Giving something back.
The Plumbing industry has been very good to me and my family.
Every year around January we have anywhere between 5 and 20 boys (or their mothers) contact us looking for a plumbing apprenticeship. We have trained 9 apprentices in 20 years (plumbers apprenticeship is 4 years). (more…)
Everyone should know how to change a tap washer! Not everyone wants to, but its a handy skill to have. (more…)
I had to share this.
Whilst enjoying the 15th annual Sculptures by the Sea on the world famous Bondi to Bronte walk last weekend, I was thinking about taps and changing tap washers.
Like most things, changing a tap washer is pretty easy, if you know how.
I’ve never thought of taps as a big problem if, like most of our household plumbing they are maintained.
Then I walked around Mackenzies Point and saw this………
Our next post will get you started on how to change your tap washers, and some insight into our upcoming taps tutorial at The Lone Drainer and Pronto World Headquarters.
We will feature WSDs, What? you ask. Yep Water Saving Devices.
Plumbing is very cool isn’t it!
This sculpture by Simon McGrath is The Sydney Water Environmental Sculpture Prize winner for 2011
As Christmas approaches, the days grow longer and we get together with our family and friends, keep an eye out for some of those vital symptoms that indicate you have a slow or blocked drain.
Make it a holiday break to remember for the right reasons, rather than needing to call an emergency plumber to rescue you and your family from a sewer blockage.
Keep an eye out for;
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.
When the extra guests arrive you will know.
So have a look around you home for the symptoms and please do not ignore them.
Have a great start to summer.
Prior to European settlement, the land between Bondi Beach and Rose Bay was a series of freshwater lagoons and sand dunes of varying heights. Some geologists believe that this long, low passage at some time allowed for sea access to Port Jackson at Rose Bay from Bondi – making South Head and the land around it an island.
Bondi’s freshwater lagoons were mainly seasonal, appearing and disappearing quickly depending on the rainfall. However, there were also large permanent lagoons whose banks were lined with Coastal Tea Trees (Leptospermum laevigatum) and Swamp She-oaks (Casuarina glauca).
The first written reference to these Bondi lagoons is on a map dated 1868, however, they would have been well known to the local Indigenous inhabitants as a good supply of fresh water and food much earlier than this.
The trees on the lagoons’ banks, with huge root systems reaching deep down into the sandy soil, turned the water rust brown and provided nutrients and shelter for fish and insects. Larger animals such as goannas, possums and wallabies would have drunk from this fresh water source.
A 1889 Water Board map shows specific locations for the lagoons:
- Near the corner of the present day Lamrock and Jaques Avenue
- Between Simpson Street and Hall Street across Wellington Street
- Between Warners Avenue, Blair Street and Beach Road
- Near Old South Head Road and Warners Avenue
- Between Hastings Parade and Wairoa Avenue
Artist Julian Ashton lived in the Waverley area and in his memoir, Now Came Still Evening On, he recalls the Bondi lagoons:
“Bondi when I came to live here was a great mass of sand hills with deep little pockets between filled with black water in which grew monster tea trees.
“They towered above, making a sort of shadow land, a delightful resting place from which one could look out upon the sun-scorched sand. I have often seen wild duck in these pools. One could walk across the hills and valleys or along the beaches for hours and not meet a soul.”
The lagoons are now long gone, the wild ducks have flown away and the 15 metre tea trees cut down. Sewer labourers began draining two large lagoons in North Bondi in the early 1880s when a trench was built through to Rose Bay. Later other ponds were drained to allow for roads to be built, land to be subdivided and for house construction.
Local historian John Ruffels suggests all is not lost though: “These days, in the area up from the old lagoon around Forest Knoll Avenue, on a still summer day the dappled shade from the Banksia trees and Swamp Oak trees continues to remind us of what it must have been like in the bush by the Bondi lagoon all those many years ago.”
Thanks to Kimberley O’Sullivan The Beast
A high rise apartment dweller contacted me recently complaining of noise from pipes knocking at all hours of the day. He noticed that it happens whenever the taps are shut.
The Water Hammer Explained
Water “Hammer” is common in modern homes and high rise apartment blocks.
In many instances it is difficult to control, especially in high rises. It is usually caused by a combination of high water pressure in the hot and/or cold water supply pipe lines and fast closing taps and valves that “slam” shut, causing the water flow to stop instantly, thus delivering that shuddering or “Hammer” throughout the building.
