Let’s be very clear about this – A gas leak can cause an explosion.  A gas leak can most definitely cause an explosion if the gas/air mixture is in certain parameters. If you smell a gas leak in Melbourne (or anywhere), you must never ignore it. No matter whether in a public place or your own home. The stream of gas from the leak is highly flammable. This means that if there’s a flame or spark in the vicinity of the leak, it can cause a fire or explosion. It is extremely important to immediately turn off the gas and call a gas plumber if you are able to smell gas. For easier and more immediate detection, an odorant is added to natural and LPG gas so that any leaks can be detected quickly by smell. Not sure what to do if you smell gas? Read our blog about what to do in the case of a gas leak. Natural gas is generally considered to be safer than LPG gas, as natural gas is lighter than air and so will then dissipate if there is a leak. LPG on the other hand, being heavier than air, can lay in holes or low areas in the ground or buildings unless dispersed by wind. This can result in an explosion if there is a source of ignition. This makes LPG more dangerous than natural gas. Regardless of the type, it is still important to report all gas leaks in Melbourne, as gas can build up in a confined space and potentially create a dangerous situation or explosion. One time a client of O’Shea Plumbing rang to request an investigation of a gas leak. After pressure testing the client’s natural gas installation and finding it to be sound, the O’Shea gas plumber asked the client why he had called for the investigation. The client showed the plumber how the concrete and bricks of the rear steps of his house had been blown off the back of the house down to the back garden. The client went on to explain that this happened when he had flicked a cigarette butt under the stairs. Checking under the house showed an empty LPG gas bottle lying on its side. The client had thrown the LPG bottle under the house after returning home from a recent camping trip. The isolation valve of the bottle had been knocked open, causing gas to escape and lay underneath a depression in the stairs until the client’s cigarette butt ignited the gas and caused an explosion. Thankfully the client was ok, however, this situation could have turned out very differently for them. It’s important to take care of all gas installations, fixtures, gas bottles, etc. to keep you and your family safe. Remember: preventative care and maintenance are can save you from a costly accident or fix-up in the future. Want to know more about how professional plumbers deal with gas leaks? Take a look at our blog where we discuss how O’Shea Plumbing fixes gas leaks.  The gas fitting professionals at O’Shea Plumbing are accredited and licensed to conduct gas replacements, repairs, alterations, servicing, testing. There are no better professional gas leak plumbers in Melbourne than the O’Shea team. O’Shea Plumbing has been in business since 1978 and has been a member of The Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia for over 40 years, so you can rest assured that we’re trusted professionals when it comes to gas and water leak detection. With us, you’ll get a quick response so you can sort out your gas leak issue as soon as possible. Call us on (03) 9888 2887, we’ll come running.

At O’Shea Plumbing we pride ourselves not just our workmanship but on the service provided from initial contact to the finished job. We have regular meetings to discuss ways to become more than just the typical, traditional trade people, but a standout service. At O’Shea Plumbing we regularly go above and beyond when it comes to your plumbing as we want everybody to have the best plumbing possible. As the old saying goes, preventative maintenance every is the best kind of maintenance. One of the things we at O’Shea Plumbing do before any work starts is explain to our clients our agenda so that everything our plumbers are going to do during the service call is completely clear. We explain that we will be looking at not just the problem that the client called us out for,  but any deeper underlying issues which could have caused the problem in the first place. The next part of what our plumber will be doing (with the client’s consent of course) is giving a thorough evaluation on the entire plumbing system, followed by providing you, the client, with different options to fix the issue. Our plumber will not start any work without getting client approval to do so and are looking to complete the works then and there, depending on what the issue is. The team at O’Shea Plumbing hope to provide you with five-star service.  All of our plumbers are assisting the efforts to protect our community by having completed COVID training on the steps and measures we as plumbers can take to help stop the spread. One of the things we do at O’Shea Plumbing which may differ from other plumbers is that we measure water pressures and temperatures and advise clients on ways of protecting all of their water fixtures, pipes and eliminating any noise in water pipes commonly known as water hammer. By doing so, we hope to prevent other potential plumbing issues from occurring. We look at any valves that we can see and make sure these are up to scratch, for example, if a client has an older butterfly gas isolation valve. This will be brought to the client’s attention as these are known for gas leaks due to the materials they are made of and the age of these. All of this before the client has agreed to proceed with any work, at no extra charge and with no pressure or obligation to proceed with any works. Before and after any gas works are done our plumber will pressure test the existing gas installation to make sure there are no gas leaks which the client may not be aware of. It’s these little things that O’Shea Plumbing do which have given us a reputation of being very professional and courteous plumbers. A single call to O’Shea Plumbing will provide you with quick, easy access to experienced plumbing professionals that will provide a variety of services ranging from basic maintenance and repairs to emergency drain cleaning and sewer repair. Contact us on (03) 9888 2887 for a fast quote.

Martin had just purchased his new family home in Fitzroy. Upon moving in he noticed, much to his frustration, that the gas meter had been capped off and a note left by the gas company that said there was a major gas leak on his gas line. Martin immediately rang O’Shea plumbing as he had been recommended to them by a friend.   Adam (O’Shea plumber) quickly attended the job site to investigate the leak. The first option which included testing the gas line and making an attempt to fix the leak was quickly abandoned when Adam noticed the gas line, which was run in gal piping, was laying in the dirt under the house. This piping is supposed to be secured under the house, off the ground to avoid damage.  Adam told Martin the gas line would need to be renewed. To give Martin the best option and guarantee for the works, Adam gave the client the option to run the new gas line through the house. The O’Shea plumber wrote Martin a quote which included core holing holes through a couple of rooms in the house to run the new gas line. The quote was accepted and O’Shea was able to fit Martin’s gas line renewal in 2 days later. On the first day of works, Adam approached Martin and his wife and explained exactly how he was going to run the new gas line. Adam started by moving furniture and the client’s belongings out of the way of the work area and put tarps down to protect the flooring as core holing can be a messy job. By lunchtime, the core holes had been drilled through the walls. Adam spent the next couple of hours cleaning the walls and removing the tarps so he had a nice clean and refreshed work area to achieve a high standard of work quality. Adam started his 32mm copper gas line from the meter and ran it exposed up the front of the house. The line continued through the core hole in the lounge room, to the bedroom behind and out into the courtyard where the line ran across the wall beside the existing plumbing to connect to the existing hot water unit and stove. Then all the core holes were sealed and patched up. The gas line was then tested without appliances connected, and then again with appliances connected and both tests passed proving a sound gas system free from leaks. Adam then proceeded to relight the hot water unit to the excitement of Martin’s wife, who could finally shower and cook in their new home. Martin and his wife at first were about sceptical of seeing a 32mm copper line running through their living room but they liked it once was finished. It gave their room a slightly industrial look and feel as there were existing lines already running internally throughout the house. During the works, Adam was available to answer any questions from Martin or his wife about any concerns that they may have had. This goes for any of O’Shea’s jobs. It’s important to us that our customers’ are comfortable with having O’Shea staff on their property, delivering a 5-star all-round service with customer interaction and quality of work is our priority. For quality plumbing work and professional plumbers, contact the team at O’Shea Plumbing. Honest, Fixed, Upfront Pricing. Call us on (03) 9888 2887 for a fast quote.

Yes, gas leaks are a common occurrence. O’Shea Plumbing receives many calls to fix gas leaks. Most of them are for natural gas leaks. A number of them are for leaks at or near gas cookers and appliances. As the cookers are indoors the gas can more easily be smelt and detected quickly.  Other leaks sometimes occur at the gas meter. If the leak is on the inlet pipe, regulator or the meter itself, then it’s the responsibility of the gas supply company to fix this and you can call the number on the top right-hand corner of your gas bill to get this fixed for free.  Another common area where gas leaks occur is on old galvanised gas pipes. The worst of these are galvanised gas pipes that are lying on the ground under houses. The bottom of the pipe has contact with the damp wet soil and that is where the rapid corrosion occurs. Safe and newly installed pipes are typically installed away from the ground where potential damage can occur. You can read a previous O’Shea case study where Lawrie (O’Shea owner) and Kevin (O’Shea Plumber) attended a gas leak on a rental property where the old galvanised gas pipes were badly rusted and lying on the ground under the house. Read the case study to find out how the plumbers solved the issue. O’Shea Plumbing does find many leaks during installation works, as they always pressure test gas installations before and after every job to ensure that the installation is safe. A lot of clients are not aware that they have a gas leak at their house as natural gas is lighter than air, so the gas just dissipates and goes unnoticed. Professional plumbing companies always pressure test every job.  Another big problem area for gas leaks is BBQ gas bottles. It is very important to test the connections with a soapy water mixture. The soapy mixture can be made up of a simple combination of dishwashing liquid and water. O’Shea Plumbing recommends that you use a paintbrush to apply the soapy water mixture. This allows the mixture to create a good lather with the soapy water that is the best to show up any leaks. The leaks will show in the form of soapy bubbling. Remember: Always check for leaks every time you change over a gas bottle. Gas leaks can be dangerous for your household or your employees. In order to solve this issue, our gas fitting professionals are accredited in conducting gas system replacements, repairs, alterations, servicing and testing. We have access to the latest gas leak tracing technology, making your gas leaks are a thing of the past. Contact us today on (03) 9888 2887.

