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Commendation of Exceptional Service from Whywait Plumbing

Commendation of Exceptional Service from Whywait Plumbing

Whywait Plumbing Receives High Praise for Exceptional Service

Below is an email I received from a client yesterday, which got me thinking once again about how critical we are as plumbers. Yes, electricians are sparkies. They’ve got a cute nickname. And carpenters are chippies, which is also cute. But us plumbers, we are they just called, well, plumbers? Could it be something to do with respect for plumbers stemming from our profession’s long history?

Take a look at the history books. You’ll find plumbum – that’s lead to you and me – being fashioned into pipes by the early Romans. Those pipes, courtesy of your everyday plumber, carried the lifeblood of Rome: clean water in, dirty water out. No plumber, no pipes. No pipes, no Rome. And without Rome, you and I’d be chattering in a different tongue and dancing to the beat of a different legal drum.

Our world today? Brought to you by plumbers with clean water in and dirty water out, still.

On the face of it, plumbing doesn’t look like a walk in the park, does it? Plumbers spend their days on their knees, elbow-deep in what is often a mystery. Plumbers are under sinks wrestling with rot and rats or shoulder-deep in drains tackling who knows what. And if they’re not there, they’re in your ceiling space, bent like a pretzel in the swelter, tools in hand, while the homeowners beneath send desperate prayers.

And yet, who do people dial when disaster strikes? Not the sparky. Not the chippy. It’s the plumber who’s the knight in shining fluro shirts. We’re the ones which stem the flood, who avert the ruin, the guardians of your water pipes and drains, the heroes of your home. We’re your round-the-clock rescuers, knights of the drip and Lancelots of the leak.

I’ve discovered that plumbers are more than just repairmen; you are everyday heroes…

Subject: Commendation of Exceptional Service from Whywait Plumbing

Dear Mr Mays,

I trust this message finds you well. I am writing this email to share my utmost satisfaction and appreciation for the excellent plumbing service I recently received from you and your team.

Before my interaction with you, I was, admittedly, one of those who underappreciated a skilled plumber’s invaluable role in maintaining life’s fundamental necessities. The day my home’s plumbing system suffered a significant malfunction with our sewer drain was a harsh wake-up call. This incident brought to light that the harmony of a home could be disrupted by a plumbing failure, affecting everything from morning rituals to essential domestic routines.

Then came Whywait Plumbing, embodying the knight in shining armour – armed not with a sword but an array of exciting plumbing tools, pipes, and an unparalleled understanding of the intricate plumbing networks. You arrived promptly after my distress call, ready to tackle the issues at hand, a testament to your swift response time.

Your team displayed a unique blend of skill, professionalism, and an intuitive understanding of my home’s plumbing infrastructure. The way your team identified and resolved the problem was almost poetic. It was like watching a maestro conducting a symphony, an artist creating a masterpiece, or a coder decoding complex algorithms. There was a beauty to the simplicity with which you made sense of the chaos and brought harmony back into my home.

Not only was the issue resolved efficiently, but you also took the time to explain the situation and preventative measures to avoid future issues. This commitment to customer education is something I greatly appreciate and is not something that every service provider offers. Your respect for my time, understanding of my concern, and dedication to ensuring a solution that was both quick and lasting is something worth acknowledging.

The experience made me reconsider my previous misconceptions about plumbers and their work. I’ve come to recognise your vital role in our society, upkeeping the comfort and functionality of our homes. I’ve discovered that plumbers are more than just repairmen; you are everyday heroes, quietly ensuring our lives go unhampered.

In conclusion, I want to express my deep gratitude to the entire Whywait Plumbing team. I am beyond satisfied with the service I received. The professionalism, knowledge, and human touch your team brought to the task were simply outstanding. You’ve earned a customer for life, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Whywait Plumbing to anyone needing top-tier plumbing services.

Best Regards,

Tiffany Zang

Choose Whywait and Consider It Done

Upon receiving the email, I immediately contacted Tiffany to extend my gratitude. As we conversed, she shared her previous experiences with service providers on the Gold Coast, echoing the issues I’ve observed throughout many years in the industry. However, as I explained to her, it’s not my place to comment on other businesses. Each one operates distinctively, driven by its unique blend of training, equipment, experience, ethics, and cost structures.

Humbled by her praise, I asked Tiffany’s permission to share her words publicly. She gladly consented, her gratitude palpable for everything our dedicated team at Whywait accomplished to rectify her blocked drains.

