by Gary Mays | Jul 3, 2012 | Bathrooms, Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Plumbing Maintenance, Sustainable Plumbing
Traditionally toilets flushed 11 litres or 3 gallons of water every time they were flushed with the water all flowing along through a drainage system that was designed for large flows of water. Unless a drain was broken or roots entered the drain it was not common for a drain to block. That was of course until the advent of reduced flow dual flush toilets.
Now that toilet only flushes 4.5 litres of water on a full flush and 3 litres of water on a half flush into the drainage system. Coupled with reduced flows from every other tap this has produced a situation where drains designed for large flows of water have had the water flow reduced by 60% in most cases.
The increase in blocked drains due to the reduced water flows has been a big boost for plumbing companies such as Whywait Plumbing with drains clogging up for no other reason than lack of water flow. Often there is a dual problem of incorrect fall on the drain which creates high spots in the pipe leading to the drain becoming clogged at that point.
In Singapore scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have invented a new toilet system that will reduce the amount of water needed for flushing by up to 90 per cent compared to current toilet systems. Dubbed the No-Mix Vacuum Toilet, it has two chambers that separate the liquid and solid wastes. Using vacuum suction technology, similar to those used in aircraft toilets it uses 0.2 litres of water for urine and 1.0 litres of water for solids.
The No-Mix Vacuum Toilet installed in a standard public toilet which is flushed 100 times a day, is expected to save 160000 litres of water a year. The NTU scientists are now looking to carry out trials by installing the toilet prototypes in two NTU public toilet facilities. This trial is important due to the issues that plumbers are already aware of with the drains blocking at 4.5/3 litre flushes so a 1.0/0.2 litre flush is expected to exacerbate this problem in existing buildings.
The No-Mix Vacuum Toilet with it’s two chambers that separate the liquid and solid wastes also will turn human waste into electricity and fertilisers. The No-Mix Vacuum Toilet will divert the liquid waste to a processing facility where components used for fertilisers such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium can be recovered. At the same time, the solid waste will be sent to a bioreactor where it will be digested to release bio-gas which contains methane. Methane is odourless and can be used to replace natural gas used in stoves for cooking. Methane can also be converted to electricity if used to fuel power plants or fuel cells. ‘Grey water’ (used water from the laundry, shower and kitchen sink) can be released back into the drainage systems without further need for complex waste water treatment, while leftover food wastes can be sent either to the bioreactors or turned into compost and mixed with soil, resulting in a complete recovery of resources.
The No-Mix Vacuum Toilet uses will be limited in traditional buildings but will be useful for eco resorts, new housing estates, hotels, resorts, and especially communities not linked to the main sewerage system or unable to be connected and so require their own sewerage facilities.
Associate Professor Wang Jing-Yuan, Director of the Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre (R3C) at NTU who is leading the research project, said that their ultimate aim is not only for the new toilet system to save water, but to have a complete recovery of resources so that none will be wasted in resource-scarce Singapore. “Having the human waste separated at source and processed on-site would lower costs needed in recovering resources, as treating mixed waste is energy intensive and not cost-effective,” Prof Wang said. “With our innovative toilet system, we can use simpler and cheaper methods of harvesting the useful chemicals and even produce fuel and energy from waste.”
The development of a No-Mix Vacuum Toilet has great potential for use on the Gold Coast in the development of tourist facilities in environmentally sensative areas where traditional sewerage systems cannot be installed.
by Gary Mays | May 21, 2012 | bathroom renovation, bathroom renovation cost, bathroom renovation regret, Bathrooms, City of Gold Coast, Consumer Issues, Plumbing Renovation, Sustainable Plumbing, Whywait Plumbing
Updating a bathroom is a great way to add value to your home. A well-designed, modern bathroom can make your home more attractive to potential buyers and increase the overall value of your property. But just how much value can a bathroom renovation add to your home? According to recent studies, bathroom renovations can add more value to your home than any other type of room renovation. This is because a bathroom is one of the most essential rooms in a house, and a well-designed, modern bathroom can make a big difference in how potential buyers view your home.
