flooded the local streets making visibility very poor as well as comfort levels.
We had stopped for some morning tea, a hot coffee and some sustenance along a well known fast food strip and as we were finishing our break the mobile phone rang….
A local Medical Centre called, asking for fast plumbing service to repair their one and only badly leaking toilet. There was water all over the floor and the waiting room was full of patients. The very polite receptionist was screaming for HELP!
Little did she know we were parked 30 metres from her front door and were ready to take action.
3 minutes after the phone call for emergency plumbing was received, our heroes walked through the front door of the Medical Centre, ready for action.
25 minutes later, the leaking toilet was fixed. The faulty water inlet valve was replaced. The leaking waste pipe was sealed.
The receptionist was overwhelmed. “Lone Drainer, you really fixed our plumbing Pronto” she said.
When the Lone Drainer says Pronto, He means it!
That’s great service from an eastern suburbs emergency plumber!
Symptoms of a Blocked Drain
As Easter approaches we make plans to get together with our family and friends, so there is constant use of kitchen and bathroom facilities. To make the holiday break memorable and keep an eye out for some of those vital symptoms that might indicate you have a slow or blocked drain rather than having to call an emergency plumber to rescue you and your family from a blockage.
Keep an eye out for the following:
- The excessive rise or fall of the water level in your toilet. We call it syphoning, and it comes with a Glug Glug Glug.
- Slow draining water or ankle deep water in the shower or bath.
- Swarms of small flies or sewer flies around smelly drains.
- Your kitchen sink, waste disposal unit or dishwasher are slow to drain.
- Toilet paper or dirty water around your sewer surcharge gully in the garden or yard.
- Dirty water leaking from a retaining wall or garden bed that conceals sewer pipes.
These are signs of a blockage, and your pipes have been trying to tell you, that all isn’t well.
Because you have extra guests using the facilities, if there is a problems in your pipes it may likely show signs then that you are able to pick up.
So have a look around you home for the symptoms and please do not ignore them.
Have a peaceful Easter.
I hope the Easter Bunny comes!
Fixing a Blocked Drain with The Electric Eel!
I asked Bruno, the plumber, to attend to a blocked drain at a well-known food shop in Bondi as I was on crutches and could not do so myself.
Whilst Bruno was fixing the blocked drain he rang me to say that he couldn’t get the electric eel out of the drain pipe and could I come and help. My wife (who was 8 months pregnant at the time) drove me to the site and I limped in and found Bruno with the electric eel over an access drain with the eel cables stuck fast!
“What happened” I asked. Bruno said, “The eel cables just kept going in, so I kept on putting them in”.
“How much cable is in that hole”? I asked. “About 45 feet” (15 metres) he replied!
“How far to the blocked toilet”? I asked” “About 10 feet” he replied! I cringed!
I held on to my crutches and tried to help Bruno drag that electric eel out of that pipe. It wouldn’t budge!
Fortunately for us, the house behind the shop was vacant …. except for the “beast” that had been unleashed in the bathroom. The extra 35 feet of eel had come out through the back of the toilet, done a complete circuit of the small bathroom, then out the door and down the hallway towards the kitchen. The spinning action of the eel had allowed it to grab the old carpet hall runner in a “death roll”. When we had tried to wrestle the eel from the pipe, the old carpet had got stuck fast!
We were of course able to salvage the situation, had the carpet cleaned, replaced the loo and successfully cleared the blockage.
Some 12 years later when I have a coffee with Bruno (who now has his own very successful plumbing business) and we laugh about our daily plumbing lives, telling those gathered about the dangers of the electric eel, Bruno still blushes and says “David, it’s just The Nature of The Beast“!
Plumbing Tip: Don’t keep putting your resources into a black hole!
https://www.thelonedrainerandpronto.com.au/plumbing_services.php
Welcome to Sydney’s Premier Plumbing Services Blog!
We have launched the Lone Drainer and Pronto’s NEW Blog!
We invite you to access our new blog regularly to see the modifications, changes and enhancements that have been made as well as the jokes, funny stories and videos that we’re going to be posting.
We are Sydney’s premier plumbing service and are ready to deal with all your plumbing emergencies and issues including blocked drains, emergency plumbing, drainoscopy as well as provide you with tips on how to take care of your pipes and drains.
We take what we do VERY SERIOUSLY, but we also like to take a light-hearted approach that will lighten the mood to make you relax.