In closing, I think Tiffany’s words encapsulate our mission perfectly: “I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Whywait Plumbing to anyone needing top-tier plumbing services.” This is a testament to the dedication, expertise, and commitment to customer satisfaction that we strive to uphold in every task we undertake. As we’ve said for many years, choose Whywait and consider it done.

InSinkErator Safety

InSinkErator Safety

InSinkErator Questions

In November it will be 48 years since I finished high school and began my plumbing apprenticeship. Over the years, I have either asked myself every dumb question or have been asked some interesting questions by other people concerning plumbing.

But last week I got asked a question by Steve, a long-standing client that I cannot recollect ever being asked before. The question being, “What happens if I stick my hand into the kitchen sink InSinkErator waste disposal unit when it’s going?

My first response was to wonder why you would contemplate even doing such a thing. That was until Steve explained it was a question posed by his 5-year-old grandson.

Steve was genuinely worried it was something his grandson may try to attempt. Now the question did not seem so dumb at all. Steve was correct to be worried that his grandson would try to see what would happen if he put his hand down the InSinkErator unit when it was turned on because as we all know a 5-year old has little fear.

Steve was seriously contemplating getting us to remove the food waste disposal unit out of the sink permanently. This was despite him being concerned about the loss of conveniently and hygienically disposing of food scraps which could also increase the risk of a blocked sink.

An InSinkErator Has NO BLADES

Like most people, Steve was convinced that an InSinkErator waste disposal unit is a mass of sharp blades spinning around chopping and shredding everything that enters its chamber. Contrary to popular believe an InSinkErator sink waste disposal unit is not like a kitchen blender and it has NO BLADES at all.

Steve was much happier once I explained how an InSinkErator unit works. If his grandson put his hand into the unit when it was turned on then he would at the worse end up with a bruised and maybe cut hand. Although in all likelihood he would pull his hand out as soon as it came into contact with the spinning plate and or its impellers which have absolutely no cutting function.

Very simply instead of spinning blades chopping, cutting and breaking down the food scraps InSinkErator waste disposal works by:

  • Instead of blades, impellers (or lugs) mounted on a spinning plate use centrifugal force to continuously force food waste particles against a stationary grind ring
  • The grind ring breaks down the food scraps into very fine particles – virtually liquefying them
  • After they are ground, the running water flushes the particles through the grind ring and out of the disposer and into your waste-water pipe and into the sewer house drains

How Does An InSinkErator Work? 

If you want to see exactly how an InSinkErator waste disposal unit works have a look at this 90-second video below which gives you a graphic inside view of how a unit works.
After watching the above video Steve was happy to keep using his InSinkErator waste disposal unit because like most people who have an InSinkErator he knew it was the most convenient, environmentally friendly and hygienic method to dispose of food waste and scraps. Generally, waste disposal units create a safer and cleaner kitchen using minimal water and electricity.

Tips on Using An InSinkErator

If you already have an InSinkErator sink waste disposal unit installed here are a few tips to using it which assist in prolonging its working life:

  • InSinkErator waste disposal units can become stuck or seized, and this can be caused by non-food items such as spoons being placed or falling into the unit
  • overfilling the InSinkErator can cause the unit to jam
  • grease or fatty liquids should not be poured into the InSinkErator
  • InSinkErator units should never be run dry, always use with the cold water running whilst the unit is spinning plus always turn the cold water off after turning off the unit
  • cleaning your InSinkErator waste disposal unit once every week by inserting and grinding a handful of ice in your unit. This will remove any buildup that may have been left when grinding food materials, and often gets rid of any smell coming from your kitchen sink drain. If an odour persists after carrying out this cleaning try cutting up and grinding a lemon or grapefruit will give a fresh citrus smell
  • the InSinkErator unit should be equipped with a reset button either at the side of the unit (older models) or underneath the unit.  If your unit fails to start after pressing the reset, then it is probably more than just jammed disposal, and you should call Whywait Plumbing and have one of our plumbers solve the problem.
COVID-19 Update as Whywait Plumbing Remains Open

COVID-19 Update as Whywait Plumbing Remains Open

Despite everything that is happening with the Coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic emergency as your local Gold Coast Plumber Whywait Plumbing will continue to be available 24/7 to service your plumbing, drainage and gas needs. The current Queensland Government health directives advise that the plumbing industry is an essential service. This means our plumbers are exempt from the two-person rule when entering homes or private premises provided the appropriate social distancing and hygiene requirements are adhered to. 