Spending money to create a stylish, modern bathroom will increase the value of your home more than spending the equivalent amount of money anywhere else in your home. For example, if you want to sell your home, the $20000 spent with Whywait Plumbing to revive your bathroom will increase buyer interest and your asking price. However, if renovated correctly, you can expect to get twice as much back as you’ve invested. The increase in value is frequently two to three times that of spending comparable sums on bedrooms or lounge rooms.
When planning a bathroom renovation, it’s essential to keep in mind the latest trends and design elements that are popular in the current market. This can include features like walk-in showers, double vanities, and heated flooring.
It’s also important to consider your home’s overall style and aesthetic when planning a bathroom renovation. This can help ensure that the new bathroom fits in seamlessly with the rest of your home and adds value in a way that is consistent with the style and design of your property.
Bathroom renovations do not have to take weeks or cost tens of thousands of dollars. Frequently all that is required is new taps, a fresh coat of paint and a well-placed new mirror to open a bathroom up.
You should know that any renovation work will put your bathroom out of action for a few days requiring alternative bathroom arrangements. However, if you have some basic decorating skills, then it is something you can manage yourself, as you can save a great deal of money by undertaking your own redecorating.
Despite what the nice man at Bunnings may tell you, be aware that you are required by law to hire qualified contractors for some tasks. This is mainly for plumbing and electrical functions, as you can undertake painting and tiling yourself if you feel competent.
Updating to a completely renovated, modern, stylish bathroom is the ultimate solution. In reality, it is expensive as it requires stripping back the bathroom to bare concrete floors and stripping the wall linings. If budget is not an issue and you have a second bathroom to use while undertaking the renovations, then it is the way to proceed, as the end result is a brand-new bathroom.
But if you’re willing to learn about what is available, do the decorating yourself and how things work, you can save thousands of dollars using a few simple ideas to add depth and dimension to an existing bathroom. Four inexpensive yet straightforward ideas are:
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Upgrading the taps, spouts, and other fittings, such as towel rails in your bathroom, can significantly affect how your bathroom looks. Moving from outdated accessories to modern, sleek designs will give your bathroom as much of a facelift as replacing the bath, shower and vanity in many instants.
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Rethink your lighting, as most bathrooms only use a single light source, which radiates from the middle of the ceiling. Installing several light fittings as mood lighting in various key points will give your bathroom an entirely different feel. You can also change how the lighting works by adding mirrors to reflect the existing light at different angles, which opens up darker corners.
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Changing the colour scheme in your bathroom can turn it into a whole new bathroom. How much it costs to do so will depend on how radically you want to change things. A new shade of paint is an advantageous and relatively inexpensive way to recolour your bathroom compared with retiling. Upgrading your shower doors and adding a feature wall of tiles will work well with new colours to create a fresh feel.
Simple bathroom renovations, provided that you approach them from the right direction and manage it properly, do not need to involve any stress and can be tremendously rewarding financially and personally. The key to a stress-free bathroom renovation is to know what is required and to have a clear idea of what you want before you begin.
Overall, bathroom renovations are a great way to add value to your home and make it more attractive to potential buyers. With the right design elements and attention to detail, a bathroom renovation can be a smart investment that pays off in the long run.
by Gary Mays | Jan 23, 2012 | Bathrooms, City of Gold Coast, Consumer Issues, DIY Plumbing, Emergency Plumber, Form 4 notifiable work, handyman, Health Issues, Insurance, licensed plumber, Plumbers Gold Coast, Plumbing Legislation, Queensland Government
Cleaners are not plumbers.
A phone call I received last week from a cleaner asking me are cleaners able to legally undertake plumbing work alerted me to the pressures many cleaning contractors face from unscrupulous building owners and property managers. Increasingly there is a tendency by commercial building owners and their property managers to require their cleaning contractors to undertake work tasks that are legally plumbing. Cleaners undertaking plumbing tasks are quite merely breaking several laws as are their employers and supervisors.
