by Gary Mays | Feb 14, 2012 | the recommended rate for plumbers
The Challenges of Plumbing Business Ownership
Owning a plumbing business is easy, or so many people think. The reality is a plumbing business is a business, not a hobby or a charity. Owning any business is a challenge.
Owning a maintenance plumbing business has always been challenging, as so much of what we repair is a grudge purchase. For most experienced master plumbers, the biggest challenge is other plumbers.
“You have overcharged us because I rang three other plumbers and told them what you charged us for that job, and they all agree you have overcharged us and ripped us off.” This was a phone call we received at Whywait Plumbing last week.
The Issues with Unprofessional Quotations
A call like this always makes us wonder about the competence and integrity of the three so-called licensed plumbers who said we overcharged.
For a start, no professional plumber can or should or could give a price over the phone without thoroughly inspecting the job onsite and undertaking a complete diagnosis of the plumbing problem.
The Joe Bum-Crack Plumbing Business Phenomenon
Generally, the plumbers who indulge in giving prices over the phone use it to gain entry to the client’s home. Invariably, their final price always ends up being much more expensive because they find all these additional problems after they start the job.
These “Joe Bum-Crack Plumbers” seldom last in business beyond two years. But in the short time they exist, they cause legitimate plumbing businesses countless problems with their shoddy business ethics and lack of business acumen. Sadly, another generation of Joe Bum-Crack Plumbers emerges with their brand-new QBCC plumbing licenses every few years.
Every day at Whywait Plumbing, we receive phone calls or emails from plumbers looking for a job. A significant number of these plumbers fit the category of Joe Bum-Crack plumbers who have been running their own plumbing business and discover it is much more complex than they thought it would be.
Joe’s Story: The Dream and The Reality
We have in the past employed such people, always to our detriment. The last person we employed, who could be described as a Joe Bum-Crack plumber, was a perfect textbook example.
In fact, let us call him Joe as he came into the interview perfectly dressed in answer to our advertisement for an experienced maintenance plumber. Joe was in his 50s and had done everything from working in construction to being an inspector to running his own business. When asked why he was giving up running his plumbing business, he replied that his wife had told him to go and get a real job.
Joe then described what it was like running his own plumbing business, which he had started with high hopes after 27 years as an employee of various large companies and a water authority. Joe described how he wanted to be his own boss as he knew there was a fortune to be made running his own business. Plus, he was in control of everything for the first time and could work when he chose and be at home when he decided.
The reality was much different from Joe’s perception of being the boss. Joe soon discovered that being the boss is much more complicated than it looks. Joe had found that running a business was more than being an excellent technical plumber.
Now, he was the boss. Joe was in charge of marketing, employee relations, customer relations, credit management, bookkeeping, answering the phone, dealing with plumbers merchants, and so on.
All Joe wanted to be was a wealthy plumber.
Joe knew running a plumbing business was not a path to instant wealth, as he had initially believed.
The opposite was the truth, with every minute of his time being spent on running the business. Joe was shocked at the reaction of Reeces Plumbing Supplies when his account was late being paid. Joe, as an employee, had used Reeces for years and the people behind the counter he considered as mates. He was shocked when his credit was suspended because, after all, these were his longtime mates, and he was sure they would understand that a client had not paid him, so he could not pay them.
Joe was well aware of Whywait Plumbing and confided that he had always believed we were ripoff merchants.
Joe was aware of our sign-written Utes, websites, Yellow Pages advertising, radio advertising, broadcast email, diagnostic charges and letterbox drops, which he had always regarded as a waste of money because everyone knows word of mouth gives you plenty of work, or so he once thought. He was astounded when word of mouth did not provide much work.
He was astounded to learn that to get his phone ringing, he would need to spend what he believed was a “shitload of money” on advertising and marketing to get his name out there.
After 18 months of being the boss, Joe now understood why Whywait Plumbing spends what he called a “shitload of money” on advertising and was astounded when he was informed it was only 4% of our turnover.
Joe couldn’t believe the extensive safeguard measures we had implemented, spanning numerous insurance policies, WorkCover, and even trademark protection for our business name and logos. The trademark protection particularly caught his interest, a facet he had not considered previously. He was astonished to realise that, without a trademark, any entity could potentially use your business name, as technically, it isn’t owned by anyone.
