by Gary Mays | Mar 11, 2013 | Cold Water, Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Water Filtration
The stresses of a modern diet have for many people turned their bodies into a filter that it was never intended to be. Now a new study that followed over 8,000 men aged 45 to 73 for an average of 15 years illustrates yet again why water should be the drink of choice. The study found that men who drank one soft drink every day are at greater risk of getting more aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
“Among the men who drank a lot of soft drinks or other drinks with added sugar, we saw an increased risk of prostate cancer of around 40 percent,” said Isabel Drake, a PhD student at Lund University. Very simply men aged over 45 who drank one 330m/l soft drink a day which is essentially one standard can, were 40 percent more likely to develop more serious forms of prostate cancer that required treatment. The cancer was discovered after the men showed symptoms of prostate cancer, and not through the prostate cancer screening process known as Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA).
The study also found that men who ate a diet heavy on rice and pasta increased their risk of getting milder forms of prostate cancer, which usually required no treatment, by 31 percent. This was in contrast to men who had a high intake of sugary breakfast cereals which raised the incidence of milder forms of the cancer to 38 percent. The men in the study had to undergo regular medical examinations and kept a journal of their food and drink intake.
Isobel Drake confirmed that further research was needed before dietary guidelines should be changed but as everyone is aware there are already plenty of reasons why everyone not just men should cut back on drinking soft-drinks. Previous studies have shown that Chinese and Japanese immigrants in western countries develop prostate cancer more often than peers in their home countries. This reinforces the viewpoint that research on how genes respond to different diets would make it possible to tailor food and drink guidelines for certain high-risk groups.
At Whywait Plumbing we are aware that many people avoid drinking water because of the taste. Often the taste can be improved by the simple diet changes of eliminating sugar and sugary drinks from ones diet and by drinking filtered water. John Hopkins Universty in a recent update on avoiding cancer advocates that you are better off drinking water that is filtered to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. They further recommend to avoid distilled water as it is acidic and not to drink water frozen in a plastic bottle.
It is for these reasons and many others that Whywait Plumbing recommend that to ensure total protection filtering your water supply at the point of entry to your home is the only guarantee you have to ensure the water you are drinking in and bathing in has harmful chemicals removed. A whole of house water filtration system ensures clean, odour free, delicious water throughout the whole house guaranteeing the following:
- Constant supply of delicious water throughout the whole house
- Removes bad taste and odour by removing chlorine, chloramines, carbon based organic compounds (VOC’s) such as pesticides, herbicides and industrial solvents that are in your tap water
- Enhances the flavour of food
- Healthier skin by eliminating chlorine from your baths and showers
- Reduce water problems and unsightly stains throughout your home by using a premium carbon filter
- Extended life of your plumbing fixtures, taps and pipes by eliminating chemicals in your water
- Save money and save time by not buying bottled water
Once we understand that the body is more than 70% water and that water controls virtually every aspect of our health, we can begin to understand its true importance. Not just the water we drink, but the water that we shower in…cook with… prepare juices, teas and coffee with. It all has a significant impact on our health. Water is the foundation of the body, and, like any structure, if the foundation is of poor quality, strength and longevity will not be achieved.
by Gary Mays | Mar 1, 2013 | Bathrooms, Consumer Issues, Drain Odours, Health Issues, Plumbing Maintenance, Sustainable Plumbing, Toilets, Whywait Plumbing
Aidan Clarke
Drain odours have plagued Aidan Clarke the owner of Marine Energy Systems at Murarrie since 2006. Since opening his workshop and showroom, he had been trying to solve the problem of foul odours in their bathroom. The smell was so bad that employees had complained that it was making them nauseous.
ADCO Constructions, the builder of the complex, had organised their plumber to replace the drainage connection for the toilet suite to no avail. Odour blockers had been placed in the bathroom, but they too were of limited value and failed to address the problem with drain odours continually there.
The problem was particularly acute after weekends with the door having to be jammed open on Monday to get fresh air into the bathroom. The problem was particularly embarrassing when clients of the company viewing product in the showroom needed to use the bathroom.