Michael had an older Aquamax storage hot water unit which at the time didn’t have any issues but was getting to an age where parts of the hot water unit may begin failing. Michael requested a plumber come to his house in Rosanna to discuss upgrading his Hot Water Unit (HWU). Andrew arrived onsite and introduced himself and O’Shea Plumbing, and explained to Michael his agenda of how he proposed this service call to go.  Michael and Andrew were discussing the pros and cons of both replacing the existing storage HWU and a Continuous Flow HWU. Michael decided that he wanted to install a new Rinnai B26 Continuous flow HWU. Andrew ordered the materials from the Plumbers Coop in Mitcham, including a larger, copper gas pipe to allow for a greater flow of gas ensuring that the new HWU would work to its fullest capacity. Andrew arrived a couple of days later and proceeded to drain the old storage HWU and completed a gas pressure test to make sure that there were no existing gas leaks. Once these small jobs were done all necessary materials had arrived on site. Andrew climbed under the house to run a new copper gas branch from the gas meter all the way to the new Rinnai B26 continuous flow HWU. He clipped the new branch gas pipe to the underside of the floor joists to support the new gas pipes off the ground, away from potentially damaging elements. A licensed electrician was also organised to come onsite to install a new external power point outlet to supply power to the new HWU. Once the new gas pipe was run, the power supplied and the Rinnai B26 installed into position, Andrew connected all water pipes and commissioned Michael’s new Hot Water Unit. All gas pressure tests were completed including a 7KPA gas pressure test of the new capped off gas pipes, which were tested for a period of 45 minutes. This had no pressure drop which says that there will be no gas leak in the main run and branches of the gas pipe. A 1.5KPA pressure test was also completed before and after work was completed, with all appliances connected, which told Andrew that the gas appliances also had no gas leaks. Andrew also mentioned to Michael that his water pressure was too high and provided Michael with some options to supply and install a pressure control device at the water meter to limit the water pressure to 500KPA. If Michael chose to go ahead with the quote it would provide longevity to all water fixtures, as well as reduce the chance of hearing water hammer throughout the house when taps are used, especially at night time when the water pressure spikes. All in all, Michael was very happy that he did not have to go days without hot water and that the job was completed to a high standard. Nice work, Andrew! Whether it’s a repair or an entire hot water unit replacement, O’Shea Plumbing is committed to providing all hot water maintenance Melbourne wide. Contact us today for a fast quote on (03) 9888 2887.

Raymond from Mont Albert North called the O’Shea Plumbing office in Mount Waverley as his Hot Water Unit (HWU) was leaking profusely. The team booked him in and Lawrie and Kevin called around to site shortly after.  Upon arrival, Lawrie (O’Shea owner) and Kevin (O’Shea plumber) introduced themselves and discussed with Raymond how the O’Shea Plumbing service works. Raymond then let the plumbers inside and they got right to work inspecting the water leak on the HWU.  It was immediately clear to the plumbers that the leak was occurring as the existing HWU was very old and likely needed to be replaced with a new one. After receiving a number of quotes and options from the two O’Shea Plumbers, Raymond decided on a replacement Vulcan Freeloader unit. The Vulcan Freeloader unit is equipped with a special thermostat that keeps water at a temperature of 73°C, meaning that Raymond would use less hot water for the same length hot shower compared to his old HWU. The unit was ordered from the Plumbers Supplies Coop in Mitcham and promptly delivered to the site. Firstly, Kevin pressure tested the entire gas installation for any gas leaks. Once the gas system proved sound, he completed the HWU change over from the old unit to the new unit. Once the new unit was installed, Kevin guaranteed his work by testing the gas system again to ensure there were no gas leaks and that the unit was working efficiently.  Raymond was so happy with Kevin’s work that he sent the following email to say that he was “most impressed with Kevin’s work, overall approach, and attention to detail”. This isn’t the first time our clients have been impressed with Kevin’s work. He has also received commendations from our long term valued clients Jamie & Annie from Cheltenham who said, “many thanks for the job yesterday. Kevin did a great job and was very kind and efficient” and on a separate occasion also said, “many thanks again. You always help us and we are lucky to have you!”. Nice work Kevin! If you are having issues with your hot water unit call on the professionals at O’Shea Plumbing. We provide maintenance, repairs and installation of hot water systems. Contact us today for a fast quote or call (03) 9888 2887. We’ll come running!

Fixing a gas leak is a job for the professionals, so here is some insight into how the team at O’Shea Plumbing handle a gas leak. The first thing to do before fixing a gas leak is to locate where the leak is. Soapy water can be used to check pipe joints in the vicinity of where the gas is smelt. A paintbrush is good to use to apply the soapy water, as a good lather can be created and this helps to be able to detect any bubbles where the gas is escaping. A manometer is used to pressure test from the fitting line at the gas meter to confirm that there is a leak and to determine the rate of the leak. Plumbers are allowed to leave the gas connected if they follow the instructions re permissible leaks on the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) website. The leak has to be within specified limits and provided that there is no smell of gas. Another piece of equipment that can be useful is a gas leak detector. At O’Shea Plumbing we use an Accutherm TPI 775 combination CO and gas leak detector. This unit is returned to Accutherm each year for a service and recalibration to ensure that the readings given are accurate.  Long term clients of O’Shea Plumbing, an older couple, rang to say that their family insisted that they get the gas smell in their garage checked out. Pressure testing of the gas installation from the meter proved that the gas pipes were sound. Using the gas leak detection equipment, proved that indeed they did have a gas leak, they were advised to contact their gas supply company to check if the leak was on the supply pipe on the inlet side of the gas meter.  Sometimes galvanised gas pipes are found to be badly rusted. The worst ones can be where the old pipes are lying on the ground under the house. In these cases, it is generally best to just go straight to replacing all or sections of the gas pipes. Other times the detection process includes disconnecting appliances one at a time, capping off the gas pipe, pressure testing again or doing the same with sections of pipe or branch pipes and retesting, and show where the leak is. If the leak is on the gas appliance, then a decision has to be made to investigate where the leak is on the appliance or just replace the appliance. Sometimes the faulty part is no longer available, so with an older appliance, it may be best to just go for the replacement straight away. Once the leak has been located then decisions can be made as to the best way to fix it. At O’Shea Plumbing, our experienced gas plumbers handle gas leak detection for all leaks in Melbourne using the latest gas leak detection equipment. O’Shea Plumbing has been operating since 1978 and has been a member of The Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia for over 40 years, so you can rest assured that we’re the experienced professionals when it comes to water and gas leak detection. Our quick, reliable service means that you can solve your gas leak issues in no time. Call us today on (03) 9888 2887 for a fast quote!

Accountants of Wheelers Hill noticed one of the toilets in their office suite was draining slowly when flushed and called O’Shea Plumbing to come and have a look at a potential blocked drain. Jeremy (O’Shea Plumber) arrived and started his investigation into what could be causing the issue.  Jeremy checked the urinal and basin next to the affected toilet as well as the other restrooms in the office. Finding no issues with any other fixtures, Jeremy decided the best course of action was to attempt to use a plunger to clear the blocked drain. After several unsuccessful attempts with the plunger, he decided to remove the toilet and use a drain camera to investigate further what may be causing the toilet to be draining slowly. Jeremy removed the toilet and Lawrie brought the drain camera from the O’Shea office in Mount Waverley. Using the camera monitor, Jeremy and Lawrie could not see any immediate signs of a blocked drain. They pushed the camera twelve metres down and still could not see anything wrong with the drain.  Lawrie then thought that the toilet draining slowly could have something to do with how the drain was constructed. While pulling the camera back out, Jeremy and Lawrie could see that immediately after entering the wall the drain went into a 90 degree swept junction instead of a 45 degree junction. This could potentially be the cause of the slow draining toilet because the shape and angle of the drain did not allow the water to flow quickly and efficiently. Before reinstalling the toilet, Jeremy checked the outlet of the toilet to ensure that there was nothing in the toilet itself that could also be causing the issue.  After reinstalling the toilet, Jeremy and Lawrie tried flushing it again and found that it was still draining slowly. They determined the cause was simply the design and construction of the drain, and the only way to truly rectify the problem would be to redo sections of the drain. As the situation did not prove to be urgent or potentially harmful, the plumbers assured the Accountants that they could leave the toilet as is, however, they also gave them options for re-doing the sections of the drain if they wished to pursue a fix. If you want a fast quote on your plumbing problems, call the team at O’Shea Plumbing. Contact our team any day of the week on (03) 9888 2887. We’ll come running!

Mr D moved into a beautiful home in Chadstone but unfortunately found a lot of water was making its way under the house and spilling into the bottom room of their home causing extensive damage. Mr D was fed up and decided he required the service of O’Shea Plumbing. Andrew (O’Shea Plumber) arrived shortly after the initial phone call and went about investigating the issue and how he could fix it. Andrew found that there was a pit and pump set up under the house but when the float lifted up to initiate the pump to drain the pit, the float would get stuck in the off position and not engage meaning that the pit would fill and overflow into the next room causing the damage. Andrew gave Mr D options to replace the pump and set it up so that it works 100% of the time. Andrew also wanted to try and stop the water coming under the house in the first place and have the pump set up work as a backup. Andrew gave options to inspect and clear the blocked drain that was causing water to overflow and run under the house. Upon investigation, Andrew noticed that there was a small section of drain that did not look right. Andrew showed Mr D this and asked if he would like further options to dig this up and inspect. Once this was fixed, Andrew looked at the trench he was standing in and noticed the trench was starting to fill with water coming from higher up in the property. Andrew quickly figured out that this water filling the trench was not to do with Mr D’s water pipe or stormwater drain and went about investigating by digging a series of holes at the high points of Mr D’s property. Low and behold, all the holes Andrew dug had started to fill with water which was coming under the ground from outside the property. Andrew provided more options to Mr D to come back and install an agricultural drain in an attempt to pick up this water and get it going down a drain instead of finding its way underground until it reached and flooded the house. Mr D wanted Andrew to do this, so Andrew went about organising material and an excavator to dig a deep trench to and install a slotted PVC  drain at the bottom. He then filled the trench with scoria. This allows the water to come in at any height (higher than the slotted drain) hit the scoria and work its way down the stormwater drain and off the property. All of this was completed in one day and cleaned up as if there hadn’t been a massive trench and excavator in the front yard.  One week later Mr D called up the O’Shea Plumbing office and said that not one drop of water has entered under the house since Andrew had done the work and there was a lot of rain in that week. Mr D was so happy that he left a 5 star review on Google which read, “We have used O’Shea Plumbing over several years across two properties. The quality of their work has always been outstanding. A recent highlight was their drainage solution at my property which tackled a very difficult issue but delivered spectacular results. I was really impressed with Andrew’s work on this. We really appreciate all the work they have done for us over the years”. Thank you Mr D and nice work Andrew! For a fast quote and professional plumbing service contact the team at O’Shea Plumbing on (03) 9888 2887. We’ll Come Running!

