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Renovations need to allow for Plumbing Upgrades

By
Rebecca Senyard
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4
Angular Bath

When looking to renovate a bathroom or kitchen, it pays to have your plumber over at the same time as your builder to get a quote. The reason for this is to ensure that what is being requested can be done legally.  It also allows the plumber to check if the plumbing to the property needs to be upgraded to align with the current plumbing by-laws.

Whenever plumbing is altered on a house, the plumber is required to ensure the rest of the house complies with current plumbing standards. His or her negligence to do so can

  • incur a fine from the Plumbing Authority
  • hold up the sale of the property if it was to be put on the market
  • and/or be void of insurance should the unimaginable flood or accident occur causing damage or harm

We started a bathroom renovation last week. All the fixtures were going back in the same position, but some of the waste pipes had to be adjusted to suit the new wall positions. (For example the existing basin waste was run externally along the wall and the builder requested for it to be run inside the stud wall to the same position.) Once we touched the waste pipe, we had to check that there was an ORG (overflow relief gully) on the property and that the hot water unit had a tempering valve.  Because the house was over 30 years, both these items needed to be installed to bring the property up to the current standard.

I have written posts about ORG’s before. They are mandatory on all houses as they prevent sewerage overflowing  inside the home if the sewer backs up.

On Friday we installed the ORG but there were a few minor hiccups.

Firstly, in the area that needed to be excavated we could see that a Telstra line was also laid down underground in the same position. The owner had told us that when a plumber replaced the sewer pipe 7 years ago, he had cut into the phone line and Telstra had to come out and fix the line. We were hoping to avoid doing the same thing.

So dad and I arrived at 6:45am to hand dig the area to locate the Telstra line and ensure the excavator wouldn’t lift it up.

We were able to locate and follow the Telstra line to know where not to excavate. When we hand dug a bit more we found another white conduit pipe which we assumed must have been the old phone line because the first line we found looked newer so we assumed Telstra had left the old broken phone cable in the ground and had rerun a new line.

 

We found two conduits for the phone line, one looked newer than the other
We found two conduits for the phone line, one looked newer than the other

Well the excavator came and started to dig deeper and deeper and we couldn’t find the sewer. This was our second problem. So the excavator moved to another position to see if the sewer could be dug up there and in the process lifted and broke the phone line which we thought was the old line.

Starting to excavate to find the existing 100mm sewer
Starting to excavate to find the existing 100mm sewer

Unfortunately it wasn’t an old telephone line, it was the telephone line and the other new conduit line we found was Foxtel.

I felt my gut drop when we realized the phone line was stuffed. Thankfully the electrician onsite was  licensed to run cables and advised that he could fix the line for us. Thank the Lord for that because who knows how long and how much Telstra would charge to fix the line.

Found the sewer under the garden bed. Cut in using a junction to branch off for the ORG
Found the sewer under the garden bed. Cut in using a junction to branch off for the ORG

Once we found the sewer it was relatively easy to cut a junction into it and run the branch for the ORG to where the hose tap was located on the gate wall.

ORG’s need a hose tap over top to keep the water seal at the bottom of the trap to prevent sewer gases coming up into the air.  You or your neighbours don’t want to smell poop.

Bedding sand being placed under the pipe
Bedding sand being placed under the pipe

So the lessons to be learned from this are:

  • Renovations need to allow for plumbing upgrades so have your plumber and builder over at the same time to discuss what needs to be done and allow extra in the budget to cover the costs AND
  • Dial before you dig and don’t assume that old looking cables in the ground might be redundant
    The ORG is the grated drain which is the deepest part of the sewer so if a blockage ocurrs, the sewerage will overflow out of the grate and not in the lowest bathroom fixture in the house
    The ORG is the grated drain which is the deepest part of the sewer so if a blockage occurs, the sewerage will overflow out of the grate and not in the lowest bathroom fixture in the house

 

Wordless Wednesday – More Ekkaciting Photos

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
10
Ekka
Waiting for her turn on the Clowns.

For this weeks Wordless Wednesday I have uploaded some more photos from our first family trip to The Ekka. You can read about our visit here.

I’m not a brilliant photo taker and having an iphone makes it easy to take a few pics on the go. Having said that, I try not to take too many photos when we are out because I don’t want to focus on taking pictures of our memories, I want to enjoy making them.

Estherarts

We enjoyed viewing the creative arts and craft displays.

EstherSand

To prevent another tantrum, we took Esther to the Qld Government Fun Pavilion where she could dig in the sand pit for treasure.

EstherTrain

This was Esther’s first ride by herself. I love that The Ekka caters rides for little people.

MagdaleneKewpie1

Magdalene was happy to sit in the pram and look at her Kewpie Doll.

Magdaleneasleep

And after a fun afternoon of being pushed around, it was time for a nap.

 

 

The Ekka

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
19
Ekka

We blew a little under $200 to go to The Ekka and I don’t regret a cent. Some would say what a waste of money but The Ekka holds nostalgic memories for me not only as a child but as a plumbing apprentice.

I have always loved the Ekka. My parents would take my brother and I every second year or so and the tradition of going is one of my favourite childhood memories. I actually wasn’t really interested in the animals. I was more interested in the arts and craft, the dog shows, the agricultural and lifestyle displays, the food, the show bags and the night time entertainment in the ring including the fireworks.

Mum and dad didn’t allow my brother and I go to side show alley until we were a certain age like early high school. I’m not sure on the reasons why, but I can tell you when we did go to that part of The Ekka, we loved it.

For me, I preferred to admire the lights of the rides rather than be on them. Playing the games meant that we would spend a fortune trying to win a stuffed animal or we’d play enough games to upsize each smaller prize for an even bigger prize.

My dad would play in the Youth for Christ and South Brisbane Federal Bands when he was a member which meant we would have to wait for dad to finish playing before we could have some fun.

I will never forget one year when I was in Grade 9 and I was in Math class and before the bell rang for lunch the teacher received a phone call. When the teacher hung up, she announced to me in front of the class that I had to go to the office. My mum was waiting there to take my brother and I to the Ekka. You should have heard the class react after hearing that announcement. They asked if they could come too!!