These taps, like the mixer style tap in your kitchen sink or shower/bath or individual taps with ceramic discs are “fast closing”.
To reduce the hammer effect, turn them off gently…
Normal taps, or taps with washers are slow closing so they rarely cause the
Hammer effect.
Automatic washing machines and dishwashers have solenoid valves that slam shut when they have enough water.
There are various methods of reducing the pressure. Every apartment is “joined” by the pipeline that passes between the floors supplying water through the branches, to each unit.
Each apartment will have a control valve (to shut off water in the event of
maintenance or an emergency). This valve may be causing the hammer. So, depending on the hydraulic design, in a tall building there may be a holding tank on the roof.
The water is pumped up to this holding tank and from there it runs through
“droppers” to each quadrant of the building, delivering the (head) water pressure.
The greater the head, the greater the pressure, the greater the chance of
The water hammer!
Each individual unit owner may take care to fit pressure limiters and treat their taps with care. But if the tenants in the units, several floors above or below don’t take the same care, the hammer will be transmitted through the pipeline and building.
Loose pipes can contribute to the water hammer sound if they have insufficient pipe saddles/clips to hold them down and prevent movement (banging together or with nearby walls).
Control valves on water heaters and hot water pipes are also a potential source of the water hammer phenomenon.
In summary, this is not an exact science. By putting pressure limiters on those appliances that are appropriate and turning off all valves/taps with ceramic discs a little slowly will produce immediate results.
But everyone in the building will need to work together on this.
I hope that helps!
It was just like flushing money down the toilet……
We’ve all used this expression more than once, and in our life as plumbing professionals we see people flush all sorts of items down the toilet, in effect flushing money down the toilet by not thinking before they flush.
We have retrieved all types of unusual things from sewer pipes, including underwear, gloves, a 2 litre Coca Cola bottle, dental floss, sanitary napkins and tampons, even a piece of construction scaffolding???????
Well, this one was unusual, this client actually did flush his money down the toilet.
Yes, he flushed his wallet!
I have a few of these unusual things to show you and will over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!
In Sydney, according to the Weather Channel we have just experienced the wettest May 40 years!
Well it has been wet, and the rain in the suburbs along Sydneys coast both yesterday and today, the last 2 days of May 2011 have done plenty to boost the average for the month.
The volume of water running into stormwater grates and drains has at times put our stormwater pipelines under plenty of pressure.
We have had plenty of blocked drain emergency calls from people with overflowing drains that could easily be prevented.
These few simple tips will help avoid stormwater overflows.
As most of our beautiful deciduous trees have lost most of their leaves by now, it is often these leaves that create overflow problems when the rains come quickly.
1. Clear leaf and tree debris from your roof gutters and downpipes.
2. Keep channel grates, driveway grates and drains clean and clear.
3. Dont stockpile household items over any of your outside drains.
4. Run a garden hose through these drains periodically to check they are flowing.
5. Know where your stormwater pipes run to, and ensure these outlets are clear.
If you are not sure, please ask us.
P.S. I got home last night to overflowing gutters at the front of our home. Fortunately I could clear the leaf debris easily and allow the rainwater to run into our stormwater pipes .
Toilet Paper for a Year Winner
Although we weren’t quite turning local plumbing enthusiasts away from our rooms (wait till next time), those who came and participated in Dr Daves Tap Tutorial asked some very meaty questions about how their taps worked and how to fix them. They learned where to turn off their water main supply, their water heaters and gas supply meters.
We had a demonstration of a drainoscopy or how we use our drain camera to see what is going on in their sewer pipes and drains and how tree roots can damage even new PVC pipelines and we discussed the dangers of using flexible water connections, water hammer and the many ways it can present itself along with the operation of gas stoves and appliances.
Chris and I really enjoyed doing this presentation for you and hope you may tell your friends what you learned and tell them about our next presentation on the First Tuesday in May. Tuesday May 3rd 2011.
Now, The news that everyone wants to hear is, who Won A Years Supply of Toilet Paper?
Well, after putting your all names into my hat, I am happy to announce Gary is our winner.
CONGRATULATIONS GARY!
Think of us when as you enjoy your prize.
Please call our office on 02 9664 4990 to arrange a time drop in to our Headquarters and collect the first instalment of your prize. We can deliver the rest if it suits you!
We also gave 2 other very constructive participants a copy of “Whats My Pee Telling Me”
P.S. On the subject of toilets and toileting check out this and other interesting blog posts on our website http://thelonedrainerandpronto.com.au/blog/bidets/