When Sarah noticed smoke coming from her front yard, she immediately hit the panic button. The Melbourne Fire Brigade (MFB) was called out to a small fire on Sarah’s property, they were very timely and quickly stopped the fire from spreading. Unfortunately, the MFB had to disconnect and take away the property’s gas meter leaving Sarah and her family without gas.  To remedy this, Sarah made contact with the O’Shea Plumbing Mt Waverley base and asked if a plumber could be sent out to pressure test, carry out checks and provide a certificate of compliance so that they could get a new gas meter organised. Lawrie (O’Shea Plumbing owner) and Kevin (O’Shea Plumber) arrived the next morning and completed a gas pressure test on the gas supply pipes. This test is completed by using a manometer and watching to see if there are any gas leaks in the gas line. In this case, the test proved that there was a major gas leak. When a gas leak is found, it is a legal requirement that any plumber has to shut the gas off until the gas leak is found and fixed. Lawrie and Kevin offered Sarah options to resolve the issue, ranging from a gas renewal to making an attempt to find and fix the aforementioned gas leak. Sarah decided that she would like to make an attempt to find and fix the leak as their house was being demolished in one months time. Kevin and Lawrie went about finding the leak. Lawrie and Kevin went around to check the gas services on the property to see if these had any leaks. All the others proved to be safe and sound until they got to the Hot Water Unit (HWU). When Kevin went to the HWU he cut and capped the supply pipe for HWU and then completed the test which showed a very small leak that fell under the permissible pressure drop. Lawrie and Kevin fixed the leak at the HWU and then Lawrie was able to complete a certificate of compliance on the spot to allow Sarah to get her gas company to supply and install a new gas meter. Sarah and her family could once again enjoy cooking, heating and hot water for their last month in their family home until the new home was rebuilt. If you suspect your property is experiencing a gas leak, contact the professional gas plumbers in Melbourne at O’Shea Plumbing. We will find and fix your gas leak issues fast so that you can get back to enjoying a safe and sound plumbing experience. Call us for a fast quote today on (03) 9888 2887

Helen from Malvern East suspected that she had a gas leak at her house. She immediately contacted her gas company who turned her gas off and advised her to call a plumber. Helen chose to work with O’Shea Plumbing and Adam (O’Shea Plumber) was sent over to investigate. After conducting a gas pressure test from the gas meter, Adam was able to confirm that there was, in fact, a gas leak on the property. He also discovered during his investigation that Helen’s hot water service was faulty. Adam explained his findings to Helen and presented her with some options to choose from that would solve the issue. In addition to solving the gas leak, Helen decided that she would like to renew her hot water service. The O’Shea Mount Waverley office organised for her new system to be installed on the same day that the gas leak was to be repaired. This would make the job as efficient as possible for the O’Shea team and would also make Helen’s life easier by being in her home for the shortest time possible. The following day, Andrew and Dani, his apprentice, arrived and completed the job so that Helen had hot water that very evening. Helen was delighted to have her new Rinnai hot water unit up and running, to be able to get hot water to her taps and be reassured that her gas installation as safe. Nice work team! The work for this particular job included: The supply and installing of new Rinnai hot water unit with a new valve kit Running of the new gas copper line from the gas meter, underground, across to a wall, and up the external wall to new the hot water unit The cold water pipe was cut into 15 mm cold water pipe just near the location of the new unit The hot water supply taken from the unit, along the external brick wall to the back of the kitchen sink. A series of holes were drilled to get the pipe into a cupboard, cutting a tee into the hot water line. If you need a new hot water unit or suspect a gas leak in your home don’t hesitate to call on the gas and plumbing professionals at O’Shea Plumbing. Our Gas Plumbers in Melbourne are fully licensed and experienced to handle any plumbing situation. To get a fast quote, call us today on (03) 9888 2887.

Leon, from Blackburn North, rang the O’Shea Plumbing office in Mount Waverley and spoke to Chelsea. He could smell gas and was sure it was in the front garden of his rental property. Lawrie (owner of O’Shea Plumbing) and Kevin (O’Shea Plumber) called out and met Leon on site. Lawrie and Kevin got straight to work, firstly conducting testing to detect any gas leaks. Carrying out gas pressure tests of the entire gas installation from the gas meter did prove that there was indeed a bad gas leak on this property. Further investigation of the situation showed that the old galvanised gas pipes were badly rusted and lying on the ground under the house. These gas pipes should be securely supported to keep the pipes well above the ground and away from potential damaging factors. The team prepared a quote and emailed it to Leon, who accepted the quote and gave Lawrie and Kevin the go head to begin works. Works were commenced straight away. The team worked quickly and efficiently to solve the problem and the works were completed the next day.  The gas piping was replaced with solid copper tubes and copper and brass press fittings. As always, O’Shea Plumbing checks their work to make sure the job is done. Pressure testing of the gas installation was conducted again and now proved that the gas installation was safe and sound. All of the gas appliances were now re-lit and checked for correct and efficient operation.  Lawrie really appreciated that Kevin could speak fluent Mandarin so that he could easily communicate with Leon, this made it so much easier to clarify what needed to be done. Thanks, Kevin!  A VBA Certificate of Compliance was supplied to Leon for this work. This compliance certificate gives a 6-year warranty that the work was done to comply with the standards. Leon was very happy to have the gas supply restored on his rental property and as a result, his tenants were very happy. If you believe you have a gas leak on your property call the professional gas plumbers in Melbourne – O’Shea Plumbing! We can provide you with a fast quote. Call us today on (03) 9888 2887.

Don from Mulgrave called O’Shea Plumbing as they were concerned about a gas leak in their kitchen. Lawrie (director of O’Shea) and Dani (an O’Shea apprentice plumber) quickly arrived at the property to attend to the matter. Lawrie and Dani gave Don a few options to rectify the gas leak, but the option to renew the entire gas line was the best solution as Don was advised by the two plumbers. He gladly accepted the works to proceed with the renewal of his gas line service. Lawrie set the job up for Dani and Adam (an O’Shea plumber) to renew the gas line. Lawrie and Adam discussed with Don the options on how would be most suitable to run the gas line, as the pipework would be visibly exposed around the back of the house in the outdoor area. The installation would need to not just be done correctly but also look presentable as this was an area of the house that was frequently used. When works started, Dani and Adam first set down a blanket on the deck to protect the boards whilst placing all their tools on it. Before any gasfitting started, the first part of the job was to dig a small trench from the gas meter to the house. In doing this, Adam advised Dani to use a rake to pull back all the bark before they started to dig. The raked bark would allow for an easy backfill and the garden would go back to exactly how it looked before. Adam and Dani proceed to run the new 40mm gas line underground from the meter across to the back left of the house. They did this in a nice straight line weaving in and around surrounding downpipes, internal and external corners to finish at the main line at the existing gas heater. The next day the client was given notice that the gas would be off for a few hours whilst Adam and Dani had to cut the existing appliances into the new gas line. Not long after, the gas was on for testing. Testing was conducted by turning off and then opening the gas lines allowing all appliances to be tested, checking for efficiency and gas leaks. So far, all was going well for the client. Soon after, Jarrett (O’Shea’s service manager) arrived to diagnose and test the existing gas heater for CO emissions and to the customers delight it was all safe. During the works for Don – and to all our clients – we strive to ensure the customer feels very safe and relaxed whilst having team members on sites. Any questions or concerns are always welcomed by our staff at any time. Don was a pleasure to do business with and we look forward to helping with any future plumbing projects. If you are searching for reliable and experienced gas plumbers in Melbourne, look no further than O’Shea Plumbing. Get in touch today on (03) 9888 2887 for a fast quote.

David has needed the service of O’Shea Plumbing a few times in the past 10 years. Over these years, O’Shea Plumbing has fixed washing machine taps, replaced a Hot Water Unit as well as installed a new toilet. On this particular occasion, David rang up the O’Shea Mt Waverley base stating that every time it rained water would overflow into his neighbour’s property. David asked if a team member of O’Shea Plumbing come and give some advice and potentially fix the issue. The next morning Andrew arrived and introduced himself. Andrew took the time to remind David of how the O’Shea Plumbing service works and then investigated the overflow situation. It was clear to Andrew that the stormwater drain was blocked, with only three reasonable options to attempt to fix this. 1) Renew stormwater drain entirely or sections of it , 2) Attempt to clear with a cable machine, or 3) attempt to clear with a water jet. Andrew and David discussed these options and David opted to proceed with attempting to clear the blocked drain with a cable machine. Andrew began works immediately clearing a couple of small blockages, however, he was unable to clear the main blockage which was causing the issue. Andrew used a large number of cables to attempt to clear the blockage, which approximately put him in line with the council’s stormwater barrel drain. Unfortunately, the blockage could not be cleared from here and would require digging up in the nature strip or getting the council to see if they could check their drain for any blockage. Andrew informed David of the situation and he said he appreciated Andrew’s honesty. David would now try and pester the council to check their drains – which if it worked, would mean no more money to be spent on the drain by David . David was so impressed with the service Andrew and the O’Shea Plumbing team provided that he sent an email through to the owner and operator of O’Shea Plumbing stating “I just wanted to advise that I found Andrew a highly competent and friendly plumber and valued his advice. Over recent times we have engaged the services of O’Shea Plumbing and have found your company to be a reliable, honest and professional firm”. Well done Andrew and team!   If you think your drain may be blocked, give the team at O’Shea Plumbing a call on (03) 9888 2887 for a fast quote. We’ll come running!