When I was doing my plumbing apprenticeship, two blocks of Tafe would end on the first Friday of the Ekka over the two years that I completed the Tafe requirements. I can remember counting down the weeks till Tafe was over so I could celebrate with Jacob at the Ekka.  The Ekka has happy memories for me.

I still went to The Ekka right until before I had Esther. Esther was born in early August 2010 so we didn’t go that year and subsequently haven’t gone since then.

But there were no excuses this year not to go, so on Sunday we caught the train in (it was Esther and Magdalene’s first train ride) and decided to battle against the crowds for an afternoon out.

The place was packed and HOT and because of our late arrival and Esther having had no midday nap, tantrums were starting to flare.

I actually grimaced inwardly about why we decided to go on Sunday but the inner child in me was too eager to enjoy it and make the most of it after we had made the effort to get there! We had Strawberry Sundaes and Dagwood Dogs and Esther scored well getting a Peppa Pig and Cars showbag.

The showbags are pricey. I remember as a child a $10 showbag was really expensive back then. In saying that though, everything is useful in the Peppa Pig and Cars show bags – there was no filler crap that used to be the substance of the showbags from my younger years.

Esther wanted to go on the ‘roundabout’ ride aka The Ferris Wheel which Jacob happily took her on after her first request was to go on this…

No Idea what this ride is called but you enter the balls and they roll and float on the water.
No Idea what this ride is called but you enter the balls and they roll and float on the water.

The Thiess show bag was a winner too (they are handed out at the Thiess Tent near the little kids side show alley at the St Pauls Terrace end) For $2 you got a bag with a  mini hard hat, pencils, colouring in book, jellybeans, sticker and rubber bracelet. The $2 was being donated to a charity.

If you have young children and don’t want to spend money on the games, The QLD Government Fun Pavilion has plenty of free activities to entertain the kids with a mini rock climbing wall, sandpit fun and interactive displays.

The Woolworths Pavilion didn’t disappoint and I got my Good Taste & Super Food Ideas Show bags which were 2 for $15. The value in these bags was excellent as you can hopefully see in this picture.

The goodies from my showbags
The goodies from my showbags

We couldn’t leave The Ekka without getting a Kewpie doll. At first Esther didn’t want one, and then when she saw that we bought one for Magdalene she had to have one too.

A kewpie doll for my cutie
A kewpie doll for my cutie

We finished the afternoon off with a game on the clowns where Esther actually won a prize!! And she had a go at Pluck a Duck and when she was offered a choice of a constellation prize, grabbed both prizes before the girl handing them out could say any different.

Waiting for her turn on the Clowns.
Waiting for her turn on the Clowns.
Excited to play Pluck a Duck.
Excited to play Pluck a Duck.

We missed the Peppa Pig Show, the Fashion Parade and feeding the animals and left before the night entertainment started in the ring, but we didn’t care. We had a great time and we will go again when Magdalene is old enough to remember. The things we missed can be enjoyed another year and we will remind ourselves to go on a non-public holiday weekday to avoid the crowds!

If you are a Brisbane resident and want to save money on tickets, buy a McDonalds Happy Meal and you will receive a voucher where you can get 20% off by purchasing your tickets online or 10% at the gate.

Have you got any fond memories of the Ekka?

How to check if your house has a water leak

By
Rebecca Senyard
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1

A couple of weeks ago I had a client ask for my advice regarding what could be causing high water bills. The client requested for a plumber to check out the property as they had monitored the bills over a couple of quarters and couldn’t work out why the usage was consistently so high as there were only two people living in the property. She concluded that there must have been a water leak on the property to warrant the extra charges. Her theory was true to a point but needed to be proved.

So I sent my dad to the property to check out the water meter. The best way on how to check if your house has a water leak is to see if the numbers at the top of the water meter click over when no water is being used in the house. If the numbers stay the same you know that there isn’t a water leak, but if the numbers slowly roll over, you know that water is being used or leaking from somewhere along the water line.

A typical water meter in Brisbane
A typical water meter in Brisbane

When looking at your water meter, the round dials would also be rotating if there was a water leak. If they stay in the same position, this also confirms that there is no water leak. The dials calculate the water usage to an exact figure. Some water meters have these dials, others don’t.

If the house does have a leak by doing the water meter test, the next step is determining where the water is leaking from.

There are plumbers that specialize in leak detection services and are able to track the water pipe leading from the water meter into your property and can locate the exact position of the water leak.

The water meter at the client’s rental property stayed the same which meant there was no water leak and the charges for the water were because of high usage. Another explanation could be from the water meter not being read correctly (or at all) and so I advised them to make a note of the amount of water used each day and to correlate the figures with the next bill. Taking a digital photo of the water meter after each day is another way to diarise the water usage. If the figures aren’t within the same range from what has been written down to what has been sent on the bill, it’s time to ring the water supplier and show the evidence of the inconsistency.

I do know of one organization suing a water supplier for water bills that they paid for on a water meter that was buried in the ground and had never been read since the day it was put in!!

Since water supplies in most areas of Australia have been privatized, it pays to be vigilant at watching your water usage and monitoring your bills. You don’t want to be paying for water you haven’t used.

For more on how to ready your water meter in Brisbane, check out Urban Utilities Reading your Water Meter page.

Fearless Female Tradies

By
Rebecca Senyard
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2

In the last couple of months I have had some lovely feedback about my blog from women who are doing apprenticeships. I’m inspired and astounded by the variety of apprenticeships these women are undertaking. There are some fearless female tradies out there and your stories inspire me just as you are inspired by what I do.

I had a comment a while back from an apprentice roofer! Roofing is not my favourite area of plumbing and there is now a separate apprenticeship for roof plumbers. Well done Aimee on choosing a specialized field in plumbing. I take my hat off to you. I bet you are tanned and have fabulously toned legs. Standing on roofs can be hell on the legs and the sun can be a real killer in summer. I envy your toned legs, but I don’t envy your work. 😉

There are two Facebook pages that are dedicated to female tradies and apprentices and I wanted to share them with you. I wish they were around 6 years ago when I did my apprenticeship. Support from other women in trades is so important when undertaking an apprenticeship. I encourage anyone who reads this blog to check out their Facebook pages and share them with other female tradies.

