local plumbers in AdelaideIt was over 20 years ago now that I first started in the plumbing business in Adelaide. It was a real eye opener for me coming out of the sheltered world of school into the construction industry. I was taught how to do various tasks such as the suspending and installing copper and brass drainage, bending and croxing of copper tube and brazing of copper and brass pipes up to 150mm in diameter.

Years Of Experience

Performing these tasks above took a long time to learn and plenty of hands on experience, not too mention plenty of mistakes and lots of wasted materials. The use of hard drawn metals is still used today but it is a dying art and the new upcoming plumbing apprentices will not be learning these skills due to the demand for this in the plumbing field is no longer classed as high. Having learnt these skills, it has allowed myself and other older plumbers to adapt to many circumstances where the skills we learnt 20 years ago can be used when renovating old properties and connecting to the existing sewer pipes and water mains. When performing office fit-outs and other tenancy fit-outs in the CBD of Adelaide it is very common to come across these styles of sewerage and water services, so having a few additional skills up our sleeves comes in handy and gives a certain advantage over other plumbing firms.

As we have slowly seen the phasing out of these plumbing methods we have also seen new products move in and take their place. Items such as PVC and HDPE drainage pipes, polyethylene water products such as Rehau, Trade Pex and Profit, composite gas tubing in large rolls allowing for easy installations and probably the most popular of all the introduction of the Flexible water and gas connector.

New Technology

Flexible connectors as seen in the video below have revolutionised the way plumbers and gasfitters install items such as gas cook tops, gas ovens, deep fryers, hand basins, toilets, kitchen sinks and hot water service installations and maintenance. Flexible hoses come in various lengths starting as small as 150mm long through to 1500mm in length, they also come in various diameters ranging from ¼ inch through to 1 inch. Today flexible water connectors can be purchased as optional burst proof rated to 1500kpa of pressure and can be installed within a couple of minutes saving time on labour installations and the removing the likely hood of a leak occurring.

As time progresses we are continually seeing improvements in plumbing products which are cutting installation times down which in turn is increasing the time frames in which new projects such as the NRAH and Casino redevelopment can be completed. Recently we have seen new drainage systems come onto the market called Raupiano. This new style of plastic drainage system has a few big benefits:

  • Rubber ring joints allowing for easier installations
  • Pre-cut lengths to suit most applications
  • Built in acoustic properties equalling quieter hydraulic systems for both lengths of pipes and fittings
  • Very rigid core eliminating bowing in the installation – 3-layer system
  • It can be used for both trade waste and sewer drainage systems
  • Wide range of temperature resistance from minus 10 degrees through 90 degrees Celsius
  • Sound dampening brackets to further reduce the travel of noise through to next level
  • Used in multiple countries throughout the world

Before the introduction of this product we would have to firstly install the above ground drainage system and then wrap it in an acoustically rated material. This acoustic material was extremely heavy and very labour intensive, in some cases you would fined it taking longer to acoustically wrap the drain then the actual installation of the drains (both vertical and horizontal). The products resistance to greasy and chemical wastes also allows us to now only use the one product for multiple applications.

Plumbing is gradually becoming easier on us trades people to perform and in turn cheaper for the consumer to have their task performed a win for everyone. Be sure to watch our video below and see how flexible water connections should be installed the correct way.

Aaron Stewart

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

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