Back to wall toilets have taken over complete with soft close seats. So no loud bangs in the middle of the night when someone has to go. The the other beauty of back to wall toilets is there is a lot less to clean no difficult nooks and crannies to get dirty stuff out of and therefore they are less smelly. Some back to wall toilets have triple inlets ie left side, right side and back inlet. If installed back inlet they can completely hide all the plumbing. Its a little more work but well worth the look and obviously less visible plumbing and again less to clean. Some of the brands we install are Le Vivi, Toto, and a few more. The are reasonably priced and not too difficult to install. One of the beauties of back to wall is they connect to most plumbing pipe work without too much alteration. A full installation can be around $1500 to $2000 at 2020 prices. The pages and pages of toilets you see in brochures and online can be minimised to back to wall. They are better all round.
Solar Power to Pumps and Water Heaters
We are increasingly being asked to fit solar power to pumps from tanks and to feed troughs for pets and other domestic animals eg your horse trough.
Another use of solar power is feeding your water heater as it acts like a battery and if there is surplus power why not heat water instead of sending it back to the grid.
Previous News Letter
Like hundreds of other businesses, we have chopped Yellow Pages to save trees and environment. Due to technological advances, Google has taken over the printed book for most people. We are offering our own client database a special offer in lieu of being present in the printed book. Save our contact details into your phone/computer contact list now, it will be handy when needed in the future. Mention the letters “YP” when you log jobs and we will give you a $20 credit off our standard Service Call. This offer is also available to new clients, so refer your friends and family today!!
Summer
Now that the weather has cleared up, it is a great time of the year to get those pesky leaks fixed and gutters cleaned.
Vege Patch or Veggie Patch, however you call it. And Garden Watering
This summer get a 200L storage tank fitted before the Council introduce their hosing restrictions. We have a special deal, get a storage tank fitted for $199 and view the 2 colours available on our website. It is an excellent Christmas gift for the gardening enthusiast and a wonderful emergency water supply if needed.
Got Guests staying over??
Things can get a bit tedious when guests come over. And some problems occur only when they are either about to come or are already there. That water heater won’t cope up or the bathroom is a bit of an embarrassment. We specialize in bathroom renovations and kitchen renovations. We can make a quality fit-out to match your budget and give you the best “bang for your buck”, as well as something that will last long.
How’s that power bill been this winter?
We have two recommendations.
Shift some of the power load to solar power
Reduce or change the type of electrical fitting to an economical option.
This year is going to be a big year for solar power as new solar power storage products hit the market. You will be able to store power more economically instead of selling it to power companies.
Did your heat pump really do its job this winter?
If not, call us. We have solutions for fixing heat pumps.
BBQ’s Can Go Bang
Recently one of our team members got a huge fright and the operator suffered burns, when using a barbeque that had not been serviced. What happened? When gas is released into a container (e.g. a hooded BBQ) and not ignited straight away, a spark eventually occurs. Enough gas by this time was built up to make it explode, causing flames to rush out of the opening, and the hot plates to go vertical.
Gas is a great and safe energy source. Call us for a quick service or a clean up before Christmas. We can attach most barbecues to the natural gas system. This helps in saving filling bottles and is cheaper to run.
This newsletter is out first of the year. Daylight Saving means we are heading towards the winter months. Is your property maintenance up to date and ready to embrace the changes? We have had a few services called in already.
We compiled this list from last year’s call outs. Some of these became expensive due to the maintenance not being done.
Roofing/Guttering – is it secure, flowing without any leaks and clean.
Check press metal roofing tiles are not rusting on the edges, which can cause them to flip off during high winds, because they are no longer secured by nails/screws.
Spouting – is the water flowing and draining away quickly.
Cracks in drainage (storm-water drain not clearing quickly or are damp areas appearing)
Loose pipes and dripping taps where connections have been stressed.
Appliances clean and well maintained – is you ceiling becoming sooty.
Ensure your spouting is not overflowing onto outside hot-water gas infinity units. We had a few of those fail last year due to this.
Security lights still working.
Are your appliances and heavy furniture been secured back to a wall, including your Hot Water Cylinder.
Brick and Concrete Chimneys – remove/reduce or replace with light-weight flues. Information regarding chimney removal and reasons why they should be removed can be found on our website.
Spouting Overflowing
There are a few reason because of which spouting overflows apart from the obvious reason that no one has cleared it out.
It is filled with debris.
It is not falling correctly.
The down pipe is blocked.
The storm water drain is blocked.
Blocked Storm Water Drains
Blocked storm water drains can cause a lot of damage to the inside of the buildings and it happens when you least expect it. We cannot turn the water off, it depends on the pumps and the situation.
Rain Water Harvesting and Emergency Water – Check Out This Great Deal!
Water Harvesting – Emergency
Water tanks are a great item to have in place “before a need occurs”.
A 200L tank available in heritage green or birch grey, connects to your spouting down pipe and recycles rainwater.
The tanks are made of UV resistant“food grade” plastic, which has been certified to meet NZ standards for water storage. Southern Plumbing can save you the hassle of collecting and installing this 200L Water Storage Tank.
Fully installed (secured with seismic strapping) on your property for $199 including GST.
The site location must be on flat ground and next to a downpipe for connection.
Site/slope variances from this are workable but will need to be quoted.
Call us on 0800-HugeLeak (0800-484 353) to book installing your emergency water tank.
Larger tanks are available as well such as 800L, 1000L, 2700L, and 5700L; if you wish to use the collected water for your garden, car washing etc., during water restrictions. All tanks come with a 10 year warranty.
No It’s Not a Missile Launcher
We installed one of the largest solar water heater collectors in Newtown in a Medical Centre recently.
It heats water to over 80 degrees C’.
We note that some consumers got a big increase in line charges from some power suppliers.
The power suppliers know you probably cant avoid that or can you??
In a small batch or holiday home line charges over a 10 year period can really add up. It can add up to a stand alone non grid connected solar panel system.
With LED lighting and gas for water and cooking and heating.
Batteries could be an option in the right circumstances with solar PV panels.
Winter Heating for 2018
Gas heating is always good if you have gas, either radiant heat so you feel it straight away or a powerful space heater.
Gas is popular for heating as you can get large outputs which you cannot get with electric which is limited by the out put of a hotpoint which can only deliver 2.4 kW. With gas 3 to 8 kWs is common. With gas prices about half that of electricity its still a good option.
Electric panel heaters are so small in output, the heat escapes before you feel it so a wastage of money. Wood burners are also popular and we can install them too but to be economic the wood needs to be free or cheap.