Are you wondering what types of plumbing problems should have you picking up the phone and dialling an emergency plumber in Melbourne? Below we’ve listed 7 types of plumbing emergencies to be aware of.   1. Blocked Sewers   Blocked Sewers where the drain is partially or fully blocked and no water or waste will go down the drain can potentially turn into a much worse situation where the drain blockage causes a back surge of sewage. This back surge does not happen often, but it is important that the householder’s drain is set up correctly with an overflow relief gully or a reflux valve to help prevent this from happening.   2. Blocked Storm Water Drains   Blocked Storm Water Drains are another issue, particularly during heavy rain, when the blockage can result in flooding. O’Shea Plumbing has had instances where the problem was initially thought to be a roof issue only to discover that during heavy rain the downpipes were filling up. After an inspection of the drains with a camera it was found there were defects that had been in the drain from when the building was first built.   3. Burst or Broken Water Pipes   Burst or Broken Water Pipes, either hot or cold are definitely an emergency domestic plumbing issue. These can be old galvanised, copper, or plastic pipes that are past their use-by date where the quality begins to decline.  Sometimes the copper pipes burst because the pipe has a very thin gauge or wall thickness, or sometimes corrosion will cause the burst. It doesn’t seem to be as prevalent now, but a blue, green corrosion in copper pipes was a common problem for a while. Plastic pipes are quite common in new houses, one problem that frequently comes up with these pipes is vermin; rats and mice nibbling on the pipes and putting holes in the pipe. Burst flexible connectors are also common these days. They are used as connections under mixer taps, toilets, etc. In years gone by, copper was used in these situations so there was nowhere near the same occurrences of bursts in this area. O’Shea Plumbing strongly recommends the use of pex connectors along with hot and cold water pressure control, at the outlet of the water meter and at the hot water unit (only needed on mains pressure water heaters). Doing both of these things will go a long way in avoiding a burst flexible connector.   4. Burst water heaters   Burst water heaters are another emergency. It is handy for the householder to familiarize themselves with the location of the water, gas, and electric isolation valves / switches and what they look like in order to be able to turn off the hot water heater in an emergency.   5. Roof Leaks   Roof Leaks can sometimes be very obvious and other times can be very difficult to find. Water can enter the roof at one spot, and then run down adhering to timbers or roof materials to another spot before showing up. So it can take an extremely experienced roof plumber to find these types of leaks. It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with the signs of water damage so that you can identify damage as soon as possible.   6. Gas Leaks   Gas Leaks are very dangerous and need to be attended to quickly. If the householder or anyone can smell gas, then it is strongly recommended to turn off the gas at the isolation valve at the gas meter and ring a gas plumber in Melbourne to locate and fix the leak.   7. Hot Water and Heating unit stop working   We are so reliant on having readily available, reliable hot water and heating units, so when they fail, we need a plumbing company that can respond quickly and get them back up and running as soon as possible. If you are in need of an emergency plumber who can give you a fast quote and efficiently fix the problem, call on the professionals at O’Shea Plumbing. Contact us on (03) 9888 2887 and we’ll come running!

O’Shea Plumbing certainly does carry out a lot of emergency service domestic plumbing jobs. We realise how important it is to deliver a fast response to calls both from our existing clients and from the wider community. The importance of having a fast response is not only to get the clients services up and running as soon as possible, but it also is critical to minimise any damage that can be caused as a result of the blockage, broken pipe, burst hot water heater, gas leak in Melbourne, etc. At O’Shea Plumbing, we DO provide an emergency service seven days a week during normal working hours. We DON’T offer 24-hour after-hours service, as we find that it is difficult to do this whilst at the same time complying with the requirements of giving our valued plumbers the required number of hours rest between completing an after-hours job and starting work the next day.  This rest period is a requirement of Worksafe Victoria; an employee must have this break between an after-hours call out and recommencement of work. If an employee does not have the required amount of rest, there is an increased risk of an accident due to fatigue.  At O’Shea Plumbing, the safety of our team members is the top priority. As an alternative to going out on an after-hours call out, we regularly give our clients – or any member of the public who calls us – advice on how to make the situation safe until we are available to investigate and fix the issue (e.g. how to turn off an isolation valve, turning the gas off, or how to relight a hot water unit, etc.). Lawrie (owner of O’Shea Plumbing) has done this via FaceTime, which has proved very helpful in making sure that the client is doing the correct thing and making the situation safe. Maybe in the future we can offer our client a 24-hour service, but in the meantime, whenever we do a service call, we are always discussing preventive maintenance with our clients and asking them to keep an eye out for issues that could be potential problems. We all know the importance of having our cars serviced, and to carry out any repairs that are recommended by our mechanic, and if you don’t, then your car will break down and leave you stranded. The same applies to your house, if you don’t keep up regular servicing and recommended repairs then it will break down, potentially resulting in expensive after-hours repairs. In addition to preventative maintenance, the fitting of hot and cold water pressure reduction valves is very important reducing the risk of burst pipes, mixer taps failing or burst flexible connectors. If you require an emergency plumber in Melbourne give the team at O’Shea Plumbing a call on (03) 9888 2887. We’ll Come Running!

In a recent update from the Victorian Building Authority (VBA), they announced they would be increasing their use of infringement notices to tackle the high prevalence of plumbing offences occurring under Building Act 1993. VBA will focus initially on two offenses the have high frequencies of non-compliance that consumers often report to the VBA: Failure of the plumbing practitioner to give customers a plumbing compliance certificate within five working days; and Failure to have plumbing work prepared for a scheduled inspection. The VBA continues to see this type of non-compliance, even after warnings have been issued to plumbing practitioners, and hope that the increase in infringement notices will reduce detriment and damage faced by consumers. It will also allow them to focus their resources into proactive inspections, enforcement, and targeted harm-reduction activities. Since 1978, O’Shea Plumbing and our plumbers have pride ourselves on providing fast, dependable service to all of our customers. We ensure that our plumbers keep up with the latest training, both in-house and from external sources. We always obtain the latest Australian Standards to ensure the work we are doing is compliant. Our company is registered, fully licensed and experienced. You can depend on us. Call us today to arrange a fast quote on 03 9888 2887.

Have you noticed the water at the base of your shower isn’t draining properly? This is likely a sign that there is a blockage. Below we’ll discuss how plumbers clear a blocked shower drain. How a plumber clears a blocked shower drain depends on where the blockage is located in the drain and also takes into consideration whether the building is on stumps or is on a concrete slab. Firstly, the blocked shower may only be in the grate or trap (or S bend as clients can call it) area. In this case, a plunger may be all that is required to remove the blockage. The plunger may also be helpful on a blockage in the shower drain. When using a plunger, there is no guarantee on how well it has cleared the drain, except to simply turn on the shower and see how the water gets away. It is a good idea to have several buckets of water prepared to quickly pour down the drain to give the shower a stress test. This is good to do particularly if the shower is on a slab, and is difficult to access. A tip for plunging a shower; use a cup plunger or fold the flange into the plunger and ensure the plunger keeps a tight seal against the floor of the shower when plunging. If there is access under the building, then the trap may be able to be removed and cleaned out. It’s also possible that there may be inspection openings in the drain to allow small drain cleaning cables to be run through the drain. These cables can either be hand operated or be driven by a machine and work to clear the drain from any blockages. Small drain cleaning cable machines are good for clearing waste pipes between basins, sinks, baths, showers etc. and the sewerage drain.  Water jet machines with a normal or a whip hose are a great option to clear blocked showers. They have the ability with their forward and rear jet to pull the hose through the drain and thus allow the plumber to extract any hair or build up out of the drain. This type of machine (and the aforementioned small cable machine) are best used by a licensed plumbing professional such as the plumbers from O’Shea Plumbing who can help you clear your blocked drains in Melbourne. Ridgid micro cameras are also good, depending on the job to inspect the drain to see where the blockage is and to check how successful the unblocking process has been. If you would like to learn more about how plumbers unblock drains, read our blog about it HERE. If you’re experiencing a blocked shower drain or another plumbing issue, contact the professionals at O’Shea Plumbing on (03) 9888 2887. We’ll come running!

If you’ve been searching for a “plumber in my area”, you may be finding that there is an abundance of businesses and professionals around. Before engaging in work with any of them, it’s extremely important to check that the plumber that you intend to use for any plumbing work is licensed and that the plumbers that work for that licensed plumber are registered. It’s also important to check that the plumbers who work for a builder or bathroom/kitchen renovation company are licensed and/or registered. You can check that a plumber is qualified for the work you need done by asking to see their plumbing license or registration card. When checking this it is important to check that the classes of work listed on the rear of the plumbers license or registration card match the type of work that you intend for them to carry out. The classes of work listed on the card are the kinds of work that the plumber is able to lawfully carry out. So make sure to ask the plumber to show you their license or registration card and check the back of it. Another way to check if a plumber is licensed or registered is to check the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) website (www.vba.vic.gov.au). On VBA’s website, you can click ‘Find a practitioner’ at the top of the page, scroll down to ‘Find a Plumbing Practitioner’, from there you can enter the plumbers license or registration number or their name to find out if they are licensed and/or registered and, if so, what classes of work they are licensed or registered to conduct. There is a lot of information on the website to read before you engage a plumber. You can also search the ‘Disciplinary Register’ on VBA’s website to see if the plumber you intend to use has had any disciplinary action taken against them. A licensed plumber generally has the higher experience and knowledge than a registered plumber and can supervise a registered plumber or plumbing apprentice in the same classes that they hold a license in. Only a licensed plumber can issue a Certificate of Compliance that certifies that the work they have carried out complies with the relevant regulations and standards.  A licensed plumber must hold insurance that protects the householder in case of faulty work.  It’s also important to check with the licensed plumber that they will give you a Certificate of Compliance on completion of the work. At O’Shea Plumbing, our clients are able to rest easy knowing our company and plumbers are registered, fully licensed and experienced. If you want plumbing professionals that you can trust, get in touch with the team at O’Shea Plumbing on (03) 9888 2887

