How often should you test your pressure relief valves on your hot water boiler?

Do you own a storage type boiler hot water cylinder?  Then you will have a minimum of 2 pressure blow off valves installed (that's providing your plumbing contractor has done the right thing).

The manufacturer of these blow off valves will recommend that some where between every 3 to 6 months someone should relief these and ensure that they are doing what they are designed for and that is release water from both the hot water cylinder and the cold water mains to the properties.

Majority of manufacturers these days will supply a HTPRV with each tank sold (High Temperature Pressure Relief Valve).  This is typically located towards the top of the tank where the water is at its highest temperature and has a short probe which enters the tank.  If the temperature of the water in the boiler ever exceeds a safe zone the probe will swell and cause the tank to release itself via this valve rather than blowing the cylinder up itself.  The idea is that regular checking of water release will ensure that the blow off device is working or not and the required maintenance can then be ordered if required.

The other type of pressure relief valve which I want to talk about today is known as the CWPRV (Cold Water Pressure Relief Valve).  This valve is not supplied with the new boiler, BUT the manufacturer recommends that the plumber provide and install one to comply with the manufacturers warranty, why they don't supply these?  Great question.  Anyway that's a story for another day, as long as your plumbing contractor is doing the right thing he or she will supply and install one of these with every new install they perform.  Once again these are designed to protect the tank from becoming a ticking time bomb, this time these valves will relief due to a spike in the street mains and blow off water to protect the tank from catastrophic damage.

Hot Water is great when its working, but when its on the fritz no one likes a cold shower, if your experiencing some kind of hot water problem why not visit our technicians at http://mayfairplumbing.com.au/services/hot-water/ and get the right solution to your hot water problems today.

How to make your Hot Water Service live for longer

Do you own a storage hot water tank?  Are you interested in knowing how to make the tank live a longer life and avoid fast corrosion?

Most manufacturers these days provide a warranty on the tank of between 7 to 10 years and even longer if you upgrade to a stainless steel tank.

Inside the hot water tank is a metal rod called the sacrificial anode, it has a 3/4" male thread which screws into the center of the top of the hot water tank (as seen in the image below). The sacrificial anode is approximately 1000 millimeters in length and over the life of the hot water tank it slowly sacrifices itself in place of the hot water tank being sacrificed to corrosion.  Not many home owners know that this device should be replaced at various intervals during the hot water systems life depending on water quality delivered from your source.  You will find that if the sacrificial anode is replaced at the right intervals it can truly extend the life of your hot water boiler significantly, your local plumbing contractor will be able to advise the correct schedule to suit your circumstances.

The cost of a sacrificial anode will vary from country to country but typically they are under $100 and then it is just the plumbers labour costs on top of this. When you put this into perspective the cost of a replacing a hot water boiler can be well into the many thousands of dollars so for the sake of a few hundred dollars the financial impact is far less and if it extends the life of your hot water tank well beyond the manufacturers warranty the savings are great.

If you have any questions about your hot water boiler why not contact Adelaide's trusted hot water repairers.

You won't need your GPS when you have this map of Adelaide Plumbers

Usually without a GPS you would be lost, but with our latest map below your in safe hands.  Its the latest digital technology money can buy a map of the best plumbers for the best price.
North, South, East, West, Yorke Peninsula, Fleurieu Peninsula, River Land and even the Adelaide Hills is where you will find these plumbers anywhere in South Australia.
What tasks can can these plumbers and gas fitters perform for you:

• Hot Water Repairs
• Hot Water Installations
• Gas Installations
• Gas Leak Locating
• Gas Repairs
• Leaking Toilets
• Leaky Taps
• Bathroom Renovations
• Kitchen Renovations
• Blocked Drains
• Hydro Jet Cleaning
• Backflow Valve Testing
• Backflow Valve Installations
• Emergency Plumbing Services
• 24 Hour Plumbers
• Water Main Installations
• Domestic and Commercial Maintenance

If it involves water, gas, sewer or storm water these plumbers are the right choice for your next plumbing project, be sure to check it out now today!!!