In May 2011 in absolute frustration, Aidan Clarke contacted Gary Mays of Whywait Plumbing to solve the drain odours problem. After a thorough inspection of all existing drain connections to the toilet, shower and basin it was concluded that the only logical place that the drain odours could be emanating from was the floor waste trap in the middle of the floor.
As a result, Gary Mays from Whywait Plumbing Services contacted John Carroll from Eco Guardians to obtain his advice to see if a new product he had discussed with Gary Mays previously would solve the problem. A DrainGuardian™ was supplied to us to fit into the floor waste. The DrainGuardian™ was installed in less than 5 minutes, replacing the existing grate cover.
Once installed water was poured down the floor waste ensuring there was a water seal in the DrainGuardian in addition to the existing water seal in the main 100mm trap that makes up the drainage floor waste system.
DrainGuardian™ eliminating drain odours from floor wastes
The entire process of installation was completed to ensure the sceptical, long-suffering Aidan Clarke that the DrainGuardian™ would provide greater protection to any form of odour emission from the floor waste and end the problem he had been enduring.
The DrainGuardian™ works by creating two physical barriers to smells and vermin while it also kills airborne bacteria, waterborne bacteria and fungi. In the smelly bathroom at Marine Energy Systems the improvement was immediate and permanent.
The results were almost instantaneous as within one day the DrainGuardian™ had eliminated odour problems in the bathroom. The elimination of the odours in such a short time proved conclusively the problem that Marine Energy Systems had been enduring since 2006 had been the floor waste trap all along. There was nothing structurally defective with the floor waste trap that was causing odour emission’s which makes the source of the odours a common problem we find these days in that it is a venting problem in the entire sewer drain system to the property. What had been happening was a siphoning effect that caused the floor waste trap to be sucked either completely or partially dry that allowed drain odours to be emitted through the floor waste and into the bathroom.
Aidan Clarke now categorically states, “ DrainGuardian™ should be compulsory in every floor waste in every bathroom as a clean bathroom environment cannot be underestimated. I have wasted incredible amounts of money on trying to solve this problem as it was a cause of acute embarrassment to me, our staff and to clients. Our bathroom is now a pleasure to enter with there being no drain odours at all thanks to a straightforward solution in DrainGuardian.”
If you are experiencing drain odours book Whywait Plumbing to investigate today by calling us on (07) 5580 4311
by Gary Mays | Feb 23, 2013 | Bathrooms, Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Sustainable Plumbing, Toilets
Recently the highly respected magazine “The Economist” ran a cover story that asked the pertinent question if we will ever invent something as useful as the flushing toilet again. No matter which way you look at it the flushing toilet has done wonders for public health in modern society.
The humble toilet and its associated water flushing in its many variations and improvements over the years have helped to stop the spread of infectious disease. In fact a survey of 11000 doctors by the “British Medical Journal” in 2007 voted hands down that the world’s greatest medical milestone since 1840 was sanitation which of course the toilet is an integral part of. Despite all the staggering medical breakthroughs and scientific advances the seemingly mundane advance of reliable sewage and reliably clean water supply was judged the greatest medical advance.
The ancient Indus Valley Civilization were the first to use hydraulic engineering in the earliest version known of flushing water toilets. The Romans used latrines over pipes with running water that carried into the Tiber River. The Romans were the first civilised society over 2000 years ago to realise the requirements to have an integrated plumbing system to pipe in clean water and dispose of used water .
In 1596 Sir John Harrington installed a toilet for his godmother, Queen Elizabeth I, who would not use it because of the noise it made. Contrary to popular opinion Thomas Crapper did not invent the toilet but he did popularise the siphon system used to empty the tank or cistern.
For most of us in Australia flushing toilets and the associated plumbing is something we take for granted. Like most of the population the staff at Whywait Plumbing have never known what it is like not to have a flushing toilet inside the house or to have on demand clean running water inside our homes or a fully functional sewer system to take away the used water.
Close to 90% of us live in an urban environment and for that we can thank plumbing, that allows us to do so safely, without fear of contracting water borne diseases.