Andrew, a resident in Camberwell, rang the O’Shea Plumbing office in Mount Waverley and spoke to Jarett (O’Shea Service Manager) as he had a problem with his stormwater drains. Jarett arranged for Adam and Dani (O’Shea plumber and plumbing apprentice) to call out to the site as soon as they could. When Adam and Dani arrived they attempted to clear the blocked drain and then run a drain camera through the drain. The two plumbers quickly realised that the blocked stormwater drain could not be cleared as a section of the drain was badly broken. Unfortunately, this meant that part of the stormwater drain would need to be replaced.  In order to give Andrew an accurate quote, Adam and Dani used a Ridgid drain camera and Navitrack to locate the exact location and depth of the broken section. A quote was prepared, submitted and accepted by Andrew to replace the broken sections of stormwater drain. Once the quote was accepted Adam and Dani got straight to work replacing the broken drain and installing a new pit and grate.  After the Certificate of Compliance was sent, Andrew sent back the following message. “I just did a review on Google. Adam and Dani did a great job, and the timing was perfect. The rains we had immediately after they finished has ‘stress tested’ the new piping/pathway, and I am pleased to say it has passed with flying colours. I went out several times under the umbrella and enjoyed seeing the flows into the street, and through the new pit and the existing pit that used to bank up and cause water to flow under the house was clearing perfectly.” Another satisfied O’Shea Plumbing client!  If you are experiencing drain blockages or issues with your stormwater drain, get in contact with O’Shea Plumbing immediately. If left unchecked, a small plumbing issue can turn into a much larger (costlier) problem. Get in touch with the team of plumbing professionals at O’Shea Plumbing on (03) 9888 2887 or submit an enquiry form online.

Terri has called upon and relied on the expertise of the O’Shea Plumbing team for many years. Lawrie the owner and manager of O’Shea Plumbing has built trust up with Terri over these years through providing her with expert advice and premium workmanship. On this occasion, Terri asked if Lawrie could come over and have a look at an issue where water was entering garage when it rained but with no way for it to drain out of the garage. Andrew and Lawrie arrived and had a look at reasons as to why and where water could be entering the garage. They came up with some ideas to remove any water that entered the garage and also an idea to attempt to stop the flooding from occurring in the first place. Lawrie and Andrew worked on the quote and provided options to not only do the required works but options that would make Terri’s plumbing better in general.  The works that O’Shea Plumbing completed for Terri on this occasion were as follows: Cut a section of the concrete garage and installed a grate drain to catch any water that entered the garage. The grate drain would then run to a stormwater pit outside the garage door, which was newly installed by O’Shea Plumbing. A little more concrete was cut out so Andrew could connect the new pit up to the existing stormwater drain. And finally, pressure control was installed on a water meter as well as on the Hot Water Unit to control the water pressure and protect the pipes and fixtures from excessive pressure. As well as changing over the very old Pressure Temperature Relief Valve. The reason why Terri trust O’Shea Plumbing is that Lawrie and Andrew did a thorough investigation and multiple visits to make sure that the investment Terri was making was going to be the right solution. Andrew and Lawrie in their multiple visits checked the existing stormwater pit and made sure the pump was in good working order, cleared the very large existing stormwater pit of any dirt/silt which could potentially block the pump. They used the drain camera to inspect the quality of the drain they proposed to connect up to, and that there were no blocked drains that were the cause of the problem. The two plumbers looked at different types of grate drains to choose the most ideal one for this situation. Not only were they involved in the plumbing side, but they also spoke with our trusted concretor – Enzo – to make sure he could re-lay the new section of concrete with reinforced steel to make it stronger. They also asked Enzo to make sure that there was a slight fall on either side of the drain so as if water was to enter again that it would simply run into the new grate drain and then through the stormwater system. “It would have never have looked like there had been major works done in my garage” – Besides the brand new drains, Terri was amazed that after all the works were complete she could hardly tell that O’Shea Plumbing had been in her garage, as Andrew made sure that the place was left in an immaculate condition. If you want to experience first-class plumbing in Melbourne, get in touch with the team at O’Shea Plumbing on (03) 9888 2887 or submit an enquiry online.

If you suspect there may be a water leak occurring somewhere in your house, but can’t see a visible sign of it yet follow our tips below to detecting a water leak. The first thing that a householder can do to detect if they have a water leak is to take a reading of their water meter before leaving the property, and then take another reading when returning home. If there is an increase in the reading, then there must be a leak. Sometimes you can see water running down the back of the toilet bowl, but if it is a very slow leak you will need to carry out this check. Turn off the mini stop at the toilet(s) and repeat the process as above. You may also need to turn off the hot water unit, the sprinkler system or any other facilities that use water and complete this test to get an indication where the leak may be located. If your house is on stumps then you could check the pipes under the house for leaks, otherwise, the leak may be in a wall, underground or under the concrete slab of your house. In this case, you will need to call a plumber who has pipe and leak detection equipment. The team at O’Shea Plumbing are trained specialists in water leak detection in Melbourne. This tracing equipment can determine where the pipes are (subject to the pipes being metal). The tracing equipment works by equipment putting an electrical field into the metal pipe that can be picked up and followed.  There are sometimes instances where tracing metal pipes can be difficult, for example, when a section of plastic pipe has been put in as a repair on an underground pipe. In cases like this, the electrical field will not continue and the pipe cannot continue to be traced unless the plumber excavates, finds the cause of the interruption, and relocates the tracing equipment to beyond the plastic pipe to continue tracing. Once the line of the where the pipe is situated is found and marked, then the leak detection equipment is used to attempt to find the leak. Leak detection can also be difficult due to noises in the area, such as people walking, talking, traffic noise, or planes flying overhead.  Sometimes it is just best to make an early decision to replace the pipes, O’Shea Plumbing has had jobs where, when the leak was found, it was in such a spot that a lot of damage to the building would be done to the building to access and repair the leak, so after having spent a fair amount of money locating the leak, a replacement was considered the best option available. If you think there is a water leak on your property or want to enlist the professionals to detect a water leak or broken pipe, contact O’Shea Plumbing on (03) 9888 2887 for a fast quote.

Have your sinks and toilets been draining slowly? This could mean it’s time to have your drains checked for potential blockages and cleaned out. Below we discuss how and who cleans out drains. Do Plumbers Clean Drains? The simple answer is yes, plumbers do clean drains. This generally occurs when the drains are blocked. The most common cause of blockages in Melbourne are tree roots because we are a city with a high number of trees. The tree roots get into the drains through very small cracks and then grow inside the drain. If the roots become too dense, this will create a drain blockage. The blockages may also occur because of broken drains or as a result of people putting cooking grease down the drain. O’Shea Plumbing recommends that you let the cooking grease solidify, wrap it in paper and put it out in the rubbish bin. Drains can sometimes be cleared by the use of a plunger. You can purchase these from a regular hardware store. The use of chemicals is not recommended, as these can be hazardous, dangerous or sometimes ineffective. If the drain remains blocked, any chemicals that were put down the drain can also become hazardous to any plumber that may be required to remove the blockage. Cable or water jet machines are good for cleaning drains, followed up by the use of a drain camera to view the inside of the drain. A Ridgid Navitrack is also a valuable piece of equipment to locate the position and depth of the drain camera head so that the position of any defect or break in the drain can be located prior to excavation and repair, or a reline of the drain is carried out. Drain cleaning is not a DIY project and should not be attempted by the householders. O’Shea Plumbing highly recommends calling a blocked drain plumber in Melbourne to resolve the issue. We have had instances where people have hired drain cleaning equipment only to have the cables and other parts of the equipment break or get jammed in the drain. The hire company has then informed the person that they are required to keep paying for the hire until the equipment is returned or pay for the replacement of the equipment. Besides the monetary cost, there are also safety risks involved with using the drain cleaning equipment. Plumbers are highly trained and experienced in how to operate drain cleaning equipment safely and effectively. If you are experiencing a drain blockage please call on the Melbourne plumbing professionals at O’Shea Plumbing. Contact us today on (03) 9888 2887 for a fast quote.  

Jane and Neil have called up O’Shea Plumbing a few times with their plumbing issues. At first, it was water hammering which Andrew rectified by installing pressure control on their water meter which lowered the water pressure entering their water pipes and fixtures. Neil and Jane were so impressed with the professionalism of the O’Shea Plumbing team that they had no issues in calling O’Shea Plumbing again to install two new mixer taps. It was a Friday afternoon during the Coronavirus isolation days when Jane went to bath her daughter, to find that there was only a small trickle of hot water coming out of the bath outlet. Jane advised Neil of the situation who did not hesitate to call O’Shea Plumbing head office at 3:00pm. Luckily Andrew had just finished a job and was around the corner so he was able to go around and have a look to see what was causing the problem, he quickly diagnosed the cause and offered options to fix the issue. Andrew installed a new duo valve to the Hot Water Unit and within one hour of the initial phone call Jane and Neil we’re back to having the Hot Water unit working properly again. Once Andrew finished he asked Jane if there were any other issues that she could think of that they would like O’Shea Plumbing to have a look at while they were there. Jane and Neil showed Andrew that the toilet was very slow to drain and gurgling was happening when bath, basin and shower was draining. Andrew had a quick look at the sewer outside and found that there was a slight blockage which was only going to get worse. Andrew provided Jane and Neil with options to fix this issue before it became an even larger problem. Andrew arrived the very next morning with his cable machine and cleared their blocked drains to 100mm (the size of the sewer pipe). Andrew also identified a potential issue with the neighbouring property as it was a combined drain on a vacant block and the sewer drain on the vacant block had not been sealed properly. Andrew advised Jane and Neil of potential issues and how to move forward to get this rectified. If you are looking for an experienced and trustworthy plumber in Melbourne, then call on the friendly, experts from O’Shea Plumbing. Contact us on (03) 9888 2887 or send us an online enquiry.

