Sydney Building Inspections Don’t Cover Plumbing!
May 14, 2009 by yoursydneyplumber
Filed under Sydney Plumber
Building inspections are always advisable before purchasing a property in Sydney, but did you know they don’t include plumbing?
Time and again we are now seeing customers moving into new houses and discovering major plumbing defects. The common thread amongst all of these people is that they say they paid good money for a building inspection prior to their purchase. What none of them realised was that traditional Sydney building inspections do not check for plumbing defects. They will never go to the level of detail that a Highlander Plumbing inspection will go to.
In our experience there are a few major defects that do not rear their ugly heads until well into occupying your new house.
The first one is sewer.
If you are purchasing a deceased estate or a “renovator’s delight” then the sewer alarm bells should be ringing. Usually a deceased estate has been lived in for its last few years by a single older person. What is the relevance of this you ask? This person generally has not put the sewer under any load. If the sewer was defective, the person probably got away with it through minimal usage. What do you think will happen when a young family with a few kids buys the house and moves straight in, planning to renovate as they go? All of a sudden the sewer now has four or five people using it instead of one. What happens? You guessed it, a big mess, a panic and a great deal of frustration from the owners who honestly didn’t see this situation coming.
This could have been avoided with a plumbing inspection prior to purchase. The Highlander Plumbing Inspection includes the CCTV inspection of the sewer as a part of the inspection. Sometimes one little defect such as a broken pipe could have been identified and repaired prior to the problem causing a flood.
Some larger old properties may have long sections of sewer that are a hundred years old. If those long sections are beyond repair it would be a good idea to know if you were facing an expensive renewal of the sewer prior to purchase.
Hot Water is another regally overlooked item that is taken for granted. Hot water heaters in concealed places that burst can cause huge amounts of damage. Is the heater going to cost you a fortune to run? Is it gas, is it electric? Constant low or storage tank? Mains pressure or restricted?
If we had a penny for the number of times a customer says “the hot water system at our old house didn’t do this!”
Shower water proofing is another thing worth testing. Before you get out the colour charts and start planning your colours we think you should make sure the shower isn’t leaking into the walls. If there is leakage into the walls, the paint will peel and you will be very annoyed.
Landscaping is another common thing done as soon as people buy a house. It is a way of stamping your own individual flair to the property. We think if you are going to spend $100-$200 p/sqm on pavers, then you better have 100% confidence in the pipes below.
We have had to dig up many beautiful backyards to replace broken sewer pipes. This could have been very easily avoided.
Having the information from a professional plumbing inspection from Highlander Plumbing Sydney could save you thousands of dollars. As we say: “Do it once, do it properly”.
Your Sydney Plumber is brought to you by Highlander Plumbing…Sydney Plumbers with the experience & know-how to handle all your plumbing needs. Whether you need help with clearing a blocked drain, hot water tank installations, gasfitting or rainwater tanks…Highlander are Sydney plumbers you can trust!
Tips for Finding a Sydney Plumber
February 24, 2009 by yoursydneyplumber
Filed under Sydney Plumber
Need a Sydney plumber?
Maybe you have a leaking toilet? Or perhaps a blocked drain in the bathroom? Maybe the hot water system is on the fritz?
OK, you know your plumbing problem is beyond DIY help and you need a professional plumber in Sydney, but how do you find a reputable & reliable plumbing company?
Here are a few tips to help you find the best Sydney plumber in your suburb…
Firstly, is your situation a real emergency? Perhaps you have a broken pipe and the possibility of water damage to your property is very real. If so, you will be looking for 24 hour emergency plumbers if it just happens to be 2am!
On the other hand, if you just have a leaking tap and there is no immediate danger of water damage then you might be prepared to wait a little longer before your plumber arrives.
Do you know someone who has recently used a plumber? Word of mouth is very powerful and nothing beats a personal recommendation. This person should be your first contact. A friend will give you an honest appraisal of the plumber and you’ll soon know if they weren’t up to scratch. This will be a far better strategy than choosing a plumber in Sydney at random from the phone book.
It’s a good idea to agree on a fixed price before work is started. Be wary of plumbers who aren’t prepared to give you a plumbing price guarantee. You certainly don’t want any nasty surprises after the work is done and you’re handed the invoice.
When the job is complete keep any parts which were replaced just in case you need them for evidence if the plumber claims they were broken, and you were not happy with the quality of their work.
Do a quick background check on your plumber. Make sure they aren’t a “fly by night” operation using only a mobile phone. Make sure they have a physical address, land line telephone and professional website. Also, check how long they have been in business and if they can provide you with testimonials.
Are they a member of the Master Plumbers Association and a recognised Enviroplumber? Both of these are strong indications of their professionalism and concern for the environment. Ask your Sydney plumber for copies of any other qualifications they may have.
Be wary of plumbers who say they will only do the job for cash-in-hand. This is would be an indication that they may not be registered and are avoiding paying tax. Professional plumbers do not operate this way.
Ask your Sydney plumber to provide some case studies for jobs similar to the problem you have now.
And finally, make sure your Sydney plumbers are clean and tidy, arrive on time every time, and are fully equipped to deal with any plumbing job.
Your Sydney Plumber is brought to you by Highlander Plumbing…Sydney Plumbers with the experience & know-how to handle all your plumbing needs. Whether you need help with clearing a blocked drain, hot water tank installations, gasfitting or rainwater tanks…Highlander are Sydney plumbers you can trust!