The first page is Lady Tradies Australia. This is a great organization that promotes, supports and encourages women in non-tradition roles and trades. They have over 1000 fans on Facebook so if you are looking for support as a female tradie, head to their Facebook page.

The second page is Fanelle which is a fairly new page started by Fiona who is an apprentice mechanic. Fanelle encourages women to undertake apprenticeships in Trades that are currently considered to be non-traditional. We work together with tafes, employers and high schools to give apprentices amazing career opportunities and a future worth living up to.

The novelty of being a female plumber hit home this week when dad and I started early at a residence to do a bathroom renovation. The lady of the household opened up downstairs for us so we could start work and when she went upstairs, her husband asked if the plumber had arrived, she delightedly said “yes, she has arrived” to which the husband asked “she?”

The lovely client later told me how surprised her husband was that a female plumber was working at their home. He had to come down to see for himself. I thought he was coming down to say hi and introduce himself and find out what we were doing!!

It’s funny because since writing my blog and having been a plumber for over 6 years, the uniqueness of being a female plumber has worn off for me, but for others it is still seen as a novelty. Sometimes you need to see someone else’s perspective to remind yourself that what you do may be ordinary in your own eyes, but extraordinary in someone else’s.

 

Hope you all have a super weekend!

Wordless Wednesday – My Princess turned 3

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
10

Last Friday on the 2nd August, my princess turned 3. To me, it’s mind boggling that our first born, Esther, is no longer a baby, nor a toddler but a little girl.

Opening her big present from mum and dad - a dolls house
Opening her big present from mum and dad – a dolls house

 

 

This age is so cute because Esther finally understands what birthdays and parties are all about. I decided to hold a small party for her on her special day. The theme was Disney Princess because the movie that is constantly being replayed at the moment in our house is Beauty and the Beast. Esther is now obsessed with Tangled which was a present from her Aunty and Uncle (and secretly mummy is thankful to be watching a different movie!).

Big W recently had a sale box where I found a Disney Princess Party Pack for $5 which included the plates, cups, serviettes and lolly bags. We also found Disney snowglobe glitter cups for the lolly bags as something different to the usual lollies given to the guests at the end of the party.

Disney Princess Party pack and food fit for a Princess
Disney Princess Party pack and food fit for a Princess

 

 

I had fun creating the party food. We had Snow White Apples, Fairy Godmother Musk Wands, Sleeping Beauty Mallow and Strawberry Spindles, Ariel’s Thingy Ma Bob Mix, Enchanted Castle Fairy Bread, Belle’s Rose Shortbread and Crown biscuits and Prince Charming Sausage Rolls and Meat Pies.

Disney Princess Themed Food
Disney Princess Themed Food

 

 

The cake was bought from Woolworths. I’m really not that great at making birthday cakes. Pinterest puts too much pressure on mums these days…

 

But then I proved myself wrong when I created this cake for Esther’s Birthday dinner. I called the cake Peppa Pig and Muddy Puddles. I took the Peppa Pig and toy tree from Esther’s toys. Baked a chocolate cake in a ring cake pan, made and set chocolate mousse the night before, iced the cake with green icing (made using premade icing and adding a lot of yellow and blue food colouring), filled the middle of the cake with chocolate mousse and then added a few flowers, Peppa and her tree and the cake was done. The cake not only looked better than I expected, but it tasted GREAT.

 

Peppa Pig and Muddy Puddles Cake - Easiest cake to bake and make
Peppa Pig and Muddy Puddles Cake – Easiest cake to bake and make

 

 

Overall Esther had a great day and night. I was exhausted and was glad I had the weekend to recover!

Blowing out the candles.
Blowing out the candles.

What causes toilet and pipe blockages?

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
10

When I recently posted about not flushing tampons and pads down the toilet, I had comments asking whether people still do that? Well people don’t – it’s generally females that do and whether it’s from laziness or ignorance, they are a common cause of toilet blockages.

 

Toilet and pipe blockages can also be caused by wet wipes, toilet wipes, paper towel, nappies… really anything other than poo, wee, vomit and toilet paper. And yes people have tried to flush nappies down a toilet. I had someone flush a nappy down my toilet one day and thankfully I had a plunger to save the day. I wasn’t particularly impressed though because I had guests when it occurred and it was the guest toilet that was nearly overflowing to the rim of the pan. It could have turned nasty.

 

A toilet waste is 100mm in diameter so it has the potential to allow bigger items through but a bend here and a belly in the pipe there and a tree root that has penetrated the waste pipe means that anything other than human waste and toilet paper has the potential to cause a blockage.

 

It’s important for our overseas migrants to also know what can and can’t be flushed down the loo. I had one apprentice tell me that he was constantly unblocking toilets in the Moorooka area in Brisbane where African immigrants have settled. Flushing toilets are an amazing invention to some of those who have travelled from the third world (we westerners take flushing toilets for granted sometimes) and they have put rubbish down the toilet because they have never been told any different. This apprentice told me he had found tennis balls, small milk cartons and one time a skateboard wheel wedged in the s trap of the toilet pan.

 

If we are flushing down things that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet, then what are we rinsing down our sink wastes?

 

Oils and fats from cooking should never be rinsed down the sink. You should leave the fat to solidify and then place it in the rubbish or reuse the oil (if you can) to make gravies.

 

Food scraps like rice, pasta or cereal shouldn’t be rinsed down the sink either. They expand in water and when they get gluggy they have the potential to block a sink waste too.

Some blockages are inevitable and have nothing to do with what has been flushed down the toilet. Often a tree root can penetrate the pipe and grow through the pipe causing anything flowing through the pipe to back up.

When this happens, on most newer properties the sewerage should overflow through the ORG (overflow relief gully) and you will find that your basins and sinks won’t drain nor will the toilet flush away waste.

The only way to fix this type of blockage is to cut the roots out and fix the broken pipe to prevent the tree root from growing into the pipe again. This can be a big job depending on how deep the pipe is.

Most plumbers who unblock drains as their niche in plumbing will have a camera that can determine the cause of a blockage in a pipe. It can be fascinating watching the camera descend down a pipe. (It can also be a bit gross as it travels past poo and soggy toilet paper).

The cost to unblock a pipe or toilet can start from $180 depending on how far the blockage has occurred and how long it takes for the plumber to unblock it.