The responsibility for fixing a blocked drain – regardless of who or what caused it – is dependant on what is blocked and where the blockage lies. Below we discuss whose responsibility it is when a sewer drain or stormwater drain becomes blocked. Sewer Drains  The property owner is responsible for a blocked sewer drain in Melbourne, except for blockages that are downstream of “The Point”. The Point is the position where the property owner’s drain joins to the Sewer or Water Company’s branch drain (some tenants may be responsible, depending on their lease/rental agreement and what they may have put down the drain. See: Common Causes of a Drain Blockage). If you have a blocked sewer drain, you need to contact a plumber in Melbourne who will establish if the blockage is in your area of responsibility and if so, clear the blockage for you, or if the blockage is in the Sewer/Water Company’s drain, will refer the blockage on to them. A plumber is not permitted to clear blockages located in the Sewer/Water Company’s drains. Stormwater Drains  The stormwater drains are a totally different drainage system to the sewer drains. The sewer drains connect all of the toilets, bathrooms, kitchens and laundries to the sewerage system, whereas the stormwater drains connect the roof gutters, downpipes and ground pits to a separate system.  It is generally the property owner’s responsibility to engage a plumber to clear and repair all sections of stormwater drain from the house to where the property drain connects to the council barrel drain or the kerb in the street. The barrel drain can be either in the street or in an easement. The local council can be contacted to obtain the position of what is called the legal point of discharge of the stormwater off a property. Many property owners are surprised when they are told by their plumber that they may be responsible for clearing blockages, repairing, and or replacing the section of stormwater drain between the property boundary to the council barrel drain or the kerb in the street.  When working in the street, outside of the property boundary, the plumber has to be much more aware of the dangers, hazards and requirements involved with working outside of the property boundary. Firstly a road opening permit from the local council is required before any excavation is carried out (even if the excavation is in the footpath or nature strip). If working on a major road then Vic Roads also needs to be contacted and Traffic Management may be required. Dial Before You Dig needs to be done and relevant authorities contacted for clarification of the location of underground services if required. There can be big penalties for not complying and the dangers of contacting a live electrical cable are very high.   If you have a blocked drain, contact O’Shea Plumbing to investigate. We use the most cutting edge equipment to treat your blocked drains in Melbourne. Contact us today on (03) 9888 2887.

Roger’s previous plumber had closed down his business and was not plumbing anymore, so when his taps started to leak he didn’t know who he could trust to work on his plumbing. Roger did some research on the internet and found a lot of positive reviews and recommendations for O’Shea Plumbing, which gave him the confidence to call O’Shea and trust them to handle his current plumbing problem. Andrew and Dani arrived shortly after the call and introduced themselves and O’Shea Plumbing. Roger invited Andrew and Dani into his home and showed them the two taps he was having an issue with, as well as a loose-fitting on a separate basin. Andrew measured the water pressure and had a look at the Hot Water Unit (HWU), in case there were underlying issues that caused these taps to fail. It turned out that the existing HWU was very old. Roger mentioned that he would love to get rid of his old storage HWU and replace this with a brand new continuous flow HWU, but would like us to fix the taps before we talk any more about a new HWU. Andrew provided options to attempt to fix the downstairs basin mixer and sink mixer, as well as providing options to replace each of the taps. Andrew also noted that if Roger wanted us to go ahead with works, that he would attempt to tighten the loose-fitting at no extra charge (subject to there being no other issues with said tap). Roger chose to replace both taps so Dani and Andrew went to work.  With the three jobs quickly completed, Roger changed the subject back to the new HWU and asked for a quote. Andrew provided Roger with the information he needed to make an informed decision on a new HWU, including information about upsizing of the gas pipe to supply enough gas supply to new HWU. Roger said the price was a little higher than he expected, so he was going to get another quote to be sure. The very next day Roger rang up and said that he would like to go ahead with the new HWU. He also asked if O’Shea could provide another quote to renew the entire gas pipe as the existing gas pipe was made of galvanised iron, meaning it was only a matter of time before this would split causing a gas leak. Jarrett (O’Shea Plumbing Service Manager) went straight over to provide an updated quote to renew gas pipe as Andrew was busy on another job. This quote was very quickly approved and materials were ordered to arrive the very next day. The next day the old HWU was replaced with a new continuous flow HWU and all gas fixtures had been renewed with copper in appropriate sizing. All the work was tested to guarantee that it was sound and that there were no gas leaks.  Roger was so happy that the entire O’Shea Plumbing team made him feel that he was the most important client we had and gave him all of the information available without over complicating it. If you want to experience a professional plumbing service in Melbourne, contact the team at O’Shea Plumbing on (03) 9888 2887.

Natural gas appliances, be it for cooking, water heating, home heating, pool heating, etc. are extremely safe as long as they are installed correctly according to the manufacturer’s instructions and meet AS/NZS 5601 regulations.  The installation needs to be pressure tested to prove that it is sound and has no gas leaks. The appliance also needs to be commissioned. Commissioning is a mandatory procedure that must always be done following the installation of a gas appliance, heater, etc. to ensure that the appliance, flue & room ventilation are in accordance with manufacturer’s installation instructions, building regulations and safety requirements. Another important thing is that the appliance needs to be regularly serviced. The gas service should include any necessary cleaning, inspection for any faults, have a burner pressure check (and any other relevant checks) done and, if relevant, have a carbon monoxide test carried out. Everyone knows if you buy a good reputable brand of car, that you need to get it regularly serviced, otherwise it will breakdown and leave you stranded. It is the same with natural gas appliances. Manufacturers like Rheem, Vulcan, Aquamax, Rinnai and Brivis put thousands of hours into the designing, testing of appliances to make sure that they are safe. They do not release any appliance that is not safe and has not been approved by the relevant authorities like the Australian Gas Association. State authorities like Energysafe Victoria and the Victorian Building Authority inspectors are also very vigilant on ensuring that gas appliances and the installation of them are safe and sound. If you need a gas appliance installed or serviced, call the professionals at O’Shea Plumbing. Our team of gas heating and fitting specialists are ready to help you out! Call us now on (03) 9888 2887.

George rang up O’Shea Plumbing on behalf of his elderly parents with as there was hot water seeping out of the wall of their house and onto the ground outside. The friendly O’Shea operator scheduled in a time and told George that there would be an O’Shea plumber at his parent’s house at 8am the next morning. Andrew (O’Shea Plumber) arrived and introduced himself and the company as this is the first time that George had used O’Shea Plumbing. Once Andrew received permission to enter the building and was showed to the spot, he quickly realised that there was definitely a water leak coming from the hot water pipe feeding the kitchen sink. Unfortunately, he could not see the exact location of the leak but he could partially see the hot water pipe behind the rendered concrete. Once Andrew knew what the problem was, he came up with some options to resolve the issue. Andrew provided George with the options and prices to fix this leaking pipe. This meant that George could choose how he wanted the pipes in his home fixed. George signed off on his preferred option and the O’Shea plumber got straight to work. Andrew removed some of the render and found that the flared nut was leaking so went to remove this to have a look at the flare. The flare had split at the base and a section of the copper pipe needed to be replaced fix the leak. Andrew removed a bit more render from the house to access the leaking hot water pipe. Once it was within in reach, he cut out a small section of the copper pipe, replacing the section with new copper and a new flare which would solve the leak. Once he had finished fixing the water leak, Andrew re-connected everything and turned the hot water unit back on, ensuring there were no more leaks. George was so happy with the service provided by the O’Shea Plumbing team that he got on the phone to organise O’Shea Plumbing team to have a look at some issues he was experiencing at his own house. Well done team! If you suspect you have a water leak or are experiencing another general plumbing, get in touch with the professional team at O’Shea Plumbing on (03) 9888 2887.

Karl from Malvern rang and spoke to Lawrie at the O’Shea Plumbing office in Mount Waverley, his hot water heater had unfortunately stopped working. Lawrie arranged to visit Karl at his house the next morning.  Lawrie arrived the next morning and upon inspection confirmed that Karl’s water heater was indeed on its last legs and likely needed to be replaced with a new one. Lawrie gave Karl a number of quote options ranging from a brand new Rinnai Infinity heater to servicing and repairing the old water heater. Karl decided to go ahead with a new Aquamax 390 water heater. Andrew and Dani (O’Shea Plumber and Apprentice) arrived shortly after with materials to commence the installation. As the old hot water heater had been installed too close to an internal corner, the new unit had to be relocated to another suitable location and a tempering valve fitted. The gas installation was pressure tested for gas leaks from the meter, tees were cut into the nearby hot, cold and gas pipes and all the connections to the new unit were completed and the pipes to the old unit were capped off. To finish off and guarantee their work, Andrew and Dani gas pressure tested the system again and the new hot water unit was commissioned. The commissioning included adjusting the tempering valve so that the water to the nearest bathroom did not exceed 50° Celcius. A tempering valve helps to prevent scalding by blending the 60°C+ water from the hot water system with cold water to reduce the heat of the water being delivered to the taps to a far safer temperature. Within a day of his call, Karl and his family had a brand new Aquamax hot water system up and operating. Karl sent an email shortly after saying how pleased he was and to say thank you to Andrew and Dani for their hard work. Karl also left O’Shea Plumbing a positive 5-star review on both Google and Product Review for other potential clients to read. If you are having issues with your hot water give the professionals at O’Shea Plumbing a call. We provide maintenance, repairs and installation of hot water systems. Contact us today for a fast quote or call (03) 9888 2887. We’ll come running!

