VLOGS

• Understanding where a drain is really blocked will help to know where to clear it from
• Plunging a blocked pipe is only a temporary fix
• Contacting a licensed plumber to fix a blockage will save time and money in the long run
• Don’t forget to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel!
• Top Dog Richard was recently called out to a property on a Friday due to a blocked kitchen sink. The sink simply wouldn’t drain and was causing headaches for the family, especially going into a busy weekend.

In this VLOG, Rich shows us what was causing the blockage and how he unclogged it using his specialised equipment.

EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK

A quick check of the various drains in the house verified that the blockage was contained to the kitchen sink, as this was the only one backing up. A further investigation found that the overflow gully located on the other side of the home was also backflowing, leading Rich to believe that the gully pipe was blocked, rather than the shorter kitchen waste pipe.
The gully pipe was situated under the slab of the house, running the entire width of the home and the blockage could be anywhere along that pipe.

MORE THAN TAKING THE PLUNGE

The first step the Plumbdog team will take is to use a plunger down the gully pipe to see if the blockage can be dispersed. This can lower the water level, making it easier to use other equipment. Plumbdog will never stop at using just a plunger, as further investigation is always required for blockages and this would be considered a quick fix, not a permanent one.

GREASE IS THE WORD

The next step involves feeding a drain jetter 2-3 metres down the gully pipe to clear out any immediate build-up. Rich then switched to his rigid nano cam/CCTV, but the camera lens was quickly covered in grease, confirming that the blockage was due to fats and oils being washed down the kitchen sink.
To prevent any mess inside the home, a towel was placed in the kitchen sink to avoid any splashback that may occur during the next step.
A rear-facing jetter was then fed through the gully pipe, assisted by the CCTV camera to monitor the progress. Metre by metre, the grease was cleared all the way up to the kitchen sink waste pipe.
While retracting the CCTV, it was clear that the gully pipe was now free of any grease build-up and the kitchen sink was draining with ease again.

PLUMBDOG TO THE RESCUE

Grease build-up is a very common problem that can occur over time. While there may be some short-term solutions available, it is important to contact a plumber who isn’t afraid to get their paws dirty to properly clear the build-up in the pipe. Plumbdog has the state of the art equipment to get the best results, so if you’re in the Greater Perth area and are in need of a reliable Perth Plumber, give us a whistle!

Don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel, like and subscribe to stay up to date with our latest videos.

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• CARE! Don’t over tighten your taps!
• Over tightening your taps could cost you some serious $$$
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Have you had a tap where you just had to turn it tighter and tighter each time to get the water to stop dripping? The reality is you may be causing more damage than it’s worth. Most of the time customers unsuspectingly let the problem grow for weeks or even months until water just won’t stop and it’s too late!

Of course you should make sure your taps are off properly but check out the video to learn why it’s important to call in a plumber sooner rather than later and the importance of getting a real qualified and experienced plumber to do the job.

IT’S NOT AS SIMPLE AS JUST CHANGING THE WASHER

Washers are the obvious and usual answer when it comes to small leaking taps. You can even feel it when a washer is aged and on the go when you tighten the taps and even more so you can feel the difference when you have a new washer installed.

This property recently had another plumber out that simply changed the washers on the taps which would have been the obvious thing to do. However, the water was still leaking.

NEVER JUST CHANGE THE WASHERS, ALWAYS CHANGE AND RESEAT!

If the plumber or tradie changing the washer had a quick proper look when they removed the spindles, they would have easily seen that there was a huge scar on the seat. Have a look in the video where Richard shows us throughout how the seat looked from when he first discovered it through to after when he filed it down. You can even see the scarring there after filing.

ALL THE GEAR AND EVERY IDEA!

It’s not always the big tools that make the plumber. Having all the gear also means carrying around a little stainless steel tap insert which many don’t (but we do). In this case it was the last line of defense in the bag of tricks that our obedient Plumbdogs carry. This stainless steel insert not only allowed us to get the job done and save the current tap set, it also saved the customer a lot of money. The alternative would have been to pull the tiles down to have the sets replaced.

Replacing the washer and reseating on the onset would have saved the customer the inconvenience of calling out another plumber and wasting more time to get to the root of the problem. Not only has it wasted time, it’s also cost the customer extra to get the same problem fixed twice.

GIVE US A WHISTLE!

Next time you call out a plumber to simply change the washer, keep an eye out whether they have reseated or at least had a good close look at the seat to make sure the problem doesn’t persist.

If you’re in the Greater Perth area and are in need of a reliable Perth Plumber, give us a whistle!

Don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel, like and subscribe to stay up to date with our latest videos and if you’re in the greater Perth area give us a whistle!

