HONEST ADVICE FROM HONEST TRADIES
We pride ourselves on being the plumber Sydney trusts, and we’re thrilled to announce that earlier this week we passed a major milestone!
We’ve passed 100,000 completed jobs! This marks a huge achievement in plumbing and electrical problems solved by Plumber To The Rescue technicians across Sydney.
In celebration, we thought we’d share with you some insights we’ve collected from the last 30-odd years servicing the region, and help you get the most out of your home plumbing and electrical. We’ll even chuck in some money-saving DIY plumbing tips.
Avoid chemical cleaners. Be careful when you buy a home. Update your hot water, don’t cut costs, and always choose an honest tradie. When you need help, call sooner rather than later! We’re always ready to rescue you!
So, read on for some of the most common queries we get, and some quick tips on how you can get started on the road to repair. We repair what your husband fixed!
IF YOU’RE GOING TO USE DRAIN CLEANER, GO NATURAL
We see this all the time. Frantic homeowners who’ve messed up their pipes with chemical cleaners calling, desperate for help. When we’re asked for brand recommendations to keep your drains cleared, we always tell customers to go with natural, enzyme-based products.
These are superior to chemical drain cleaners in a number of ways. Not only are you protecting your sewage system from harmful toxins, you’re actually promoting the growth of bacteria which break down waste in the sewers. These little guys are essential to prevent blockages, or worse.
We’ve written on this before, and we’ll say it again: off the shelf drain cleaner is a bad idea. Use a product like Bio-Clean if you’re doing a DIY drain clear, and you’ll have much better results. The initial outlay might be a bit pricier, but trust us, it’s worth it.
We’re the Blocked Drain Experts© and know a thing or two about clearing out drains. The advantage of calling a plumber over a DIY is we’ve got more tools in our kit to get the job done.
Each team member carries over 150 specialist tools in their vans, so they’ve got what they need to get the job done, usually starting work on the spot.
Don’t have a drain camera? An auger? Don’t worry. We do. Call the Blocked Drain Experts©!
DON’T BUY INTO A MYSTERY
This should be obvious, but we’ve seen it go wrong. If you’re purchasing a new home, whether it’s your first place or a retirement nest, always get it inspected by a trustworthy and reliable plumber, before you sign anything.
This will protect you from nasty surprises down the track.
Anything from tree roots in drains to cracked pipes can be hidden behind the façade of a beautiful house. If you play it safe and have drains and piping properly inspected, you’re more likely to not face a high plumbing bill in the near future.
Make sure you get the wiring inspected at the same time. Every so often stories pass through the electrician grapevine of houses with botchy electrical jobs done by a “friend of a friend” on the cheap. These go wrong, easily.
If you can’t get certificates for all the work that’s been done on a house, or it’s an older property and it’s not up to modern Australian standards, you’re looking at a dud. Get a quote on rewiring before you shock yourself plugging in a hairdryer.
GET YOUR HOT WATER UPDATED
Yes, they’re expensive. But sitting on an old hot water heater is like chilling with a time bomb. Not only can they stop working, they can actually prove dangerous.
Inside your heater is a sacrificial anode that prevents the exterior from rusting by attracting impurities in the water. This anode means that cracks and weaknesses in the outer metal are less likely to occur.
But the anode must be replaced regularly to avoid the inside of your hot water heater becoming damaged and dangerous. If you can see any visible damage or leaking from your hot water heater, it’s time to call a professional.
We’ve got over thirty years of experience repairing and replacing hot water systems around Sydney, and we’ve seen all kinds of disasters. As leading plumbers, call us for expert investigations or book online.
Avoid a horror story! Get your tank inspected annually, and remember that they only live for about 10 years. When it’s time to replace, consider upgrading to a tankless or instantaneous system for a better long-term deal.
CUTTING COSTS MEANS CUTTING CORNERS
Life in Sydney can be very, very expensive. But if there’s one thing you don’t want to skimp on, it’s plumbing and electrical.
Stuff like light switches and power points may seem relatively inexpensive when you find them at a hardware store, but, more often than not, we find that the cheap models are sub-par and barely meet Australian safety standards.
Installing important equipment such as surge protectors and safety switches, or even smoke alarms, saves lives. It’s not time to cut costs! Focus on getting the best workmanship possible and the best quality of product, with results-oriented tradesmen, and you’ll be in good stead.
We’ll talk about this more below, but a lifetime guarantee on work is worth the investment in a quality team. We’re one of few plumbing and electrical companies to stick by jobs we finish with a workmanship guarantee, so you know we’ll get the job done right. Don’t call a team who’ll disappear as soon as your tap starts leaking – again.
CHOOSE YOUR TRADIES WISELY
If you’re focused on quality, and long-term reliable service, you’ve got security in that. Usually, you’ll find you’re better off long-term going with a team who can offer you better workmanship, than trusting a dodgy one-man band or friend of a friend.
There are two main reasons for this: first off, it’s vital that any work in your home meets Australian standards for quality and safety.
This isn’t just us saying so, it’s a legal requirement. We’ve talked about the Home Building Act elsewhere and your obligation to stick by the safety regulations. It’s the law. You must have all electrical work and almost every kind of plumbing work performed by a licensed professional and certified too.
Choosing a tradie you can trust means going with a team who’ve got all the qualifications, licenses, and insurance that’s needed to safely and effectively get the job done.
Look for teams who’ll guarantee their work (our famous Peace of Mind Guarantee is a good example) or who’ll offer a lifetime warranty (again, our workmanship is guaranteed for life).
You’ve also got to remember that you’re going to be dealing with the tradies. Pick a team who are known for having courteous and respectful technicians who’ll clean up after themselves and keep things professional and friendly.
We, for instance, always lay down protective sheeting in work areas to protect against stains on your carpet. Going the extra step to keep your home clean is something you should expect from your tradies.
CALL FOR HELP SOONER RATHER THAN LATER
Especially in emergencies, time is always of the essence. A plumbing or electrical fault can cascade into a symphony of misery if you’re not careful. Call us before things get out of hand.
At the first sign of a blocked drain, which is usually a gurgling or a smell coming from a pipe, it’s time to get into action mode.
Waiting around risks a burst pipe, or a blockage growing until you’ve got a much bigger clean-up job ahead. Even flooding can result from a blocked drain.
The same goes for electrical. You really, really should never DIY electrical work. Beyond changing a lightbulb, it’s an expert field. Electricians are superheroes in disguise. Without years of training and qualifications behind you, you’re not going to have the same skillset or tools as your Electrician To The Rescue sparky.
Electrical faults can also be dangerous. Power surges can fry circuit boards, leading to a loss of data or burnt-out computers, and power failures can leave you in the dark, without refrigeration, or heating, for hours on end.
EXPERT ADVICE, EXPERT SERVICE
We’re not only the team who dish out amazing advice every time. With great practical knowledge bolstered by 35+ years of practical experience in all kinds of plumbing and electrical jobs across the Sydney region, we can pretty much say we’re the industry’s plumbers.
Remember: with over 100,000 jobs completed, there’s always more to go – and we’re always on call, ready to rescue you! Call us, book online, or request a call back.
Photo credit: PhotoMIX Company