To ensure the safety of our clients, staff and the general public we are making changes to the way we serve our clients. This ensures we can still attend to your problems while focusing on making the correct choices to keep everyone safe.

Read the information below which details out everything you need to know how Whywait Plumbing will ensure your critical plumbing infrastructure remains fully functioning.

Whywait is still here for you 24/7

Whywait Plumbing Services has been trusted by thousands of Gold Coast homeowners, landlords and business owners since 1976 to maintain their plumbing, drainage and gas infrastructure. We believe that now more than ever we need to be there for you 24/7.

As your trusted Gold Coast Plumber we guarantee to continue to be available to keep you safe and ensure your plumbing is functioning to the highest standards.

We assure you we have increased our precautionary measures to protect you and minimise any risk of spreading COVID-19. We continue to adhere to all advice from the official Australian Government health website and are monitoring the situation to ensure we take all practical steps to protect our clients and staff.

Working with Whywait Plumbing during COVID-19

Increased hygiene practice

Whywait Plumbing Services use Aquatemp Hand Sanitiser & Disinfectant In accordance with the advice provided by the Australian Government and the Master Plumbers & Mechanical Services Association of Australia (MPMSAA), we have implemented additional policies and hygiene practices to protect you and our plumbers.

  • we are continually ensuring our plumbers are fit and healthy and we are taking all precautions to ensure their health and safety
  • we are following the latest advisories from the Australian Government and MPMSAA
  • we are following social distancing requirements
  • we are not shaking hands
  • our plumbers are wearing disposable gloves and are disposing of them when they have completed their work for you
  • our plumbers are equipped with Enzyme Wizard cleaning products to wipe down tool, equipment and work areas while undertaking your work
  • our cleaners are equipped with Aquatemp Hand Sanitiser & Disinfectant to keep their hands clean at all times
  • our company vehicles are kept clean at all times with Aquatemp Surface Sanitiser & Disinfectant cleaning product

What to expect when you call us to book a job

It is now our policy when booking all jobs that you provide us credit card details to secure the booking because as recommended by the Government, we ask that you make a pre-payment over the phone so that no physical exchange of money has to occur. If you can only pay with cash we will be handling all transactions using gloves and practising social distancing.

We will now ask you a number of health-related questions when you call us to keep everyone safe which may include:

  • Have you, or anyone in your household tested positive for COVID-19, or are awaiting test results?
  • Do you fall into a category where you are self-isolating for COVID-19?
  • Do you, or anyone living in your household have any flu-like symptoms, a fever, cough, or shortness of breath?

Depending on the answers you provided, we will discuss with you on the best way forward to support solving your plumbing problems.

After we have booked your job if you start to develop flu-like symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, fever or shortness of breath, please call us immediately on (07) 5580 4311 so we can help to manage your appointment.

What to expect when a Whywait employee is at your home or business

Upon arrival, our plumbers may be asking the same health questions asked at the time of your booking. This is to ensure your circumstances have not changed. Plus we guarantee they will be following our increased hygiene practices.

While undertaking any work, they will inform you exactly what they will do before they start and will clean all surfaces they touch with Enzyme Wizard cleaning products.

Thank you for your ongoing support and your understanding

You can be certain that we have your best interest in mind during these uncertain times and we are endeavouring to continue to provide the great service that Whywait Plumbing is renowned for as your Gold Coast Plumber.

How to avoid house flooding this Christmas

How to avoid house flooding this Christmas

This Christmas I can guarantee that burst plastic water reticulation pipes or burst flexi hoses will create more emotional stress and insurance claims than fires and burglaries combined.

How to avoid house flooding is becoming more challenging as we continually add more and more water connections inside our homes. Insurance companies are experiencing year on year increases in ever-increasing water damage insurance claims. The average insurance claim from internal water damage flooding has increased from $17627 in 2014 to $30361 in 2018.

how to avoid house flooding is why whywait Plumbing recommend when your house is empty to turn off your water supply
A collapsed ceiling from a water deluge above caused by a burst pipe

If you are going away on holiday this Christmas and New Year holiday season and leaving your home empty then I only have one recommendation. And that is before you drive off walk over to your water meter box and turn off the water supply.

How to avoid house flooding is simple if you turn your water off at the council water meter. By undertaking this simple task I can 100% guarantee you will not arrive home to a flooded house caused by a burst water pipe.

I’ve written frequently over the last 10 years about the issues we see every week with homes getting flooded. We’ve witnessed an ever-increasing amount of homes having plastic water pipes and flexi hoses being installed. In turn, we have seen an ever-increasing number of burst flexi hoses and split plastic pipes flooding homes.