The most common plumbing tasks that cleaners who are untrained, unskilled and unlicensed appear to be being required to undertake as part of their cleaning duties are:
- unblocking of drains
- unblocking of toilets
- disconnecting and clearing of traps
- servicing of urinals
What plumbing work can a cleaner perform
The only plumbing-related tasks a cleaner or any other person can legally undertake are:
- cleaning or maintaining ground level grates to traps on sanitary drains
- replacing caps to ground level inspection openings on sanitary drains
- maintaining an above or below ground irrigation system for the disposal of effluent from an on-site sewerage facility
- installing or maintaining an irrigation or lawn watering system downstream from an isolating valve, tap or backflow prevention device on the supply pipe for the irrigation or lawn watering system
- replacing a jumper valve or washer in a tap
- changing a showerhead
- replacing, in a water closet (WC) cistern, a drop valve washer, float valve washer or suction cup rubber.
All other work must be undertaken by a licensed plumber and drainer – no ifs, no buts, no exceptions.
Laws that apply to who can do plumbing
Cleaners who are required and frequently forced by their supervisors and employers to undertake plumbing tasks usually at the behest of building owners and property managers are all breaking the following laws and regulations:
- Building Services Authority Act 1991
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011
- Queensland Plumbing and Wastewater Code
- Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002
- Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2003
- Standard Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2003
Plumbers and drainers, unlike cleaners, are trained to undertake tasks such as clearing of drains or working on toilets or urinals. All of these tasks require specialised training, diagnostic skills and an awareness of health and safety issues. Above all plumbers are licensed to undertake the work by the Queensland Government plumbing regulator, the Plumbing Industry Council. The latter are legally required to protect public health and safety through Queensland’s plumbing and drainage licensing system.
Standard Plumbing & Drainage Regulation 2003 requirements
Tasks such as unblocking of drains, unblocking of toilets, disconnecting and clearing of traps or servicing of urinals are covered explicitly by schedule 2 of Standard Plumbing & Drainage Regulation 2003 as detailed below:
- work necessary for maintaining, repairing or replacing a fitting or fixture
- work necessary for maintaining or repairing an apparatus other than a backflow prevention device or thermostatic mixing valve
- work necessary for replacing apparatus other than a backflow prevention device, thermostatic mixing valve, tempering valve, water heater, cistern, pump or water meter
- work necessary for maintaining, repairing or replacing fire hydrants or fire hose reels
- unblocking a pipe that is sanitary plumbing or sanitary drainage
- work necessary for maintaining or repairing a solar or heat pump hot water system in a building classified under BCA as a class 1, 2, 3 or 4 building
Work undertaken under schedule 2 does not require the lodgement of form 4 with the local government plumbing & drainage inspectors. Still, all work must be conducted by a licensed plumber or drainer.
A cleaner despite what they are told cannot undertake any of the above tasks. They and those that instruct them to do the work are breaking the law, and all are liable for fines plus leave themselves exposed to common law claims under the due diligence provisions of the new WHS Act 2011.
It is straightforward if there is general cleaning of a plumbing fixture then there is no issue its a cleaning task. Where a component part is replaced or disconnected from the plumbing or drainage system, fixture or fitting for maintenance or servicing it can only be legally undertaken by a licensed plumber.
I reiterate the answer to the question are cleaners able to legally undertake plumbing work is a resounding NO and if you are unsure call Whywait Plumbing any time of (07) 5580 4311 to get assistance.
by Gary Mays | Sep 30, 2011 | Bathrooms, DIY Plumbing, Plumber Brisbane, Plumbers, Plumbers Gold Coast, Plumbing Renovation
How hard is it to renovate my bathroom? Well if you ask the nice man at Bunnings he will tell you it is really easy and sell you everything you need and tell you how easy it is to do it yourself. The truth is renovating a bathroom is one of the hardest renovation projects to undertake.