Have you had to call a plumber to your property to fix an issue with your drains? Like you, many clients call up with drain blockages or old drains breaking which they need repaired urgently by a plumber in Melbourne. O’Shea plumbing have dealt with plenty of drain related incidents. In many cases, we offer a few solutions for the client to pick from to resolve their drain problem. One of the longer-term solutions that we sometimes offer clients is to have their drain relined. Relining a drain or sewer pipe involves the insertion of a sewer pipe liner into the drain. The sewer liner then fixes itself to the surroundings of the existing drain permanently, relining the drain pipe from within – no digging required. It can be difficult to make an immediate decision about how to fix your drain, but your plumbing professional will be able to help you make an informed decision. To help you further, we’ve compiled a list of benefits and drawbacks of relining your drain. Benefits of Relining Drains Causes less disturbance to the landscape, paving, foundations, etc. of your property as there is no digging required Relining is a great option when the drain is under or close to the foundation of a building or a large tree, as there will be no risk of damage to the building or the tree roots. A regular replacement of the drain may disturb these and make the structure or tree unstable Smart choice when the drain is located underneath paving, as there are no (or reduced) paving restoration costs Can be cost-effective when compared to other solutions Is often the smarter solution that prevents further damage or deterioration of your pipes.  Drawbacks of Relining Drains If the drain is badly broken, is out of alignment, or has an incorrect or negative gradient then relining will not correct these issues. Only a replacement of the drain will solve this Some drains are better off being completely renewed, that includes the replacement of all junctions, D.G’s, the B.T, and other drains. O’Shea Plumbing has seen competitors reline quotes which only specified relining of the main run drain, where O’Shea Plumbing gave a quote for the same job to replace all the main run drains including the junctions, D.T.’s, etc. O’Shea Plumbing provided a high-quality job at a lower price than our competitors. If you choose O’Shea Plumbing as your blocked drain plumber in Melbourne we will give you options to solve your drain blockage or drain issue, including: Attempting to clear all the roots from the drain Attempting to clear all the roots from the drain and use RootX to inhibit the root regrowth  Relining all or some of the drain  To excavate and replace all or some sections of the drain We give you solution options to pick from, and when discussing your options we will always maintain full disclosure about the prices and fee structure associated with each. If you need a plumber in Melbourne, contact the plumbing professionals at O’Shea Plumbing. Call us on (03) 9888 2887

Have you noticed gurgling coming from your lavatory? You may be wondering ‘what are the noises coming from my toilet?’ We can tell you that it’s definitely not a positive sound and your toilet is most likely trying to tell you that there is a plumbing problem! Gurgling sounds when you flush the toilet, or even when you have used another nearby toilet or fixture, is generally a sign that there is a partial blockage in the sewer drain. Especially, if you notice the water rises up in the toilet and then goes down after flushing, gurgling as it takes most of the water out of the bowl.  This type of blockage could be caused by tree roots, a break in the drain, an object that has been flushed down the drain or a grease build-up. O’Shea Plumbing strongly recommend that any grease from cooking is not poured down the drain and is instead left to solidify, wrapped in paper, and put out with the rubbish. If you are experiencing gurgling sounds coming from your toilet or think you may have a blockage we recommend you contact a domestic plumbing professional that specialises in blocked drains in Melbourne. Another noise you may hear coming from the toilet is the sound of running water, indicating that the cistern is not shutting off properly. A faulty inlet or outlet valve may be the cause of this. In these cases sometimes water can be seen running down the back of the bowl and causing the water in the bowl to quiver. Not only is this sound irritating, but it’s also a problem as the water running down into the bowl could be causing the price of your normal water bill to be higher than usual – costing you hard-earned dollars that we’re sure you’d rather be saving! O’Shea Plumbing has seen plenty of cases like these before. One time, we were contacted by a client who was experiencing strange sounds coming from their plumbing system. One of O’Shea’s plumbers called out to the property to investigate and the client told them that they could hear a water hammer noise that was bothering them. Water hammer occurs when water travels through the pipes at an irregular speed, and sometimes when the water makes a sudden change in direction. When either of these things occurs in the pipes, it can create an uneven flow of water, resulting in the thumping, banging, or vibrations associated with water hammer. During the call-out, the plumber couldn’t hear the water hammer but the client could and it bothered them, so the O’Shea plumber was determined to find and fix the issue. When the inlet valves were shut off, the client could detect water hammer in another part of the house. It took our plumber several attempts of supplying and fitting different makes of inlet valve to stop the noise, but we eventually found a valve that solved the issue.  The client was so pleased with the result that they left a 5-star review on Google saying that she was extremely grateful that O’Shea Plumbing was so persistent in finding a solution for the noise problem. She can now go about her day without the irritating sounds of water hammer rattling through her home. If you are experiencing issues with gurgling toilets, blocked drains or water hammer give the plumbing professionals at O’Shea Plumbing a call today on (03) 9888 2887 to schedule an appointment with a non-emergency or emergency plumber in Melbourne to fix your water hammer problem.

If you’ve turned on the taps and the water is not flowing at its usual rate, there could be a number of reasons for this. Below we’ll discuss some of the reasons why your home might be experiencing poor water pressure. Planned or emergency works in your local area It is possible that the water pressure issues you are experiencing are being caused by planned or emergency works happening in your area. These could be planned maintenance or a plumbing emergency such as a burst water main. If the works are planned, then locals in the area are often notified in advance so that they can make alternate plans. You can view reports of planned and emergency works happening on the Yarra Valley Water website. If you can’t find works happening near you then check with your neighbours to see whether their plumbing is being affected. If their plumbing is fine, then it’s probable that the water pressure issue lies within your property. Another way to check who is responsible for the problem is the “Bucket Test”. Ensure the stop tap on the water meter is fully open, fill a 10L bucket using the tap closest to the water meter, and time how long it takes to fill. If it takes longer than 30 seconds to fill, then this indicates there is an issue with the supply of water to the property (call the water supplier), but if it fills within 30 seconds then this indicates the issue is most likely on your property (call a plumber). Water leak or burst pipe If the issue is on your property, the first reason may be that you have a water leak or a burst water pipe. Take a reading of your water meter at a time when you don’t need to use water for an hour or two, then take another reading after this time has elapsed. If there is a difference in the readings you may have a water leak. In the case of a leak, you should immediately call the professionals in water leak detection in Melbourne. O’Shea Plumbing have specialty pipe and leak detection equipment to investigate, find and fix domestic and commercial water leaks. We understand that water leaks can be dangerous for your home, so we’re committed to finding and fixing all leaks quickly and efficiently. O’Shea’s accredited professionals can conduct replacements, repairs, alterations, servicing and testing. Corroded water pipes Another reason for poor water pressure may be due to old galvanised iron water pipes that are corroded inside, greatly restricting the flow of water to your home’s taps. In this case, it is likely you will need to replace the pipes – call O’Shea Plumbing to give you a fast quote! It is surprising to some clients that fitting a pressure reduction valve (PRV) is recommended at the same time that the cold water pipes are replaced. The PRV works to reduce the water pressure to 500 kpa to protect mixing taps, appliances and to help prevent water hammer. The reason the PRV is recommended is because in some areas the pressure in the water main is high, but because of the restriction in the old galvanised iron pipes the flow through the pipes is poor. Once the new pipes are fitted the flow of water will be greatly increased, even with the PRV fitted. If you are experiencing issues with water pressure or have another general plumbing enquiry call O’Shea Plumbing on (03) 9888 2887. Call for a fast quote – we’ll come running!

Have you noticed the water coming out of your tap has a cloudy look to it? When the water coming out of your drinking and washing facilities isn’t clear, this is a sign that you may have a plumbing problem on your hands.  The most common occasions when you may think your water is cloudy is when it is coming out of a hot water tap or when it comes from a mains pressure hot water unit. You will notice when you initially fill a glass with hot water that the water in the glass is cloudy, and then, over a few minutes, the water in the glass will become clear. This water is perfectly safe, though we do not recommend that anyone drink water from a hot water unit. The reason for the “cloudy” water in this situation, is that when the hot water is delivered out of the mains water heater under pressure it contains an extra molecule of oxygen, which dissipates over time when left in the open air. Another reason you may be experiencing cloudy or discoloured water could be due to poor quality water pipes or old galvanised pipes. This situation often happens when the water has been sitting unused in the pipes while the occupants of the building have been away, or even overnight, when the water has not been used for some hours. In this case, the water pipes need to be replaced, because it is not only causing the poor water quality, but there is an increased risk of the pipes bursting and causing more extensive damage from leaking water pipes. Cloudy water can also occur after a broken water main in the local area has been fixed by the water company, there can be some air and discolouration of the water. The water companies usually do a great job in flushing the mains before reconnection, but sometimes discolouration may occur. This is nothing to worry about as the cloudy water will eventually flush itself out as the taps are turned on and used. The water supply to the citizens of Melbourne is amongst the best in the world. But like anything, it can be improved. A water filter greatly improves the quality of the drinking water coming from your taps. Water filtration provides a host of benefits that should not be overlooked, such as a better taste and smell, fewer contaminants, and it’s far cheaper (and more environmentally friendly) than forking out money for bottled water. A dual cartridge is the best water filtration system for most people as it removes sediment, taste and odour, without removing the beneficial minerals that are vital for good health.  The other option is reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis is a process used to treat water and remove contaminants. The process includes using pressure to push water molecules through a semipermeable membrane. This method is generally only for people who have a certain health condition, cafes and restaurants wanting to make great coffee, or dental practices, etc.  Whether your family is searching for the best in health care, afflicted by allergies or other medical conditions that require consistently clean filtered water or simply feel compelled to treat water from non-municipal supplies, we have the right solution for you. O’Shea Plumbing offer installation and servicing of tap, countertop and under bench filters as well as reverse osmosis. Clean water is necessary for healthy living, so if have cloudy water coming from your taps or want to improve the quality of your drinking water by adding a filter, contact the plumbing professionals at O’Shea Plumbing on 03 9888 2887 for a fast quote. 