In all likelihood even if you have copper water pipes you will still have multiple flexi hoses in your home. They will exist commonly in both residential and commercial buildings under the kitchen sink, under the bathroom vanity basins, under the toilet cistern and under the laundry tub.

Every flexi hose is potentially a ticking time bomb. It has become so common that we attend to burst flexi hoses every day. In 1 hour a burst flexi hose can discharge 1500 litres of water so in 1 day that could be 36000 litres of water. We’ve all experienced how far a spilt glass of water runs on a floor so imagine how far 108000 glasses of water will run.

We have multiple solutions available to prevent flooding in your home ranging from AquaTrip valves at the boundary that turns the water off automatically to individual auto shut off valves for flexi hoses.

If you have any concerns about your water pipes, flexi hoses, fridge connections or valves in your home and don’t want to have one of our plumbers spending part of Christmas Day with you then call us today.

In 2019 as we have done so for the last 43 years we will continue to provide full plumbing, drainage and gasfitting services every day up to and right through the upcoming Christmas holiday and 2020 New Year holiday period.

Our normal emergency plumbing services will be available 24/7 as always on:

  • Christmas Day, Wednesday 25 December
  • Boxing Day, Thursday 26 December
  • New Years Day, Wednesday 1 January

Public holiday diagnostic fees will apply to all call outs on those days except for Whywait Service Partners.

I’m always mindful that Christmas greetings can become superficial but even so everyone here at Whywait Plumbing Services wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2020. Remember the best of gifts around your Christmas tree on 25 December in the presence of a happy family with a toilet that flushes and a tap that turns off.

How long does a bathroom renovation take?

How long does a bathroom renovation take?

Television renovation shows are not reality when it comes to a bathroom renovation. Sadly that’s the benchmark too many people use when they call us to discuss a bathroom renovation. We always know when a client phones and asks “how long does a bathroom renovation take” that they will have unreal expectations.bathroom renovation by Whywait Plumbing

The reality is that a well-planned bathroom renovation will take at least 4-6 weeks. A poorly planned bathroom renovation takes forever and is the most frustrating experience for everyone.

Your bathroom is one of the most expensive rooms to renovate and will need to last you at least ten years. What is hugely fashionable today will not be in two years.

A bathroom renovation is never straightforward and is all about planning, planning and more planning.

Get A Professional Design

There is a multitude of online tools that make designing a bathroom look easy. The reality is that doing your own design can be a false economy.

Getting the floor plan design right from the beginning is your number one priority. I guarantee it will save you money in the long term. A professional bathroom designer will ensure you get what you want. Everyone else involved with the bathroom renovation will be able to give you precise costings based on the design plans.

Remember it’s your bathroom so don’t be intimidated by a bathroom designer. Work with their suggestions and opinions to get the bathroom you want.

Relocating Plumbing is Expensive

bathroom renovation relocation of plumbing by Whywait Plumbing

relocation of plumbing starts with exploration to discover where the drains are hidden in walls

If you have a concrete slab, then relocating water pipes and drains is expensive. If you have a wooden floor and can get under the house, the relocation of your plumbing is much simpler.

In our experience, the unnecessary relocation of drains frequently causes budget blowouts. Utilising your existing plumbing layout will significantly reduce the cost of your bathroom renovation.

Even marginal changes can cause a budget blowout because the plumbing located in the concrete slab can be vastly different once we start exposing it.

As I said, a wooden floor where there is access to the plumbing underneath is a vastly different proposition because all of the plumbing is visible. This gives you much more scope in your bathroom renovation to rearrange the layout of your fixtures.

Draw Up a Specification

a bathroom renovation involves demolishing the existing bathroom by Whywait Plumbing

demolishing your existing bathroom creates a mess very fast

A precise specification of what you want in your bathroom renovation will save everyone a lot of heartache and frustration once work begins.

Project managing your bathroom renovation is not hard providing you have clear floor design plans and precise, unambiguous specifications.

Checklists are a must for your budget peace of mind for the tiler, electrician, plumber, plasterer and painter. This ensures everyone knows what their tasks are and where they stand from the beginning.

If it’s not written down, then you can guarantee you will get a continuous flow of variations that will blow your budget to pieces.

Avoid Reusing Parts of Your Existing Bathroom

The best way to renovate a bathroom is to strip everything back to the bare floor and framework. Keeping parts of your existing bathroom defeats the purpose of having a brand new bathroom.