Get the best plumbers in Adelaide, yes we deliver what you expect.

Are you looking for a list of the TOP PLUMBERS in ADELAIDE?  Well you certainly have come to the right location.  Here you will find a map of the best plumbers, why are these plumbers the best?  The answer is simple:

• These plumbers arrive on time
• They are reasonably priced
• These plumbing companies offer emergency plumbing services
• You can get same day hot water repairs
• AND most importantly these plumbers are local to Adelaide

If you are not so familiar with the areas in which these plumbers service check out our map to local plumbers in Adelaide and you will find a map of the top plumbers in ADELAIDE, yes these plumbing firms are the best and rightfully so, with over 20 years of experience up there sleeves they've seen it all.  From broken water pipes to over flowing drains these plumbers will fix it all and when it suits you.  It's not always that a plumbing problems arises during the day it can be at night or on a public holiday, these plumbers can always help you.

Dissecting battery ignited bosch hot water services 13b and 16b models

Do you own a Bosch 13B or 16B hot water service?  Are you having problems with it?  Are you getting cold water instead of hot?  Or perhaps its just not igniting the natural or lp gas?  These are just a couple of the symptoms that relate to a fault with your Bosch Battery Ignited Hot Water Service, in this weeks blog post we will dissect a few of the common symptoms of a problematic bosch battery ignition hot water service and what are the required steps for a licensed plumber to fix your hot water system.

example of a Bosch 13b hot water service flaming up properly after the water section has been overhauled

To start with if you have a Bosch 13b or 16b hot water service which will not ignite the gas there are most likely 2 things which will be wrong.  Either the 2 x D size batteries have gone flat which assist in the ignition process or the ignition control pack has packed it in.  If it is just the batteries this will be a relatively cheap fix at approx $10 on parts, but if it is the ignition control pack then this will be a bit more pricey at approx $250 for a genuine bosch ignition pack.

If your bosch 13b or 16b hot water service is only sometimes igniting the ignition module could be out of alignment and this is a relatively simple task to be under taken by a licensed plumber which initially requires no parts.  If how ever this still does not resolve the problem it can then lead to the ignition pack needing to be replaced.

Are you noticing significant temperature spikes whilst in the shower, fluctuations from warm water to scalding hot?  If this problem has only just recently occurred and you have not replaced a shower head then this is a very go indicator that the water section for the bosch 13b or 16b is in need of an overhaul.  Typically parts for this job start at approx $85 for the diaphragm and then approx $75 for the other parts which make up the complete water section over haul, your plumber would advise at the time as to if both repair kits are needed or just the one.  If it is established that water section is in good condition and the problem is still occurring the gas valve may need re-greasing, no parts are needed but it can be labour intensive (your licensed plumber will advise).  When considering taking the step of dismantling the bosch 13b or 16b to re-grease the gas valve components the age of the hot water service should be taken into consideration as it may be a better option to just upgrade, but your licensed master plumber from Mayfair Plumbing and Gasfitting would assist with these decisions at the time.

If you would like to discuss the operation of your Bosch Battery Ignition Hot Water Service with an accredited hot water repairer why not visit us online at https://www.pinterest.com/masterplumer/ or feel free to contact us via our emergency plumbing cell +61429361819

Why won't my front loading clothes washer work? I bet you didn't think of this did you??

This week I was called to remove a dishwasher from a customers home which they had for nearly 20 years and replace this with a front loading clothes washer, sounded like a pretty simple job?  Probably have to adjust a few connections but nothing to major one would think??