So it pays to make a note to yourself and your family not to flush or rinse anything down the pipes that shouldn’t as most pipe and toilet blockages can be avoided.

A Successful Work Day

By
Rebecca Senyard
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1
female plumber on site showing her boss the problem

Today dad and I disconnected a bathroom and replaced some basin taps to a vanity basin.

Often our clients enjoy the comical camaraderie dad and I have with each other as we get each job done.

You really need to have a good sense of humour when you’re a plumber. Some of the crappiest jobs can turn into the most funniest moments.

Today I nearly vomited when my dad placed his whole hand into an old toilet waste to work out where the pipe ran to. Plumbers should seriously have shares in hand sanitizer because we go through that stuff a lot. That hand got a double dousing of the stuff!!

Our second job of the day turned out to be easier than expected. We had to disconnect taps from an existing vanity basin and install the new tap ware. When disconnecting taps from a basin, there is always a mark from where the existing tap ware sat on the basin. Sometimes the marks can be scrubbed off using a cream cleanser like Jiff.

Most clients if they hang around to watch what you are doing, get embarrassed when they see the marks on the basin. I can generally tell how often a basin has been cleaned. If there is green residue underneath the tap flanges, I know the basin has been cleaned often (the green residue is from the cleaning products that have seeped underneath the flange). If there is black gunk and the flanges are hard to take off, I know that the basin hasn’t had much love and care from the cleaning department.

Either way, plumbers don’t generally judge on cleanliness (ok… sometimes I do but I think that this may be because I’m a woman).  Most plumbers want to get in and get out when it comes to doing work.

If you are particularly keen to have a super clean bathroom, clean the areas that often get left unclean… underneath the toilet seat hinges and underneath tap flanges if you have hot and cold pillar taps in your basin.

Magdalene fast asleep at Grandma's with a full tummy.
Magdalene fast asleep at Grandma’s with a full tummy.

What made today a successful work day was the fact that Magdalene settled well with my mum and went to sleep after her morning solids feed. Not only does my mum still have the ‘Grandma touch’ but my dear little Magdalene may have gotten used to her mummy going back to work. I hope she can behave the same way on Wednesday.

Why you shouldn’t flush tampons and pads down the toilet

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
17

Most female public toilets in Australia have sanitary bins next to the toilet for convenient disposal of pads and tampons.  This is to ensure that they aren’t flushed down the toilet. If they are flushed down the toilet, they have the potential to cause blockages and it can be costly to a building manager to call out a plumber to unblock the pipes.

 

This is a view from a camera down a blocked drain. Sourced by www.whywait.com.au
This is a view from a camera down a blocked drain. Sourced by www.whywait.com.au

 

The reason why you shouldn’t flush tampons and pads down the toilet is because these items don’t disintegrate in the water. They expand when immersed in water and as they travel through a sewer pipe, they can get caught or sit at the bottom of a waste pipe until the next wave of sewerage and water flows through.  Some sewer pipes have roots from trees that have grown in them over time and a blockage is inevitable because everything backs up from the roots in the sewer which means if sanitary items are flushed down the toilet, they will get caught in the roots.

 

Toilet paper disintegrates in water and so it is safe to be flushed down, providing it’s only a few sheets at a time. Toilets can block up from too much toilet paper use too.

 

So next time you are tempted to flush a pad or tampon down the loo, think again and dispose of it in a bin. Although plumbers are used to fishing out the cause of a blockage, it’s not a terribly proud moment for the woman of the house when she gets found out and the evidence is displayed on the grass in front of her.  Bin it, don’t block it.

 

Main Image source

myprosperity Review – Managing Finances Easier with a Sporadic Income

By
Rebecca Senyard
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0

Product talk by Nuffnang

My income has been haphazard since the after effects of the Global Crisis hit the construction industry.

Then having a family and working part time has meant my income has become unpredictable which can make the family budget harder to navigate.

I have always been an excel spreadsheet queen. And long before my husband and I started our family, I would nut out the numbers on a spreadsheet and work out how much our downfall was if my income was taken away(due to maternity leave).

It was time consuming and the spreadsheet system is limited because while it details what you have budgeted for, it doesn’t show how much has been spent and on what.

 

Welcome to myprosperity! myprosperity takes away the excel database entry and links your accounts and assets all in the one place. I was hesitant about entering all my details onto this site but I found it easy to navigate and once my accounts were linked up, I could see how much I was spending on different areas of our budget like groceries and comparing it to what I had budgeted for. myprosperity is a great tool for managing finances easier with a sporadic income.

 

myprosperity is free to sign up to and it is secure and easy to use. The sign up was quick and once I entered my bank details, home address and my car I was able to see what my net worth was.

 

The website is perfectly suitable for tracking spending on all accounts. So if you have your home mortgage and credit card with different banks, you can see their balances under the one roof.

The key feature that I especially loved about myprosperity was the free car and house valuation. With the volatility in the housing market, this figure really interested me and I was glad to see that there was some growth since we bought our house 5 years ago. The value of our car also gave me a thumbs up figure which will be beneficial when we decide to sell it and upgrade to a bigger family car. This feature alone is worth signing up to myprosperity.com.

 

So if you are looking to get ahead in your finances or you are finding it hard to stick to a budget and want to house all your accounts, loans and assets under the one roof, try myprosperity. As the name suggests, you will find your finances will be easier to watch over and manage which should see your financial situation prosper.

 

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post and abides by my disclosure policy. All opinions are my own. I was sent a $50 gift card in exchange for this review.

 

What a blocked sewer looks like

By
Rebecca Senyard
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11
how to fix smelly drains

WARNING This post may make you sick! Look at your own risk!

I uploaded this image years ago when I was an apprentice plumber on my Facebook page to the disgust and admiration of some of my friends. I titled the picture “This is why plumbers get paid big bucks”.

This was a blocked sewer chamber that my dad and I came across when we were finishing off renovating the bathrooms at QLD Transport in Beenleigh.

The toilets weren’t flushing properly and backing up, so dad lifted the manhole outside the toilets and this is what we saw…

blocked sewer

 

The sewer man hole was clearly very blocked. (I have been told by some plumbers that they have been to manholes where the sewerage is OVERFLOWING out of the man hole. eww eww EWW!) Dad unblocked this chamber using rods which can be attached to each other to make a long plunger. Sometimes the force of the plunge can snatch the rods out of your hands. This is why my dad unblocked the chamber because he was more experienced and he wanted to save me the embarrassment of getting sucked into the chamber and covered in poo. Such a gentleman my dad is.