His interest piqued even further when we introduced him to Squadhelp, a free online platform where you can conduct trademark searches to check for both exact and closely matching names. Joe appreciated the initiative, recognising the immense value in securing a unique and protected business identity.
Now Joe wanted us to give him a job because his wife had told him after 18 months of struggling to make ends meet to get a real job.
Joe’s Stint at Whywait Plumbing
Joe worked for Whywait Plumbing for three months but, in the end, was unable to adapt to a plumbing business that was upfront about the cost of the work before undertaking the work. Joe just wanted to turn on the taximeter, keep charging the client until the job was complete, and then let someone else worry about who was paying.
Ultimately Joe had the wrong attitude toward small business, and this was why:
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Joe, the boss, had his credit stopped at Reeces.
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Joe, the boss, had constant arguments with clients.
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Joe, the boss, is just Joe, the disgruntled employee who still thinks he knows more than the boss.
Through Joe’s story, it’s evident that understanding your business’s costs and your potential clients, plus setting fair and transparent prices, are crucial.
The Fundamental Rule of a Plumbing Business
Very simply, there is only one rule in business: “To make a profit, you must first know your costs.” That is why at Whywait Plumbing, we price every job in advance, whether with a fixed quote or an estimated budget price….no ifs, no buts.
To experience reliable and professional plumbing service, contact Whywait Plumbing anytime because, as we always say, “Choose Whywait and consider it done.”
by Gary Mays | Jan 28, 2012 | Gold Coast Water
Currently receiving publicity is the Mayan calendar which predicts the world’s end in December 2012. The actual translation is “A time of great change.” Not so much the end but more the beginning of a new era. It is a time of significant change for Gold Coast ratepayers, who will receive what is possibly their last Allconnex water bill in the next week. Unless there is a change of government on 24 March, the ratepayers of the City of Gold Coast have been duped by misguided media and activists from Disconnex into reviving Gold Coast Water.
Gold Coast Water may come to life on 1 July but is only a water retailer. Therefore, it will not lead to reductions in the cost of water simply because the Queensland Government controls the price of water sold to retailers.
As a result, the wholesale cost of water is the bulk of a water bill because someone has to pay for the reckless spending by the Beattie-Bligh governments on projects that include the $7 billion water grid that may never be used and the troubled desalination plant at Tugun plus the $500 million for Traveston Dam, which wasn’t built despite costly planning and land resumptions.
Gold Coast City Council is not responsible for the originally highly respected water utility being taken over by the Queensland Government. It was legislated that way. The spin by Anna Bligh and Andrew Fraser into making Gold Coast ratepayers believe the high water bills are all the councils’ fault is bizarre because they control the wholesale cost price. The government spin campaign caused a misguided people-power revolt on the Gold Coast, with Allconnex Water workers even having their cars attacked. Allconnex has to collect rates to a prescribed formula set by the State Government.
Gold Coast ratepayers should direct their anger at the Queensland Labor MP’s who voted to destroy Gold Coast Water, not at the Gold Coast City Councillors who were forced to vote to disband Gold Coast Water in accordance with law changes enacted by the Queensland Government. The new Gold Coast Water will only be a shadow of its former self but will still have to generate income to fund more than $1 billion in new water and sewerage plants over the next decade. The Queensland Labor Government has removed all subsidies, so Gold Coast Water revived will be looking for new revenue. Unfortunately, it means ratepayers will pick up the tab in raised rates and water charges – or Gold Coast Water will go broke.
Current Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clark has consistently spoken against the Queensland Government takeover of water in South East Queensland. Even the Council of Mayors warned in 2007 that the proposed takeover of water was simply cost-shifting by the state. If the Gold Coast Water revival proceeds, we may not have to wait two years before understanding the negative impact of Labor’s reforms. In the meantime, Gold Coast ratepayers will continue to pay and pay and pay. Even the Queensland Government’s water commissioner, Elizabeth Nosworthy, in 2007 released the pricing for water in southeast Queensland, said that “by 2012-13, a typical household’s annual cost would increase from $355 to $876, an increase of 147 per cent”. This was ignored at the time, but she was on the money.