We frequently see clients keeping the existing ceiling, but it saves very little and is frustrating working around it to install new lighting and extraction fans.

Reusing bathroom fixtures such as the mixer taps or toilet suite or bath save little as it means we have to remove them, clean them up and reinstall them carefully. All you are saving on is the cost of the fixture, which these days is often marginal.

Use Quality Fixtures and Fittings

luxury bathroom renovation by Whywait Plumbing

Opting for cheap no brand plumbing fixtures will lead to future maintenance problems. Frequently if there is no manufacturers brand name visible, then the plumbing fixtures are a poor quality that will not last past a couple of years.

There are plenty of quality taps and toilets that will not squeeze your budget. Avoid fashionable colours in taps as in my opinion chrome never goes out of fashion and always cleans up well.

Investing in good quality custom built vanity cabinets will give you much more value and aid the functionality of the bathroom. Investing in a quality frameless shower screen will again support the functionality of the bathroom.

Planning is the Answer

As I said, previously, the key to a bathroom renovation is about the preparation. A well-planned bathroom renovation with precise specifications ensures that the work requirements are clear and everyone will happily fulfil their obligations.

What is a Plumbing Emergency?

What is a Plumbing Emergency?

It is my experience that many clients mistakenly believe their job is a plumbing emergency.  The reality is that most are not and just require routine maintenance unless they are:

  • putting your or your family’s life at risk

  • flooding your house

Life-Threatening Plumbing Emergency

Gas Leaks

lraking gas is a plumbing emergency at Whywait PlumbingLeaking gas, whether it’s natural gas or LPG, is dangerous. There are no DIY gas repairs; you must always use a licensed gas fitter.

LPG is highly flammable and being a dense gas; it will sink to your floor and build in intensity. Natural gas is not as combustible as LPG but still dangerous, especially in confined spaces in your home.

If you suspect you can smell gas, then you likely have a gas leak. You need to immediately isolate the gas supply to your home at either the gas meter or at the gas bottles. Once isolated, call us immediately to organise a service call.

While you are waiting for us to arrive at your home ventilate your house by opening doors and windows. Ensure you turn off all your gas appliances and as a precaution your electrical appliances as well. Above all, do not use any naked flames.

Sewage Overflow

overflowing sewage is a plumbing emergency so call Whywait Plumbing nowOverflowing sewage from toilets or floor wastes needs to be taken seriously. Raw sewage flowing into your house or outside is hazardous, and the risk of contamination is real.

Drains overflowing inside or outside your home require urgent attention, which is why we have a 1-hour emergency plumbing response for overflowing blocked drains. Blocked drains are a potential health hazard and need to be solved by trained plumbers with the correct equipment.

Don’t be fooled that overflowing sewage is only from your sewer drains. Sewage overflow can originate from outside your property very quickly, primarily if your home is located below other properties or if you live in a highrise apartment.

Don’t try to solve raw sewage lying around your home yourself as mopping it up solves nothing. Raw sewage contains parasites, fungi and bacteria that will soak into your floors and walls.

The photo on the right is where we had raw sewage flowing through a three-story terrace house and had to remove all the carpet and throw it away as can be seen on the lawn. The sewage had penetrated floors and walls which all required which required a combination of structural drying restoration and replacement of gyprock plaster wall linings.

Burst Pipe

a burst flexi hose is a plumbing emergency so call Whywait PlumbingA burst water pipe or flexi hose is now an everyday occurrence for plumbers. This is due to the amount of plastic piping now installed in homes instead of copper pipe.

A burst flexi hose is unfortunately all too common. An average house now has multiple flexi hoses installed under the kitchen sink, under the bathroom vanity basins, under the toilet cistern and the laundry tub. The reality is that every flexi hose connected is potentially a ticking time bomb.

Burst or ruptured plastic hot and cold water reticulation pipes occur for multiple reasons such as age, high pressure, poor installation, accidentally drilling into them, poor quality pipe fittings or faulty workmanship.

A burst pipe can cause damage fast to your furniture, floor coverings, kitchen cabinets, vanity cabinets, walls and floors. You need to turn your water off quickly when you experience a burst with the best place at the isolating valve at your water meter. Once isolated, call us immediately as this is a plumbing emergency.

A burst pipe or flexi hose is not a DIY repair and needs to be done compliantly by a licensed plumber who will ensure that the pipe is repaired with approved WaterMark products in accordance with the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018.

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