I didn’t take a picture of what the chamber should look like when it’s cleared, but dad did clear it and the toilets started flushing fine.

I was glad we both walked away unscathed. Oh and the smell? It reeked. Lifting that lid was like bursting an atomic fart bomb balloon.

Plumbers are worth their weight in gold I tell you when they deal with crap like this.

Linking up with Ms Mystery Case and My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Plumber doesn’t just glue pipes together

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
13

Last week my dad and I drove into Bunnings because we had to get some timber and non-plumbing supplies for the truck. When it comes to plumbing fixtures and fittings, we always go to Reece Plumbing where we have an account and get good service.

As we drove into the Bunnings car park, a man came out carrying PVC pipe, some PVC bends and a container of glue. It looked like he was going home to do some DIY plumbing work. This man made the ultimate rookie mistake though of only purchasing glue when he also needed to buy the cleaner or as plumbers know it, primer.

 

How did I know that this guy didn’t have primer? Because the colour of the lid on the container he was holding told me it was glue and he was carrying no other containers for the primer.

 

A plumber doesn’t just glue pipes together, they weld them using techniques that are taught on the job and at Tafe. PVC pipe is welded together when the primer and glue are applied to each touching surface of the fitting and pipe.

 

If the primer isn’t used before the glue when connecting fittings and pipe together, the installation will be weak and the fittings and connections will eventually leak.

 

When PVC pipes and fittings are welded together, each surface that needs to be glued must have red primer smeared on first and then the glue is applied. The primer and glue act together to weld the pipes together creating, essentially, a strong bond and hold. Both surfaces fuse together.

 

One of the first things plumbing inspectors look at when it comes to installing PVC waste pipes, is the red smear from the primer at each joint. If they can’t see the red dye from the primer, they assume the plumber has just glued the joints together and will ask for the job to be completed again.

 

Some plumbers have been caught out by taking a short cut and just gluing the pipes together. I remember one commercial job where all the joints leaked on the PVC waste within 6 months of the job’s completion. It was found that the plumber hadn’t used primer and he had to reinstall the waste pipe correctly at his cost. It became a lesson for all our plumbers to never forget to use primer.

 

So while some plumbing jobs look easy to attempt, plumbers do follow a procedure to guarantee the longevity of an installation. It’s in everyone’s best interest to engage a licensed plumber to do all plumbing work at one’s home. The alternative options of doing it yourself or hiring a handy man sometimes produce a poor outcome in the long run.

 

 

Time off the Computer

By
Rebecca Senyard
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0

I’ve been a bit absent from my blog in the last week due to feeling a bit under the weather and having issues with my email which has finally been sorted out.

 

It was nice actually having time off the computer and being able to finish the last book in The Hunger Games series (which I have been reading since Magdalene was born!) and start a new book by Joyce Meyer Battlefield of the Mind.

 

I was also busily getting new bangles and earrings ready for a stall at a fundraiser event on Saturday. One of my hobbies is creating resin jewellery and I turned it into a side business through my Styled by Bec business.  I didn’t have many sales, but the event was successful in fundraising money for an orphanage in Fiji.

 

I also went to my first Blogging Network Event yesterday organized by Blog Power Events and Baseball Queensland. You can read about our family day out here.

 

At the moment, plumbing work has been a bit quiet on the practical side, but we have a few bathroom renovations to start and complete next month. I don’t mind work being a bit quiet while I ease back into it again and Magdalene can get used to the change too.

 

I have the heater on and a wooly jumper on today due to the change in weather. I love snuggling up with the girls on days like today. On that note, I’m going to leave the computer again to spend time with the girls. I introduced Esther to Beauty and the Beast today (because Toy Story and Monsters Inc are becoming scripts in my head!!) and while it’s cool and overcast, it’s the perfect time to cuddle on the couch and watch my favourite Disney movie with my gorgeous girls.

 

Talking about Disney, I will leave you with a quote from the man himself that someone shared yesterday on Twitter which made me feel better about neglecting my blog.

‘A man should never neglect his family for business.’ Walt Disney

Baseball Family Day Out

By
Rebecca Senyard
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5

A non-plumbing blog post.

When I was in junior primary school, the summer sport of choice was T-ball and I loved it. I wasn’t fabulous at it and in fact was always put on the ‘B’ team when my team competed against other schools. But I loved the camaraderie within the team when one of our own made a home run. As a runner, I really enjoyed the running aspect of the sport.  As I went on through primary school, T-ball was followed on by Softball and this was one sport I didn’t particularly do well in. I was hopeless at hitting the ball when someone threw it at me. Unco is the word that comes to mind when I think about my Softball ability… anyway….

 

My experience with these sports when I was younger didn’t deter me from taking my family to Hendra All Stars Baseball Club where we were invited by Baseball Queensland to try out the sport for ourselves.

 

Brisbane put on the best weather for a morning out on the field, where we could try basic ball throwing and batting exercises suitable for toddlers and up.

 

My Esther had to warm up a little before the program began and in beautiful toddler tantrum fashion threw herself on the ground because she wanted to go the Park across the road.  So I, (who was hoping to watch and learn, rather than jump into the action) got into the ball throwing and ball retrieving mode and really enjoyed myself. The tantrums unfortunately didn’t stop off the field. They surfaced on the field too when having to share the bat or being frustrated at missing the ball, but the staff from Baseball Queensland were so patient and friendly.

 

Our little family enjoying the Baseball exercises.
Our little family enjoying the Baseball exercises.
Practicing hitting the ball with a tennis racquet.
Practicing hitting the ball with a tennis racquet.
Being instructed on when to throw our balls. 
Being instructed on when to throw our ball.

 

Baseball was not one of the sports that I was thinking of offering as an option to Esther when she is old enough to play in a team sport. The most obvious choices are netball, tennis, soccer or gymnastics. But Baseball is in a league of it’s own because it’s a non-contact sport which means less chance for injuries and it’s a summer sport too.

 

After being out on the field and taking part in the same drills that the junior teams are put through, Baseball is definitely going to be offered as an option.