So when Gold Coast voters receive their Allconnex water bills next week, remember when you go to the polls on 24 March, it was local Labor MP’s Peta-Kaye Croft, Peter Lawler, Christine Smith and Margaret Keech who destroyed Gold Coast Water and drove water prices up 147% in 4 years.
by Gary Mays | Jan 3, 2012 | Cold Water, Consumer Issues, Dehydration, Health Issues, Leaking Pipes, Rain Water Tanks, Water Leaks
Water is not only the essence of life. It is the basis of life, as water is the foundation of the human body. Like any structure, if the foundation is poor, strength and longevity are reduced.
In South East Queensland, the next two months of January and February are traditionally the hottest months of the year. With the hot weather comes the concerns of dehydration. More than 70% of the human body is water, so when the temperatures increase, it cools itself by sweating. If water intake is inadequate, dehydration can become a real danger. This is frequently worse with children if their fluid intake of water is insufficient.
It is all of our responsibility to ensure our intake of water is frequent and adequate. However, it is essential to realise that you can become dehydrated long before the symptoms appear, so prevention is critical, and prevention is simply drinking water. Prevention does not include drinking fruit juices or sugary soft drinks.
Dehydration will impair your normal daily performance and dramatically increase the risk of heat-related illnesses such as cramps, headaches, exhaustion or even heat stroke. Possible signs of dehydration may include:
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extreme thirst
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extreme fatigue
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muscle and joint weakness
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headache and or dizziness
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dry or sticky mouth
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cramping of muscles
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irritability
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decreased performance
If you notice yourself or anyone else with the above symptom, it is essential to find a cool place and cool the body with water. The water should be sipped, not gulped, and the rest should continue until the body returns to normal. Recognising the signs of dehydration and taking measures to prevent it will increase everyone’s overall health.
The carrying of water bottles should be standard before leaving home. There is no need to buy expensive water bottles at the supermarket or service station when you have them on tap at home.
Even if you do not like the taste of water from Allconnex, it is a comparatively simple job for Whywait Plumbing Services to install a good quality filtration system to remove the chemicals, such as chlorine, that create the poor taste many people associate with tap water. Once you have good quality filtered drinking water, purchasing reusable personal drinking bottles will ensure the entire family can be active, healthy and constantly hydrated in our hottest months by simply drinking regularly.
by Gary Mays | Nov 15, 2011 | banging pipes, Consumer Issues, erosion and corrosion in plumbing pipes, Gold Coast Plumber, Gold Coast plumbers, Gold Coast Plumbing, Health Issues, Insurance coverage of water leaks, Leaking Pipes, PEX pipes, Plumbers, Plumbers Gold Coast, Plumbing Maintenance, water damage insurance claims, Water Filtration, Water Hammer, Water Leaks, water pipe pressure
Traditionally most homes used copper pipes to circulate hot and cold water. Since the 1970’s plastic pipes have increasingly replaced traditional copper or galvanised steel pipes.
Over the last ten years, pipe-in-pipe systems have been commonly installed to circulate water in most newly constructed homes. The inner pipe for drinking water is made of a plastic called cross-linked polyethylene (PEX).
Since the advent of plastic plumbing systems, there have always been questions regarding the effects on health and do they affect the taste and odour of drinking water. International studies have shown that plastic pipes can release substances that give drinking water an unwanted taste and odour. It has also been suggested that some of these substances may be carcinogenic.
Several investigations worldwide on health issues have been conducted, and most are inconclusive or positive. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has just released a new study on whether leaching or leakage products from these pipes harm health and if they affect the taste and odour of drinking water. The potential leakage products consist of residues of additives used during manufacture to give plastic pipes their desired properties and any subsequent breakdown products.
The Norwegian study results indicated:
- There are no health risks associated with drinking water from PEX pipes
- A few types of PEX-pipe may cause prolonged undesirable taste and odour if the water remains in pipes over time
- Although the taste and odour usually dissipate with use, water from two PEX types still had an unpleasant smell and taste after a year.
- The volatile organic compounds that leaked from new PEX pipes were generally low.