If you like many other Australians have just finished watching “The Block” on channel 9 or are currently watching “The Renovators” on channel 10 you will receive the message that it is easy to renovate your bathroom.
Having renovated both our bathrooms at home let me assure it is not easy. It is time consuming, messy and can easily become extremely overwhelming with all of the product choices that exist from tiles to taps to showers to vanities to baths to mirrors to bidets to accessories and so it goes on.
As recently as 20 years ago every product that went into your bathroom was made in Australia so the choice was limited. But at least it was all easy to repair and locate spare parts when anything broke. You knew every product was tested and approved for use in Australia. Now we have product from all over the world. Much of it is just throwaway product as parts are unobtainable for repairs. Most frightening much of it has never been tested or certified for use in Australia leading to frightening consequences should you ever have a flood from these products and need to claim on your insurance policy.
For all of the above reasons and many more is why Whywait Plumbing Services installed a PlumberDirect showroom last year. This has ensured that we sell quality product from an Australian company that has 10 year warranties on most product along with ample spare parts if needed and is all approved for use in Australia.
Plumbing products like so many other products have become part of the worldwide fashion industry. Sadly a bathroom from 3 years ago is terribly out of date today. Luckily it can be easy to update with accessories that are available now. Our PlumberDirect showroom has a great display of affordable, quality taps, vanities and accessories.
For those who want true designer bathroom product we now have access to the Faroe Collection. Faroe is an Australian owned brand of bathroom furniture, baths and accessories that is revolutionising the Australian market. Inspired by some of the finest designs and craftsmanship that exist in bathrooms in Milan, Stockholm, Vienna and Paris, the Faroe selection has finally arrived in Queensland.
So if you are serious about doing a quality bathroom renovation come and visit the PlumberDirect showroom and let us put together a design and construct proposal that is practical and will ensure as little disruption as possible to your family routine.
by Gary Mays | Sep 20, 2011 | Bathrooms, Plumbing Renovation, Whywait Plumbing
Despite being call reality television, programmes such as The Renovators or The Block are in reality simplistic and just good for broad concept ideas. A poorly planned and constructed renovation of areas such as kitchens or bathrooms will frequently devalue a property.
Kitchens, bathrooms and the laundry are highly functional rooms built for a purpose. The critical infrastructure in these rooms is the plumbing. Unfortunately reality television shows present renovation as being a DIY concept. In reality in the real world renovation of a kitchen, bathroom or laundry requires complex designing before beginning a project coupled with planning and building approvals.
Once the project begins a project program requires formulation to co-ordinate all of the tradesman and product deliveries. This is seldom seen on reality television as it is not the entertainment that is needed. Reality television renovation is solely driven by the entertainment value where contestants and renovation are packaged into a program. Unfortunately all of the backroom side of a renovation has little entertainment value so it is not seen.
Sustainable development is now much more than a buzzword it is in fact law especially in areas of plumbing and it is not something you can choose to opt out of. Whywait Plumbing has specialised for many years on being at the forefront of sustainable renovations. Sustainability needs to be part of the initial design not an optional add on. For this reason when planning a renovation of a kitchen, bathroom or laundry it can be advantageous to spend time in our Plumber Direct showroom to ensure you get it right from the beginning.
In most instances to renovate a bathroom correctly and compliantly you need to strip the bathroom back to bare concrete and frames so
Stripped out bathroom needed before a renovation can start
that there is literally a clean canvas to start with. The installation of new drainage frequently requires cutting up of concrete which is noisy and dusty. This is when earlier shortcuts and mistakes show up. It is these unexpected issues that lead to cost blowouts as plumbers are legally obliged to ensure that all work undertaken is compliant with AS/NZS3500 through the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002. Once again unless it is something sensational this sort of issue is not seen on the reality television show.
It is generally accepted that reality television renovation programs have a positive impact on getting home owners thinking about renovation and providing ideas but sadly they do not reflect reality. After having been involved in numerous real renovations the plumbers at Whywait Plumbing Services know only too well that home owners need to take off their rose coloured glasses when watching reality renovation programs on television.