 

The summer sign on season is coming soon. If you’re not sure if your child would be suited or even interested in Baseball, why not attend the All Star Baseball Club open days which will be held at 12pm to 4pm on the 3rd, 4th, 10th & 11th of August. More information can be found on the Baseball Queensland website for a club that is nearest to you.

 

I have to thank Blog Power Events and Baseball Queensland for organizing our Baseball Family Day Out. We got to play in the sunshine and experience a sport I had deemed as more of a sport for boys than girls (and I’m a plumber…?).

If your child is super keen to give Baseball a go, why not head to the Blog Power Events Facebook page where they are holding a giveaway of 5 Awesome Little League Prize packages which include your Little League Club Fees paid for one year, a coaching session with a professional baseball coach, a baseball glove and a baseball.

Flexible Work Arrangements

By
Rebecca Senyard
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25

As you know, I went back to work last week but little Magdalene hasn’t taken the change of routine too well.

She must have sensed I was going to work today, because last night she woke up more than usual through the night which meant both she and myself got little sleep!

I knew today was going to be a fairly full day at work disconnecting and installing toilet suites at two different homes.

The plan was for my mum to look after Esther and Magdalene for the day. Dad and I would go do the first job, come back to the home office so I could feed Magdalene and then come out again to do the second job.

Magdalene didn’t like this plan so when I left at 8.45am, she screamed for over two hours in my mum’s arms and wouldn’t take a bottle or any comfort from the toys I left for her. 🙁

Carrying Magdalene in the Baby Bjorn. This was after the last job of the day.
Carrying Magdalene in the Baby Bjorn. This was after the last job of the day.

So I had to be flexible and when I returned back to the home office and fed Magdalene, I took her with me and for 2 hours I had her strapped in the baby bjorn while I passed tools and new toilet suite parts to my dad to install.

The flexibility of having a family business and working in people’s homes means that I can make last minute decisions like this. In the corporate world, there would have been no chance.

Dad felt he had the best of both worlds. He had his daughter and grand-daughter working with him.

Wouldn’t it be great if all of our workplaces could be more accommodating for mums and their babies? Flexible work arrangements would put less strain on our child care systems and less financial strain on families who rely on this care.

I feel so blessed that my mum is able to look after my children. I hope one day I will be able to return the favour to my future grandchildren.

 

Above image source.

Adding Value to a Toilet

By
Rebecca Senyard
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0

One of the key features of old Queenslander type homes is that they have a toilet installed at the back of the house, usually located behind or next to the kitchen.

I visited such a house last week in Indooroopilly and the owner wanted to add a basin to the toilet so that guests wouldn’t have to walk through the house to the main bathroom to wash their hands. The key to this type of installation was finding a compact basin to fit into an existing toilet area.

Caroma manufactures a small wall basin called the Compact basin (pictured above) specifically for this type of installation, but they are pretty pricey for such a small fixture. I think it’s a niche market so Caroma price the basins accordingly. The basins are small enough to fit in a small room, yet big enough to just get your hands under the tap to wash them.

Installing the basin was a matter of working out where the waste and hot and cold water services were located so that a connection could be made and installing a studor vent to meet plumbing laws. We also had to make sure that there was enough space to hang the basin so that the toilet could be used comfortably and the door could swing both ways. Thankfully this toilet was in a long narrow room so there was enough space to hang the basin.

The existing toilet with the new compact wall basin being installed.
The existing toilet with the new compact wall basin being installed.

The most difficult parts of the job was coring through the tile floor for the waste and water to connect down below. When coring holes through tiles, there is the potential to crack the tile floor. The way to avoid this is to use Diamond Drill hole saw (cutting bit) and use a water spray when drilling the hole.

The other difficulty was finding an existing stud in the wall to hang the basin on. One side of the basin was able to be screwed into the stud, the other side was held into place using a toggle screw.

The job took half a day to install and was immediately adding value to a toilet that was previously an inconvenience to use.

On high set Queenslanders, this type of installation is fairly easy to do depending on how far away the water and waste points are because access can be made under the house for the connections.

On low set houses with no space underneath, built hard on the ground, sometimes the connections can be made by running the waste and water through the wall to outside if the services are readily accessible outside the house.

This is not an installation to be attempted by a handyman or the man of the household. It must be installed by a licensed plumber and in Queensland, a Form 4 must be submitted to the Plumbing Council because you are installing and adding a new fixture to your house.

Wordless Wednesday – A Mini Plumbette

By
Rebecca Senyard
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4
kid high vis
cutiesfitting
Captivated by a PVC reducer
cutiestrumpet
Can I blow it like a trumpet?
cutiesbangle
Makes a great bangle
cutiessmell
Wait a minute, has this been used? What’s that smell??

This is my first time linking up with My Little Drummer Boys for a Wordless Wednesday Blog Post.

These are extra pictures that I didn’t put in my Review and Giveaway post on Cuties by Zootys, the manufacturer of these awesome Hi Viz Kid’s Shirts.

I’ll let the pictures do the talking… my daughter may be another female plumber in the making! A mini Plumbette!

Cuties by Zootys Hi Viz Work Shirts for Kids – Review and Giveaway

By
Rebecca Senyard
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16

When Esther was little (not yet walking), I sometimes took her to work with me. It was the days when my mum was unable to look after her and I knew that I was working in the home of someone I knew or who wouldn’t mind me bringing her along. (I never took her to a construction site!) I wished that I could have dressed Esther in her own cotton drill shirt just for fun. I didn’t think that there were any companies that would make kid’s tradie clothes until I found Cuties by Zootys on Facebook.

 

I bought a Hi Viz Pink shirt for Esther and as soon as I showed her she couldn’t wait to put it on to look like mummy. To drive the point home, she decided to look through my tool bag or as she likes to call them ‘mummy’s toys.’

 

Looking through mummy's tool bag
Looking through mummy’s tool bag

The shirts are great for kids who love to get outside and get dirty. They are durable and an excellent shirt to wear in the sun when playing outside. The most common use though is for parents to keep an eye on their kids because of their high visibility. If you’re going to a crowded event like the upcoming Ekka in Brisbane, these shirts will be a hit for you and your little ones.