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• High Water Bills are a good sign of a Water Leak
• We show you how you could sniff out a leak too!
• Like & Subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date!

Our clients had high water bills and were also advised by the water corporation that they may have a water leak. Not all homes are the same and on this job, Top Dog Richard found the water leak without the need for any of our advanced leak detection equipment and he shows us why. You can even try it next time you suspect that you have a water leak.

In this VLOG Richard takes us through some steps that you can follow to start identifying and confirming whether you have a leak and where to start looking.

Ascertain if there is a water leak

Turn of all of the water in the house. Check the meter if it’s still running. If the water meter is still spinning, this indicates that there is a leak.

Plumbdog FYI: 1 revolution is 1 litre of water so if yours is spinning quickly, imagine how much water goes down the drain.

Identify Where Water Supply Feeds Property

This is a good starting place and the most logical as you can get an idea where the pipes lead to around your home.

Plumbdog Tip: If you familiarise yourself with your own home, being aware of things like where your inspection shafts and access points are can save valuable time which in turn costs money. In some properties, these have been hidden over time whether paved over or just covered with dirt and it can be a timely exercise for the plumber to locate these necessary locations.  

Check Reticulation

This isn’t always the problem area but a good place to check. At today’s property, this was the problem area and you can see with the water build up in the video. After isolating by turning the isolation valve to stop the water, the water drains away which we can then easily identify the problem area to get on with fixing.

Plumbdog Tip: Isolating The Cold Water Line.

If you’ve been following our videos, you’ll already know that you can also determine if the leak is on the cold water line or hot water line by simply turning off the water supply to the hot water system. How does this work? If you have identified that there is a leak and the needle is still spinning with the hot water line off then there’s a it’s on the cold water line.

All The Gear & Every Idea

All of our vans are fully fitted with all the gear we need for water leak detection and even tools to sort out blocked drains and all sorts of plumbing issues. Not only do we have the gear, we have every idea!

If you’re in the greater Perth area and have any plumbing issues, give us a whistle! Don’t forget to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel too! We’ve been getting some great feedback on our videos and we enjoy sharing with our customers and viewers some useful tips and some of our plumbing adventures.

Don’t forget to LIKE & SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel to stay up to date with our latest videos!

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• Preventative Maintenance for your Hot Water System is important
• Replacing sacrificial anodes is an important part of the maintenance
• It is just as important to use a licensed plumber for the job
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Changing anodes looks like an easy job but it isn’t always as easy as it looks. It’s the same in any industry where professionals exist because of training and experience. What might seem like a simple task may require a better understanding of the equipment, even having the right equipment, the parts and the right way to do the job.

SACRIFICIAL ANODES ARE NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL

You already know that there are many makers of hot water systems. We work with just about any hot water heater but we also supply and install new systems from Rheem, Rinnai, Dux, Vulcan and Bosch just to name a few and there’s more. Just like if you wanted to buy spare parts for your car, a case for your mobile phone, a memory stick for your camera or even fittings for your garden hose, the first thing you usually do is check whether you are buying the correct part for your make and model. This is the same for sacrificial anodes.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN USING ANODES THAT JUST AREN’T RIGHT?

We’re not sure where the client purchased or the specifications provided but what we know is they bought the anode online. It could have been advertised as a generic anode and after installing the anode, the hot water kept spitting and spluttering.

In the video, you can see that our clients had installed an anode which is smaller than the original and the customer has said that the hot water has not been the same since installation. The water has been spluttering and spitting and what we can see is the new anode is already in worse condition to the old anode which it replaced.

REPLACING SACRIFICIAL ANODES

You may have seen videos, maybe even ours, where replacing sacrificial anodes is an important part of servicing and maintaining hot water systems. Watching our videos, you would already know that sacrificial anodes are made to corrode over time as their name suggests, they sacrifice themselves to attract particles in water to help extend the life of the hot water system and hence why they need to be replaced over time.

BENEFITS OF USING A PROPER LICENSED PLUMBER

Unless you have the skills and knowledge, time and equipment, we highly recommend giving a proper experienced and licensed plumber a whistle. The person who bought the anodes at this property already wasted money buying anodes that simply didn’t do the job, suffered having hot water that did not work properly and wasted time and money in the process. Furthermore, you could injure yourself or cause damage to the property or the hot water unit if you really do not know what you are doing.

GIVE US A WHISTLE!

Next time you need a plumber that genuinely services hot water systems and not one that simply pushes you to buy a new hot water system, think of plumbers like Plumbdog. If you’re in the Greater Perth area and are in need of a reliable Perth Plumber, give us a whistle!

Don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel, like and subscribe to stay up to date with our latest videos.

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