Clean potable water is the basis for life and without it the risk to public health and the population as a whole increases. The cost to the community of plumbing failures are substantial and always have been. The recognition by “The Economist” and “British Medical Journal” that the flushing toilet coupled with reliable sewage and water supply is testament to the strength of plumbing laws, standards and licensing in not only Australia but also in Europe and North America. This is because doctors recognised the best measure of medical advance is not its complexity but what it does for the average person with respect to length and quality of our lives. The average life expectancy has increased 35 years since 1840 and roughly 30 of those years are attributable to the advances in sanitation and living conditions.
Even in today’s society, not everyone has access to a flushing toilet and in Asia alone some 2 billion people, which is over 60% of the population of Asia, live without an adequate access to sanitation such as toilets. In many places open sewers are the norm. This would not be tolerated in Australia and we are protected from it thankfully by our plumbing laws.
No matter which way you look at it “The Economist” is correct we will possibly as a society never invent anything as useful again as the flushing toilet which has improved billions of people’s lives.
by Gary Mays | Dec 10, 2012 | City of Gold Coast, Consumer Issues, DIY Plumbing, Health Issues, Insurance, Plumbing Emergencies, Plumbing Maintenance, Queensland Government, Sustainable Plumbing, Whywait Plumbing
The plumbing staff at Whywait Plumbing every day see the results of the growing popularity of DIY home renovations, encouraged by an “explosion” in television programmes on home renovation. Despite the fact that it is illegal throughout Australia for anyone other than a licensed plumber to work on potable water systems or sanitary drainage systems there is an increasing number of people embarking on DIY renovations of their homes who purchase all of the fixtures and fittings and then set about installing them connecting to the existing water supply and sanitary drainage system.
It is frightening to see the number of cross connections that occur with wrongly sized pipes being connected to the hot water supply or the recycled water supply or the rain water tank supply by mistake. Even more frightening is illegal cross connections with sanitary drainage pipes being connected to storm water pipes leading to raw sewage being increasingly discharged into creeks, streams and rivers and ultimately into the ocean. This illegal sewage discharge has a devastating effect on the environment and especially on animals, birds and fish.
These illegal drainage cross connections mean that sewage discharge water that should be piped into the sewage system is being fed into ground and coastal waters. As the amount of cross connections increase there is a growing problem causing the degradation of smaller creeks, streams and rivers that are threatening invertebrate ecosystems and depleting fish stocks. The sewage removes oxygen, encouraging eutrophication resulting in increasing growth of algae and as a result the water becomes stagnant. Invariably this changes the ecosystem and the invertebrates which results in a bland range of invertebrates being available as food source which are crucial for young fish. These illegal cross connections have other unforeseen effects such as the problem of endocrine disruptor’s, which is the impact of medications such as contraceptive pills which can change the sex of the fish.
There has always been a problem was illegal cross connections. This has resulted in local councils and water authorities undertaking smoke testing of the sewer drains to detect smoke rising out of the illegal connections. Unfortunately this only detects illegal storm water connections into the sewer or sanitary drain system. Locating sewer being discharged into the storm water system is much harder and frequently only occurs when a plumber is called to a property and finds the cause of a blockage is actually a cross connected drain. There are increasing concerns that the problem could become even greater with the popularity of DIY home renovations to blame.
In the United Kingdom the problem is more pronounced as they have no plumbing licencing system resulting in almost anyone being able to undertake plumbing work. Dr Robert Keirle, pollution programme manager at the Marine Conservation Society, recently stated, “As DIY has become more popular over the years, aided by an explosion in property programmes on television, the problem has been growing. People see a pipe, think it’s the right one to attach to, and untreated water from washing machines, but also toilets, ends up going to the wrong place. It is also probably a result of the times we live in, with people unable to afford to call in tradesmen to do the plumbing.”
This same statement can also be attributed to Australia with the DIY enthusiasts unaware of the dangers they create by doing it themselves. Unfortunately most plumbing is out of sight in the walls, floor or underground resulting in the out of sight, out of mind impression. Unfortunately this is not the case and one result of not using licensed plumbers to undertake the work is that if there is ever an insurance claim resulting from the illegal plumbing work the likely scenario is that the insurance policy will prove to be null and void. This results in unfortunate home owners being out of pocket to the tune of many thousands of dollars all due to the deluded self belief that it is okay to do it yourself.