 

Cuties by Zootys recently ran a ‘be safe be seen’ campaign to promote stronger bonds between parents and their children. The campaign helped relieve separation anxiety when parents are away from home, build confidence & boost kids self worth.

 

If you run a business in the trades, these shirts are a great marketing tool for your kids to wear to push your brand further. Cuties by Zootys can put your brand’s logo on the shirts for you at an extra cost.

 

Alternatively, if you buy a shirt from the hot pink range, $5 from the sale of each shirt goes to the McGrath Foundation. This is the shirt that I bought for Esther to wear.

 

The best part about these shirts is that it can help your child relate to the tradie parent in the family.

Wearing mummy's welding googles and holding her fave multi grips.
Wearing mummy’s welding googles and holding her fave multi grips.

 

Now, because I support girls getting a trade, Cuties by Zootys have offered one of The Plumbette’s readers a Hot Pink & Navy Shirt + Navy Work Pants (the same shirt that Esther is wearing) to a total value of $74.90. The winner will be able to choose their child’s size.

 

To enter all you need to do is

•             Like The Plumbette’s Facebook page

•             Like the Cuties by Zootys Facebook Page

•             Comment below on why your daughter would love to win this prize and where she would wear it? If your internet browser doesn’t bring up the Disqus Comments section, send your answer to rebecca@theplumbette.com.au.

 

Disclaimer: I bought a Hot Pink and Navy Shirt for my daughter and Cuties by Zootys offered a giveaway. All opinions are honest and my own. No payment or gifts have been made in conjunction with this blog post. If you prefer to buy a shirt or two now head to their online store.

 

Terms and Conditions

These terms shall apply to all giveaways and competitions run on this site, www.theplumbette.com.au

1.            This is a game of skill. Each valid entry to be judged on creativity and originality, not by chance.

2.            There is one prize Hot Pink and Navy Hi Vis Shirt and Navy Pants to the value of $74.90.

3.            Entries open from Tuesday 9th July 7am Brisbane Time to Wednesday 24th July 2013 9pm Brisbane Time.

4.            Prize is not transferable or changeable

5.            Prize sent out by Cuties by Zootys will not be replaced in the event it is stolen, lost or damaged in transit.

6.            Additional entries if you share on Facebook or Twitter, but you must comment a second or third valid entry.  Also please leave how you shared in the email.

7.            A valid email address must be included in your entry.

8.            Entry into any giveaway or competition is deemed acceptance of these Terms and Conditions

9.            Entrants must be Australian residents and aged 18 or over

10.          The winner will be notified by email and has 5 days to reply and claim the prize. The winner will also be announced on Facebook. This giveaway is not endorsed by Facebook.

11.          The decision on the winner is final and no dialogue will be entered into otherwise.

12.          These terms and conditions are subject to change at anytime without notice

A Fork in the Road

By
Rebecca Senyard
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0

You may have noticed a few changes in my blog posts recently. It’s not because I’ve gone all soft or haven’t had anything to blog about when it comes to plumbing. It’s because since having my second child and being on maternity leave, I have had time to seek clarity and think about what I want to achieve with my blog and the direction I want to take it.

When I first started blogging I thought the readers would come and my friends would be my first fans to like my Facebook page.

Well the readers didn’t come and the Facebook page sat dormant for quite a while before I started asking for likes via giveaways. In the last month, my Facebook page ticked over 100 likes and it was done organically by linking my blog up with other blogs to build my readership.

My maternity leave has given me time to read other blogs, network with other bloggers via social media and read tutorials on how to make my blog better. One of the key lessons when writing online is to write for your target audience.

When I started my blog at the end of 2011, I thought my target audience would be plumbers but I naively forgot that the clients that ring me up for plumbing work are predominantly stay at home mums and it’s this same audience that are reading my blog.

If my dad and I have ever had the privilege of working in your home, you would know that I love talking to you and my dad likes to get on with the job. I have juggled passing tools and fittings to my dad while playing tea parties with your daughters or throwing balls for your pets and showing off tools and explaining how they work to your sons. I realized as I was breastfeeding my daughter that I wanted to bring this personalized approach to my blog and not just preach the same drum about always using a licensed plumber.

So this is how my blog will roll. I will write about plumbing and the jobs that I come across, but I will also write about motherhood and hopefully when you read my blog you will learn something about the plumbing trade and feel encouraged about your role as a mother or father or a female tradie or a plumber or whatever role you currently find yourself fulfilling.

I will be writing sponsored posts where I feel led. I only realized the full enormity of how influential my blog can be when I recently went to a friend’s home and she showed me a bottle of Bosisto’s Eucalyptus oil that she had purchased to remove the stubborn stickers from her new stainless steel fridge. She had remembered reading the review on my blog and bought the product.

This is why I write reviews and want to do sponsored posts and giveaways – because they benefit you the reader. Any money received from sponsored posts will get sown back into my blog. I haven’t received any payment so far for my blog and it has been a big investment of time and money from my end. But the investment is worth it. And one day I do want to write and blog full time so that I can work from home and be there for my children when they go to school.

I have come to a fork in the road and I have chosen my direction and I’m hoping you will stay with me and that The Plumbette will become one of your favourite blogs to read.

Thank you for your support, your comments and following me via social media.

I’m available and back on the tools from this week on if you live in Brisbane and require some plumbing to be done. Feel free to send me an email or connect with me via Facebook.

*Image sourced from LWYM Pure

 

One of those days

By
Rebecca Senyard
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1

Today was one of those days. A day where I had things that needed to be done but my plans were interrupted by a toddler who wanted her mummy to do craft and a baby that wanted to feed because she was teething.

 

The house was a mess. Our wooden floor was littered with balls of dog hair and dust. I was super keen to try out our new Miele vacuum cleaner that my husband and I bought last weekend because I was OVER the lack of suction from our old Electrolux.

 

Usually, when I want to do housework, I settle Esther on the couch to watch TV and set Magdalene up in her swing. But Magdalene didn’t want a bar of her swing or play mat or Bumbo so I vacuumed with her attached to me in the Baby Bjorn. She loved it, although it nearly killed my back!