I arrived on site to perform the installation of the new front loading clothes washer, my customer had purchased this from Radio Rentals the clothes washing machine was already 1 year old as it was an ex rental machine, it was in really good condition like new.
I started by performing the plumbing disconnections of the old dish washing machine, the dish washer was located approximately 3 meters away from the kitchen sink so the cold water inlet and pumped drainage hose had both been extended through the cupboards to suit the location.  Fortunately there was an isolation valve for the water (and it actually worked, even bigger bonus).  Removing the old dish washer wasn't to bad but getting the new clothes washer into place is always quite a challenge especially when your on your own.
Once the new clothes washer was in its place there was a few minor adjustments that needed to be made to the plumbing, the water inlet needed extending by approximately 500 millimeters and the pumped discharge line needed extending by 1 meter.
Once these fairly simple plumbing jobs where performed it was time to check for leaks on the new plumbing.  To do this  I simply turned the water back onto the supply for the clothes washer and then ran the machine through a short cycle (the power must also be turned on), by running the machine through a cycle this will allow me to check for leaks on the pumped discharge line.  When the water started to get pumped through the line one of the stainless steel worm clamps I used did have a little weep so this needed a little further tightening up, after that was done the small water leak stopped and there were no other leaks, great result!
I then proceeded to start fixing a couple of leaking taps over the kitchen sink whilst the machine finished off its cycle,the strangest thing was happening, the machine would get to the end of its cycle and just would not dump the water, i tried resetting the cycle and a few other things like turning the power on and off to re set the computer inside the machine.  Even after trying these things the machine would not dispose of the water from inside of the front loading clothes washing machine?  What was going on?  I was starting to scratch my head a little and I felt a few more grey hairs coming on.  I pulled the clothes washer out from under the bench again to see if perhaps the pumped drainage hose was kinked?  No everything was fine, what was going on.  There was no instructions as the unit was 1 year old so I was very baffled.  I didn't want to leave the property with the machine not working but perhaps I may need the manufacturer to engage one of there service agents, it sounded as though there was a problem with the pump.
As I was finishing off the leaking taps over the kitchen sink I had a thought pop into my head, could the pumped drainage line be blocked?  I looked down the trap riser in the sink to see if there was some sort of blockage stopping the water getting into the 50 millimeter S and P combination trap.  I couldn't even see where the nipple on the side of the trap had been drilled out what was going on here???
I asked the customer have you ever used the dishwasher that has been in your house for 20 years?  She replied no it never worked properly, she told me her friend hooked it up for her many years ago and didn't want to tell him it didn't work. OH MY GOD, so for 20 years these customers have had a dishwasher which never worked.  So I disconnected the PVC trap under the sink and sure enough the nipple on the side of the trap had never ever been drilled out "WOW WEE".  So I carefully drilled it out and put all the waste riser plumbing back together, checked it for leaks by running some water down the sink and then went over to the front loading clothes washer, I turned the new machine back on and sure enough as it went into pumping mode to get rid of the water away it all went down the drain AMEN.   I told the customer of the great news, she started hugging and kissing me she was so re leaved, trust me she wasn't the only I tell you.
Can you believe this experience which I had it has surely amazed me and given me a real reminder that when your working in the maintenance plumbing field fault finding can really play a large part of the job and being able to successfully identify and then fix the plumbing or gas problem can make the real difference between a good job and an outstanding job!
If you need a plumbing firm who can undertake a task for you that may be a little left of field why not visit us at https://www.linkedin.com/pub/master-plumber/88/892/7b3 or call me on my cell phone +61429361819, hope you have enjoyed reading about my experience this week as a plumber and I cant wait to bring you more exciting stories to you in the future.
If you've had an experience which you would like to share I'd love to hear from you, please drop me a line.

Connecting a front loading clothes washing machine by a licensed plumber

Can you clear a blocked drain that is infested with tree roots using a hydro jetter?

To those who are not familiar with drain cleaning equipment they think that the only method which could possibly clear tree roots out of a blocked drain pipe is by using a metal snake simply because its metallic and sharp so of course it will cut through the roots inside of a blocked drain line.  This thought process makes sense, BUT what a lot of people don't know is that there is some even better technology available to the public today and its called "HYDRO JET DRAIN CLEANING".

So what is the hydro jet drain cleaner and how does it work? Well as you may or may not know water has long been pressurised and used for cutting items such as metal and even precious stones such as diamonds so why wouldn't it be able to cut through trees roots?  Exactly and that's what the hydro jet drain cleaner is used for, un blocking drain pipes FAST!  In the you tube video about hydro jet drain cleaning below you will clearly see just how the jetter clears blocked drains.