The natural human instinct of the DIY enthusiast’s is that its only me and what effect will that have, because of course one cross connection does not have a particularly dramatic effect, but in reality it is death by a thousand cuts to the environment. In reality it is like having a sewage treatment plant that does not work and just sends everything out to sea. Very simply there is an increasing amount of people undertaking DIY home renovations who think the law does not apply to them and do not understand that there is a huge difference between the pipe connecting to the sewer and the pipe that gets rid of rain water into the storm water system.
by Gary Mays | Nov 28, 2012 | City of Gold Coast, Consumer Issues, DIY Plumbing, Health Issues, Insurance, Plumbing Legislation, Queensland Government, Whywait Plumbing
Here at Whywait Plumbing we have been asked the question why should I use a licensed plumber, what is the difference between a licensed plumber and an unlicensed plumber. Well here in Queensland and for the fact throughout Australia the answer is simple as all plumbers are licensed as are all companies that are plumbing contractors. There is no such occupation listing as an unlicensed plumber. No one other than a licensed plumber can legally undertake work on any part of your water or drainage system.
We all take for granted the clean drinking water when you turn on the tap. We never think twice about the sewer waste that disappears when you flush the toilet. However, these everyday habits are a major concern when clean water does not come out of a tap or sewer waste rushes to the top of the toilet and overflows. These are the moments when you think about hiring a plumber and wonder who can be trusted.
Despite the myriad of handymen who advertise they can do plumbing along with every other skilled trade description the truth is only a skilled, licensed, professional in plumbing services can get the job done in a compliant, legal manner. There are a number of reasons to consider why hiring a licensed plumbing contractor is in best interest of you, your family and your plumbing and drainage system.
- They are at the top of their profession with licences issued by the Queensland Government’s Plumbing Industry Council and Building Services Authority
- Licensed plumbers are familiar with different plumbing problems. Generally, plumbing systems are an integral part of your home. A professional licensed plumber understands this and will approach each installation or repair service with dedicated precision. You want someone who knows the layout of your plumbing system to guarantee the cause of the problem is isolated and fixed. A handyman is an amateur who frequently makes things worse by fixing the wrong part or installing a faulty system.
- Licensed Plumbers receive high level federally legislated training to a standard curriculum at TAFE colleges plus their on job training
- Licensed plumbing professionals have earned this distinctive title because of training and licensing requirements. Hiring a licensed and insured plumbing professional is a guarantee that they can handle any type of plumbing job. This investment is also a guarantee that plumbing professionals want to build their reputation on satisfying customers.
- Licensed Plumbing Professionals have the correct tools and know how to use them.Training is one thing but having the proper tools and equipment to perform plumbing jobs successfully is another. Plumbing tools are not cheap and licensed plumbing contractors understand that investing in the right tools is an investment in getting the job done right.They not only have the right tools, but they also know that using the right ones makes the job easier. You will save on time and labour costs, and they avoid the frustration of doing a poor job. Licensed plumbing contractors are serious about their work and you can be confident that your plumbing needs will be adequately fixed.
- Cheap solutions create expensive repairs as too many people look for ways to save money when an unexpected repair is required. There is nothing wrong with being a good budget manager of your money. However, depending on a cheap, inexpensive fix for a major plumbing problem is not the way to learn that cheaper is not better. Looking for the cheapest route to pay for a plumbing job can lead to more frustrations. Additionally, you will frequently pay more to have Whywait Plumbing remove what was done illegally and reinstall in a legal compliant manner.
- Licensed plumbers will complete the work and not charge more than is necessary. They are the ones who are trained and experienced in unblocking drains and fixing leaking water pipes. When you flush the toilet after their work, you can expect to be satisfied.
- Most licensed plumbing contractors have at least 10 years of professional experience. Some concentrate on one specific plumbing area such as blocked drains. Others may specialise in plumbing maintenance to existing buildings or some companies only undertake new construction.
Always remember whether you need plumbing work for a renovation project or to stop a leaking tap or to clear a blocked drain a licensed plumbing contractor is your only choice.
by Gary Mays | Oct 26, 2012 | Climate Change, Cold Water, Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Water Filtration
Water is just water is just water, but many people spend an inordinate amounts of time considering which brand they should buy, whether it is still or sparkling and whether it is flavoured or not. Even more bizarre is the fact that they are willing to pay the same price for a 600 millilitre bottle of water that Gold Coast Water charge for 1000 litres of humble tap water. All of this is despite the significant damage to both their wallet and the environment.