 

The rest of the cleaning had to be put on hold so that I could focus on resettling my kids. I was over it. You see, I’m the type of person that if I can’t get work or something done in my own timeframe or the way that I want it to be done, I get frustrated. Of course, I’ve had to change since having children and be content to fit housework and blogging during nap times or when I can. But when I have worked out a proven routine that doesn’t go to plan, I get slightly exasperated. I know that I’m not the only one and that mum’s deal with this all the time.

 

When my husband came home from work, I told him we were having take-away and I would pick it up because I needed a break. What a nice greeting to come home to!

 

As I drove past the back of our house on the main road, reflecting on the day and what I could change so I could be more ‘efficient’, I drove past a really bad car accident.

 

Suddenly my thoughts turned to those involved in the accident and I prayed for those that were hurt. It was a pretty nasty accident with all three emergency response teams at the scene and one person was being loaded into the ambulance.

 

I realized that I had focused again on myself rather than the needs of others in my family. Babies and children can be so demanding, but they only remain like this for so long.  They are demanding because they know no different and to be honest, they need to take first priority before housework or any other work for that matter.

 

The only way I could get myself out of my flat mood was to pray and thank God for my family and how sorry I was for taking them for granted once again.

 

When I returned home from picking up dinner it was back to the routine of dinner, bath and bed time.

 

What a day. What a moment. You know what I’ll be doing tomorrow…

 

‘Enjoy the little things in life, for some day you will realize they were the big things.’ Unknown

 

Fined for a Flying Toilet Seat

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
21

It was late in the afternoon and dad and I were on our way home. We had finished refurbishing the bathrooms of a house that was going to be used for community purposes. All our work had been offered for free and it had been a big day.

 

We were travelling at 100km/h on the Centenary Highway heading towards Forest Lake when dad looked through his rear view mirror and saw a toilet seat fly off the back of our truck like a frisby in front of a policeman on a motorbike.

 

Lights flashed behind us indicating dad to pull over to the side of the road. We thought of all the people to witness losing part of a load! And now we were going to be fined for a flying toilet seat.

 

The policeman was unimpressed about the toilet seat incident, saying it nearly hit him off his bike (it didn’t touch him and landed on the sideway). He then investigated the rest of the contents in the ute and told us that our load was unsecure and the tool boxes and tools could also fly off.  The tool boxes weigh a tonne but we weren’t going to argue with the officer.  He gave my dad the fine. There was no loss of points from his license because the offence wasn’t due to bad driving.

 

Later that week dad caught up with another Police officer (at McDonalds for a coffee, not for another offence!!)  who assured dad that the way our ute was packed was fine and that the Police Officer who gave us the fine was doing his job and was probably more concerned if the toilet seat damaged his bike.

 

Whenever dad and I load the ute with old boxes and fixtures, we always make sure light items are weighed down with heavier items. So this was the first time we had a toilet seat fly off the back of the ute and thankfully it flew into the grass side way because we were travelling in the far left lane.

 

I bring this story up because the Police are cracking down on drivers – especially tradies who haven’t tied down their loads.

 

No tradie can afford to lose valuable tools or new product off the back of their truck. Unfortunately it does happen but it can be avoidable.

 

The thing is, not only is it a hassle to lose a load of goods on a highway, it’s incredibly dangerous to other drivers on the road. Dad and I were lucky that our toilet seat didn’t cause an accident or hurt anyone.

 

In order to avoid a fine, tradies are now using nets to place over the ute tray to avoid anything flying off. It’s also important for all members of the public to do the same. Over the weekend I saw heaps of overloaded trailers going to the dump.  The piles were unsecure and dangerous.

 

We all have a responsibility to ensure that our cargo is packed securely and won’t be a nuisance to other drivers. Nets are available at all leading home hardware and plumbing supply stores. The cost of the net which can be used time and time again is better than an on the spot fine of a couple of hundred dollars.

Lead by Example

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
0

 

Last night was an interesting turn in politics. I’m not one to write about current affairs unless it has to do with plumbing, but I did want to comment on leadership and how to go about it when you’re a woman.

I remember back in high school, how I dreamed of being the school captain. The thing was I wasn’t popular and I don’t think I voiced myself up as a potential nominee for fear that others in my grade would put me down. Unfortunately most of the nominations were based on popularity rather than all round achievers. In the end, the right people got the right roles, but there were some nominations that left me scratching my head at the time.  I wasn’t in the running for any of the positions and even though I was disappointed, I realized that it was just one year of my life and after school was finished no one would really care or even remember if I were school captain or not.

The prestige of being captain for me was deeply rooted from wanting to be accepted. It’s taken me years to realize that some people just won’t accept you or like you. A leader isn’t focused on their own agenda for acceptance, they are concerned for the greater good of all.

I also had to learn that my value was not from what others thought of me but on who I knew God created me to be. In effect, once I realized how pretty darn awesome I was (not in a proud way), it didn’t and doesn’t matter if leadership opportunities come my way again or not. I don’t need to be a leader to prove my worth.

Exceptional leaders know their worth and so do the people that follow them.

That is why the state of our political system is such a mess. Sometimes it feels like our leaders forget that we are watching and judging their every move. We want leaders who can provide policies that work and are backed authentically by their party. We want a leader that leads by example.  I don’t think Labor realizes that the scandal last night did more damage than good in the eyes of the Australian Public.

While Julia Gillard has been regarded as a strong female leader and made history as the first female Australian Prime Minister, her tactic in acclaiming the top job was neither inspiring or one to be followed .

The change in leadership back in 2010 when Julia took over as Prime Minister from Kevin Rudd never sat right with me. I do believe that women need to be determined to reach the top (if they want to), but they need to do it with integrity. I’m all for women being CEO’s and Prime Ministers and hold positions of leadership but it’s got to be done right. I almost want to see a woman smash the glass ceiling when it comes to gaining a leadership position because that is more inspiring than watching a woman betray her own to get what she wants.

I love hearing stories of women triumphing in the business world and becoming managers or successfully running their own business through hard work. These women receive their positions of power and attention on merit, not through backstabbing their colleagues or competitors.

Which is why last night’s spill, for me, was not a surprise. It’s a good lesson that betrayal breeds betrayal.

On a positive note, I do hope the election is brought to a head sooner. That way us tradies can stop blaming it as one of the reasons behind the lack of work. It would be nice for us to be busy again.

 

 

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