- The level was further reduced with the use.
- No correlation was found between manufacturing methods and leaking products.
This study was undertaken far more scientifically than many tests or studies in Australia. It is common in Australia for international products that have undergone extensive testing to fail AS4020 based on a highly subjective taste test from a panel of 5 – 7 people. The Norwegian study tested ten different PEX pipe types for leaching products in a standardised laboratory test. The water was in contact with the tubes for 72 hours.
Three different manufacturing methods produce pipes known as PEX-a, PEX-b or PEX-c. These methods use slightly different additives, but this study found no correlation between production methods and leakage products. Two of the most commonly occurring substances detected in the experiment’s water were 2.4-di-tert-butyl-phenol and methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE). For three new pipe types, MTBE was detected in higher concentrations than the US government’s recommended limits for the taste and odour of drinking water (USEPA). Still, the values were reduced to below this limit after the tubes were used for a while.
This study confirms what the plumbing technicians at Whywait Plumbing frequently observe: no matter what type of pipe, there can be a taste or odour in new piping systems or where a house has been unoccupied. The taste and odour soon disappear once the water is in use in the house and is in constant circulation.
by Gary Mays | Aug 12, 2011 | leaking showers
The Silent Peril of Leaking Showers: Know, Repair, Prevent
Leaking showers are one of those stealthy home invaders that operate undercover, leaving devastation in its wake.
Often, the damage is already done when homeowners discover them. But fret not! In this comprehensive guide, we at Whywait Plumbing will walk you through the intricacies of this issue and, more importantly, how to tackle leaking showers.
The Iceberg Effect: What You See vs. What You Don’t
Like an iceberg, what’s visible with a leaking shower is just the tip.
Underneath, there could be extensive damage to floor coverings, wall linings, framing timber, and tile beds.
And if that wasn’t dire enough, these leaks also provide a five-star invitation to unwanted guests: termites. Drawn to the blend of water and timber, these pests can infest your home faster than you can say ‘leaking showers’.
Insurance Woes: When Coverage Isn’t Coverage
Delving into the details of insurance policies can be like navigating a maze. Often, these leaks, seen as wear and tear, don’t get coverage.
Some policies might cover exploratory processes to identify the leak source, but the real kicker? The shower replacement, which is often the priciest part, isn’t covered.
The Detective Work: Tracking Down the Culprit
Here’s where our team at Whywait Plumbing puts on its detective hat. Identifying the source of a leaking shower isn’t straightforward.
It’s not a simple case of ‘whodunit’. Instead, it’s a systematic, sometimes trial-and-error approach involving pressure testing of various components, from water pipes to shower roses.
The Usual Suspects: Common Causes of Leaks
Based on our extensive work on the Gold Coast, we’ve identified a few repeat offenders:
- Failed Waterproofing: The most common villain is the failure of the shower tray’s waterproofing, which lies beneath the floor tiles. Its job? To stop water from invading the primary structure of your house.
- Vintage Homes: Homes from yesteryears come with their own set of challenges. For instance, houses from the ’70s and ’80s might have recessed showers, often lacking waterproofing. It’s a ticking time bomb.
- Rigid Fibreglass: Homes from the late ’80s and ’90s often used fibreglass for waterproofing. But here’s the catch – fibreglass, being too rigid, often failed to stick to concrete or timber. Cue water leaks!
- The Modern Solution: The good news? Today’s epoxy waterproofing is leagues ahead. Flexible and durable, it moves with the settling house, ensuring a waterproof seal.
Procrastination: The Real Enemy
Suspect you have a leaking shower? Don’t dilly-dally! While the temptation to delay action is strong, especially if the leak seems minor, remember: small leaks grow up to be big problems.
With the advances in repair techniques, many showers can now be fixed without removing tiles. But waiting? That only sets you up for more significant headaches in the future, including structural damages or termite infestations.
Conclusion: The Road Ahead
In the battle against leaking showers, knowledge is power. Being proactive, understanding the warning signs, and ensuring prompt repairs are your best weapons.
At Whywait Plumbing, we’re here to partner with you in this journey, ensuring your home remains leak-free and safe. Call us today, and let’s ensure your shower stays watertight!