The worldwide bottled water market value increased from $64m in 2005 to $80m in 2009 and is expected to grow to $100m by 2014. This rapid increase in bottled water sales in mature markets that have good quality tap water such as in most of Australia raises the question of how has humble water, a homogeneous chemical element, become a multimillion-dollar business? Furthermore how has it eventuated that water can be sold as a differentiated product at distinct price points and then be shipped all around the world?
Apparently it is all about the bottle and the way the bottle is branded. Firstly because bottled water provides a level of perceived convenience that is not enjoyed by tap water. Secondly it is about convenience because we are all too busy to turn on a tap and use a reusable bottle so buying a throwaway bottle of water is easier than carrying around a reusable bottle and refilling it as required. Even more bizarrely for the success in bottled water sales is the combination of branding and packaging. The design of the water bottle communicates desirable values such as health, purity and exoticism with the key factor being the ability of the bottle’s design to symbolically bestow social status upon the person consuming it.
These desirable values of bottled water originated in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries where the unique mineral compositions of springs at water hospitals or spas were used to cure ailments and maintain the health of the wealthy. As a result people began to take these healthy waters home with them due to the development of bottling equipment and machines that could manufacture and fill the bottles. The symbolism and culture of the spas remains a vital part of the marketing strategy of many brands today. Bottled water packaging lined up on the shelves is a wealth of imagery in service stations, convenience stores, supermarkets and even in drink dispensing machines. Bottled waters strongest selling points remain mountains, springs, and lakes in shades of blue and white symbolically expressing purity and health.
As more and more brands of water invade the market there has been diversification into the luxury market. Bottle designs have begun imitating the shape of wine bottles and has created a culture of high social status that rivals the wine cellar in many restaurants, hotels and bars with the images of health and luxury being created by the marketing.
Almost universally every scientific study reveals that there is little to no difference in actual health benefits derived from bottled water and tap water. Even more tellingly is the revelation that there is little difference between individual brands of bottled water. Unfortunately the prevalence and the symbolic power of bottled water marketing is overshadowing scientific findings by appealing to something of great importance to consumers of bottled water and that is their self-identity. Such is the power of the marketing of bottled water that symbolism studies have shown that many people draw on the symbolic values of bottled water to not only create their self-identity, but to decipher the characteristics of other consumers of bottled water. This symbolism has created the illusion that bottled water is more of a fashion accessory than just something to drink when you are thirsty.
The marketing symbolism of bottled water has increasingly come under threat by the even more symbolic environmental image as bottled water has a large environmental footprint due to the cost of manufacturing the bottle and transporting cartons of bottled water all over the world. The major target of environmental criticism is the actual plastic bottle which has an increasingly negative image. This has resulted in a re-design of the bottles to symbolically express environmental friendliness by using alternative materials such as bio-degradable plant based plastics, recyclable cartons and tetra-paks. Marketing is also using the symbolism of colour to express its new eco-conscience with green now common on bottled water packaging along with messages on the labels about all the wonderful environmentally friendly practices used to manufacture the bottles and bottle the water.
Fortunately the use of environmentally-friendly symbolism to appease the concerns of consumers about the environment are increasingly failing to convince the symbolically aware consumers who are the main purchasers of bottled water. These consumers have turned their back on bottled water at the same time as government agencies have begun to raise concerns about the cost to the environment when an equal product is already available in everyones tap. Worldwide the trend is for environmentally aware companies to hand out their own branded bottles which allow for easy refill from any domestic tap. This move in many ways is a tribute to the power of design of the bottle and its perceived convenience.
The reusable water bottle gives these companies the ability to differentiate themselves through water and give it unique appeal though packaging and graphic design. The bottle has given bottled water manufacturers an edge over tap water which can be easily eliminated by consumers beginning to utilise the convenience and symbolic appeal of the bottle combined with the simple convenience of turning on a tap and refilling the bottle.
