Everyone has a story for 2020 and how their lives and workplace has had to adapt to Covid-19. Earlier in the year when the first wave hit our shores no one knew what to expect and how things would play out. A virus that no one knew much about and where it came from.

Corona virus was a new strain of virus which the world had no vaccine for, and it is highly contagious. As maintenance plumbers in Adelaide and across the Adelaide Hills we were very concerned that no one would want us in their homes or businesses and that we would be very quiet.

adelaide city street

Customers Working From Home

Fortunately for us and many other service-based trades we have been the opposite. Many of our clients have been working from home and require their infrastructure to be working all the time. Many of our commercial clients such as Office Works, BUPA Dental,Duxton Capital, Peter Stevens Motorcycles and The Salvation Army have been on top of all their sanitary requirements ensuring all items plumbing related are at peak performance.

Tasks such as blocked drains and no hot water have become the number one priority as hygiene is the number one priority in combating this virus in 2020.

Many of our customers have not been travelling and have therefore had additional funds available to them for small jobs such as toilet upgrades, new vanity installations, new tapware installations and drainage repairs. All these jobs are items which normally would be left on the bottom of the lists for priorities but now many of our Adelaide based clients are getting these done because they are at home a lot more of the time. The year 2020 has seen many of our commercial plumbing customers implement thorough maintenance schedules. Although many of our commercial customers already had programmed maintenance in place, 2020 has made them intensify these plans to ensure all bases are covered.

Increase In Certain Service Requirements

Increased backflow valve tests, more frequent changes to water filtration systems, increased checking of hot water thermostat temperatures and operation of electrical elements, more frequent inspections of sewer pumps and submersible storm water pumps, increased testing of thermostatic mixing valves and increased CCTV Camera investigations.

All of these jobs are to ensure that any type of plumbing emergency can be helped avoided and to keep the health of the public and employees at an optimal level. Fortunately for Mayfair Plumbing we have been listed as an essential service provider during this crisis. It has allowed us to help keep the community safe and operational during periods of lock down. It is hard enough to find a reliable plumber in the Adelaide Hills but during the Covid-19 crisis we have found our services in even higher demand. Many manufacturing businesses which have stayed open have been using our plumbing services for plant upgrades and reactive maintenance works. Wineries and fruit operations are constantly in need of running water and associated works which keeps Mayfair Plumbing in
business.

6 Day Lock Down

As the year 2020 slowly grinds to an end South Australia has gone into a 6-day lock down. Only essential services have been allowed to operate. The roads around Adelaide look like the city has been deserted. On the first day of lock down we experienced some
cancellations and also some new bookings. Once again it was only jobs which are deemed essential. Replacement of hot water heaters and taps which will not shut off.

The 6-day shut down incorporates a weekend which will be interesting as majority of people are stuck in their houses. If a block drain or pipe bursts it will be deemed a plumbing emergency. Mayfair Plumbing are on call 24 hours a day and 7 days of the week helping residents of Adelaide get their plumbing emergencies under control and typically within the hour.

As the 6-day lock down progresses it appears that false information had been provided to the SA Health department and SAPOL which has now indicated that the harsh 6-day lock down will now be halved to 3 days with all activities to resume as of mid-night Saturday the 21 st of November 2020. As of today the 20 th of November, all parks are open for exercise. It has certainly been a very interesting 2020 in Australia and especially right now as we speak in South Australia.

Aaron Stewart

Aaron Stewart is the found and owner operated of Mayfair Plumbing & Gasfitting based in Adelaide, South Australia.

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