If you find yourself with a plumbing emergency on your hands with either sewerage or storm water overflowing then you will need a plumbing contractor who owns a hydro jet, the jet can get to the source of the blockage quick smart and relieve the pressure from the line with in minutes, that's the kind of result your looking for when your plumbing is backed up and surging out of the drains.

If you would like to know a little more about Mayfair Plumbing and Gasfitting and the services which we can offer you why not visit us at http://www.yelp.com/biz/mayfair-plumbing-and-gasfitting-adelaide-3 or alternatively you can contact us via the phone on +61429361819

Can a backflow prevention device fail a backflow test after only being installed for 12 months?

Well its a question I get quizzed on time after time by my customers.

So here's the scenario, you've had a new place built whether it be domestic or commercial and the first annual test of your backflow valve has now fallen due since you took possession of the property.  You contact Mayfair Plumbing and Gasfitting to book a plumber for the backflow test, the  plumber arrives on site and whether it be a RPZ or a DCVA one of the check valves fails the test.  The plumber approaches the customer and tells them of what is going on with there backflow preventor and immediately the question is asked "how is this possible as the backflow valve is only 12 months old?"

The answer to this is quite simple, all it takes is a small amount of debris to get into the backflow valve and mark the soft rubbers inside which seal against the seats to prevent backflow and no longer will the check valve inside the backflow prevention device seal properly.  So it doesn't matter how young or old the backflow valve is it can fail a test at any time depending on the circumstances it is exposed to.

In this short video below from you tube it gives a detailed explanation of just what backflow is and the varying types of hazards which can be associated with backflow and the different valves we use to combat these hazards.

If you have a question about anything related to backflow why drop us a line from anywhere around the globe on plumbers@mayfairplumbing.com.au or contact us via our cell number on +61429 361 819.

Hilarious prank played on a Plumber

My week started off in a rather unusual way and I'm sure there isn't many of you out there who could say that there week has started in the same way.

I was prank called by a local radio station SA-FM's morning show Cat and Amos in my home town of Adelaide, South Australia.  I was caught out by Amos when he rang me early in the morning pretending to be looking for a plumber to help him with a bathroom renovation project in a suburb of Adelaide called Prospect.  As I always do when a phone call sounds a little bit suspicious as it did in this telephone you always give it the benefit of the doubt, as it turned out in this particular instance the call was bogus, but harmless.

The buzz which has been created through this phone call going to air in Adelaide on Monday has been amazing, so I'm actually grateful to have been prank called.  During my time as plumber I certainly have had my fair share of un wanted prank calls, so this was a good one.

Have you ever a weird phone call or a bizarre job that you have attended to? It doesn't have to plumbing related, we would love to hear your stories.

Can't wait to hear your funny stories, nothing beats a great laugh, cheers Aaron

Plumbing on Tap, a blog about anything plumbing related ON TAP, with out the drip

Welcome to plumbing on tap a complete blog about anything related to plumbing, if it involves water, sewer, storm water, gas and even electricity your going to hear all about it in this brand new release to the plumbing market globally.

Aaron from Mayfair Plumbing and Gasfitting is a guru of the plumbing world and has worked on pipes and drains all over the world, he has now taken some time out of his busy life as a registered master plumber and decided to give some of his wisdom back to the public around the world and share some of his tips and tricks that only a plumber could know.

As a quick kick start to this blog for all you weekend warriors I would like to give you a couple of quick points worth noting in the case of a plumbing emergency.

Point 1: Always know where your water meter isolation valve is located in the case that you may one day need to suddenly shut the water off.

Point 2:  Familiarize yourself with the location off your gas shut off valve in the case of an emergency where you may need to isolate the gas all of a sudden.

Point 3:  Always have the number of your local plumber on hand because you never know when you may need him or her.

A friendly emergency plumber is always your best friend in the time of a plumbing emergency