The reality is there is an enormous amount of planning, quality control, co-ordination and installation work to get from a bathroom that is stripped bare as in the picture above to the end result as in the picture on the right. Unfortunately the reality is a renovation is not a 60 minute television program that has been packaged to maximise the entertainment value.
Ultimately all we can recommend is that you spend time with the expert staff at Whywait Plumbing utilising the resources of Plumber Direct to assess your design ideas and ensure
- design compliance with appropriate council and state laws
- undertake a cost analysis to ensure there will be no unexpected cost surprises
- choose practical plumbing products that suit your design, are easy to maintain into the future and most importantly deliver on your lifestyle requirements
Above all just always remember reality DIY renovation television programmes are entertainment not reality.
by Gary Mays | Aug 26, 2011 | bathroom renovation regret, Bathrooms, City of Gold Coast, Consumer Issues, Gold Coast Plumbing, Gold Coast Water, Plumbers, Plumbers Gold Coast, Toilets, Water Saving Tips, Waterless Urinals, ZeroFlush waterless urinals
Waterless urinals increase water sustainability
Falcon waterless urinals at The Oasis Shopping Centre installed by Whywait Plumbing in 1998
In 1998 Whywait Plumbing installed the first waterless urinals on the Gold Coast at The Oasis Shopping Centre. At that time the owners of The Oasis Shopping Centre, Thakral Holdings had as Engineering Director, Tony Harvey. Tony Harvey was ahead of his time focusing on setting sustainability targets for all Thakral properties in both electricity and water.
These first waterless urinals were fibreglass Falcon urinals with disposable cartridges. To say they were not successful was an understatement. We were continually servicing the Falcon urinals as they suffered from frequent blockages due to their cartridge design. The cost to replace cartridges constantly far outweighed the water-saving benefits at that time.
Servicing these Falcon waterless urinals became a detested task by Whywait’s plumbing technicians as invariably removing the cartridge resulted in getting covered in urine that was in the cartridge. To all of our plumber’s relief we ripped them out and replaced them with ZeroFlush waterless urinals in 2004.
Water flushing urinals stink
Traditional water flushing urinals are a significant waster of potable water in most commercial buildings. Most men are aware of that distinctive odour of male public toilets. Contrary to popular believe that odour is not usually from the urinals. It is, in fact, an odour created by the mixing of water vapour and urine creating bacteria that thrive in the wet environment of the grout in the tiled floors and walls.
In fact the installation of Australian WaterMark approved waterless urinals such as ZeroFlush creates a dry environment that does not allow bacteria to grow in the tile grout and create that distinctive odour. A properly maintained and serviced waterless urinal will give trouble free service, eliminate expensive and ever increasing water costs plus reduce carbon emissions.
Do waterless urinals stink?
Whywait Plumbing technicians have investigated numerous instances of waterless urinals being blamed for blocked drains or odours. In reality this is consistently not the case as investigation always reveals the real causes such as dry floor wastes, incorrect installation or incorrect servicing.
The most common cause is inappropriate or non-existant servicing procedures. Far too many plumbers fail to upskill themselves with current sustainability skills, methods or requirements. Often these same plumbers fail to read simple instructions on servicing methods and requirements and instead advocate the removal of the waterless urinals. It is normally simple to identify the poor servicing as the plumbers maintaining the urinals fail to purchase servicing materials and then blame the waterless urinals for poor performance.
Whywait Plumbing is aware of buildings where government subsidies have been paid to the owners to install waterless urinals and ignorant building managers have allowed plumbing companies to remove the urinals and replace them with expensive water guzzling urinals. The plumbers who undertake these activities are in our opinion conducting a fraud and their motives are transparent.
This approach is to the detriment of their clients and the community as a whole whom have embraced sustainability to make efficient use of expensive water and protect our environment.
If you want assistance with your urinals contact Whywait Plumbing on (07) 5580 4311 to organise a site audit.