Margaret’s gas company had recently been around changing the gas meter. When the gas company technician was relighting the hot water heater he mentioned to Margaret that the unit was over 20 years old and not in very good condition and was likely due for a replacement. Taking the technician’s advice, Margaret called O’Shea Plumbing. She had used O’Shea Plumbing in the past and remembered how Lawrie had got them out of trouble at the last minute when they were moving house a few years ago.  Jarett the Service Manager at O’Shea’s took the call and arranged for Lawrie to call to quote and give options. He gave her options for a new Vulcan 170 litre unit along with a limit and cold water expansion valves, along with the servicing of two tap sets with Aqualoc tap valves. Margaret chose the latter as their preferred option. Lawrie ordered the materials to be delivered by the Plumber’s Supplies Co-op in Cheltenham. Andrew (O’Shea plumber), Dani (a new first-year apprentice) and Lawrie arrived early the next morning.  The next day, Andrew started work on the hot water heater, while Lawrie and Dani serviced the taps. It was a great opportunity for Lawrie to show her how to service taps properly and the benefits of Aqualoc tap valves that have a 5-year warranty. Andrew pressure tested the gas installation for gas leaks from the gas meter. The installation proved to be gas-tight. The new hot water heater needed to be moved along the wall and a soakage pit needed to be fitted so the new unit would comply with the regulations. He completed the works and had the new hot water back up and running by lunchtime. Lawrie and Dani completed the work on the taps, Margaret was delighted on how easy the taps were to turn on and off. As a bonus for Margaret, Lawrie tightened up the loose sink mixer tap free of additional charge. At O’Shea, our hot water plumbers in Melbourne can perform all scheduled repairs and maintenance for a highly affordable price. Contact O’Shea Plumbing today for a fast quote on (03) 9888 2887.

Alf, a resident of Mt Waverley, received a letter from Yarra Valley Water stating that he had a suspected water leak on his property and that they required him to contact a plumber to fix it ASAP. Alf had used O’Shea Plumbing to complete some sewer works previously and had no hesitation in contacting us again. Alf spoke to Lawrie (O’Shea Plumbing owner) who was in the Wantirna base and organised Andrew (an O’Shea plumber) to come have a look at this potential water leak. Andrew arrived on site shortly after and went about explaining the service Alf should expect from O’Shea Plumbing. Options were given and a quote written up explaining everything that Andrew was going to do to investigate the potential leak. In the quote, Andrew detailed that he would have to remove plinth boards to gain access underneath the house as he had found water pooling and could hear a slight hiss of water. Alf approved and Andrew went ahead with the water leak investigation. Andrew identified the pipe material and soon found the leak. This was made easier as Andrew had asked Alf to turn on the water mains which dampened Andrew in the process. The water was then turned off and Andrew had the pipe fixed in no time, turned the water back onto the house and replaced the plinth boards. This was a good outcome for Alf as the leak was easy to find and fix. Andrew didn’t even need to get out the pipe and leak detection equipment, one of the many specialised pieces of equipment that O’Shea Plumbing has available. To guarantee his work, Andrew checked the water pressures to the property and finished up by discussing the results and benefits of pressure reduction with Alf. O’Shea Plumbing’s quick, reliable service means that you can solve your water leak issues in no time. All you need to do is contact us on 03 9888 2887.

Karen from Hampton, an existing client of O’Shea Plumbing, had noticed a substantial increase in her quarterly gas bill which was unusual for her household. She called the O’Shea Plumbing office and spoke with Chelsea who sent Adam (O’Shea Plumber) and Dani (first year plumbing apprentice) over to investigate. Upon arrival, Adam inspected the gas line on the property as well as Karen’s two gas appliances; a hot water unit and a 6-month-old hydronic heating unit. Suspecting a leak, Adam pressure tested the gas line from the gas meter for leaks and checked the two appliances. The pressure test confirmed his suspicions, the gas leak was coming from the pipe connection to the new hydronic heating unit that another plumbing company had installed recently. To ensure it was the pipe connection, Adam disconnected the pipe leading to the hydronic heater and pressure tested again. The system now proved to be gas-tight. In addition to the leak on the new heater, Adam subsequently discovered broken seals on the gas meter itself. He replaced the seals and advised Karen to call the company that installed the faulty heater appliance as this should be covered by their warranty. Due to the swift arrival and thorough inspection by the professionals from O’Shea Plumbing, Karen was able to call the hydronic heating company, confidently explain the situation and organise for them to come out and rectify the problem. Nice work team! If you’re seeking the best gas plumbers in Melbourne, contact O’Shea Plumbing to schedule an appointment. Our professional plumbers are here for all your emergency or non-emergency plumbing services. We’re only a phone call away on (03) 9888 2887.

Mrs Mac from Blackburn South found one day that her gas space heater had stopped working. As she had used O’Shea Plumbing in the past for her plumbing needs and had been very happy with the work done on those occasions, she decided to ring them again. This time, she spoke to Jarett, the Service Manager, who arranged to call out the next day, check what was going on and give her a fixed price quote and options to repair the heater. Upon investigation, Jarett discovered that the gas space heater was very old. Although he recommended she replace the unit with a new, more efficient one, he still gave options to service and carry out a carbon monoxide test on the old heater. He gave Mrs Mac an option to replace the heater with a highly efficient and very safe room sealed Rinnai Energy Saver heater. The benefits of these heaters (besides being highly efficient) is that they are room sealed, meaning that all the air for combustion is brought in from outside, and the products of combustion are exhausted to the outside. Mrs Mac decided to proceed with the installation of a new heater. Jarett went ahead and ordered the heater from the Plumbers Supplies Co-op in Mitcham. Once the heater was delivered, he met Adam (one of O’Shea’s senior plumbers) on site. The first thing that they did – as is what O’Shea Plumbing always do on gas installation work – was to pressure test the gas installation from the gas meter for gas leaks. Adam proceeded with the installation of the new gas heater, conducting another gas pressure test and the commissioning of the heater, to ensure that the heater was operating according to manufacturers specifications. Within a few hours, the new heater was completely installed. Mrs Mac was delighted with her new gas heater installation. Although it was summertime, we all know that there are some cool nights in Melbourne when people – especially older folks – need to turn on the heater. O’Shea Plumbing provides the most professional and expedient gas repairs and services Melbourne residents could ask for, call us today on (03) 9888 2887. We’ll come running!

When Udam woke up to get ready for the day he didn’t need a coffee to wake him, as when he jumped into the shower he was unpleasantly awoken by the freezing cold water coming out of the shower. Udam went outside to have a look at the Hot Water Heater (HWH) and found it was leaking profusely and causing water to flood his backyard. Udam quickly ran to the water mains and turned this off, consequently shutting off water to his entire house. Once the water stopped running he looked up phone numbers for a plumber and found positive reviews for O’Shea Plumbing. He contacted Lawrie, who advised him to shut off the duo valve (HWH water isolation valve). Lawrie said so long as the duo valve was in good working order and shut off the water properly, Udam could then safely turn back on the water to the rest of his property. Lawrie organised an O’Shea Plumber to investigate the HWH issue. Adam (an O’Shea Plumber) arrived shortly afterwards. After a thorough investigation, Adam had to deliver the unfortunate news that Udam’s existing HWH had split and would need a replacement ASAP. Adam gave Udam options of replacing the HWH with the same brand storage units, alternative brands and he also gave options to install a continuous flow HWH. The benefit of a continuous flow HWH is that they are far more efficient and you won’t run out of hot water (provided you have a supply of power and gas and you keep the heater serviced). The only time that this unit will use gas is when the user turns on a hot tap which allows water to flow through said unit, starting up and heating the water to a set temperature of 60-degrees Celsius. The 60-degree water is connected to a pipe leading to the kitchen and laundry, and then a high-performance tempering valve set at 50-degrees Celsius is installed to reduce the water temperature to the bathrooms. The continuous flow HWH’s counterpart is a storage HWH, which has a pilot light that stays on permanently. These units need to keep the temperature of water in the storage cylinder above 60-degrees to ward off Legionnaires’ disease, in order to do this the burner needs to fire up regularly to keep the water above this temperature especially when the temperature drops over the cooler nights. Udam liked the idea of changing to a continuous flow HWH. He was also fully aware that this unit required an increased capacity of gas to function, meaning a short section of larger pipe would need to be laid to allow correct gas consumption. Adam ordered the material to be sent from the Plumber Supplies Co-op in Cheltenham and organised Daniel our trusted electrician to fit an external powerpoint. He then proceeded to carry out pressure testing the gas installation for gas leaks.  Later that day the job was all completed, within a short time of Udam’s initial phone call his water supply was back up and running with a brand new Rinnai 26 Infinity. He could now enjoy a great reliable, energy-efficient hot water heater. Whether it’s a heater tank leak or an entire hot water heater that needs repair, O’Shea is committed to providing hot water maintenance Melbourne wide. Contact us today for a fast quote on (03) 9888 2887.

O’Shea Plumbing has completed quite a number of jobs for Andrew from Vermont over the years. Included in these jobs was the supply and installation of Caroma toilet suites, installation of tap sets, the replacement of a hot water heater and the installation of a vanity unit that Andrew had selected and supplied. Andrew is one of many loyal clients of O’Shea Plumbing, who value the quality work and reliable service that this company delivers. Things like; always turning up on time, doing exactly what was detailed in the quote, and fixed price quotes so the client can relax in the knowledge that they won’t be charged any more than the total amount of the quote that they approved. Clients such as Andrew also rest assured in the knowledge that O’Shea Plumbing check and guarantee all of their work, for example, all gas installation work will be pressure tested before, during and after each job to ensure that there are no gas leaks. Andrew recently rang our office again. He has purchased another vanity unit that he would like installed by the plumbing professionals that he trusts – O’Shea Plumbing. For more of our loyal clients’ plumbing stories, check out the case studies on the O’Shea Plumbing blog. Contact O’Shea Plumbing today to get a fixed quote for your plumbing needs. For peace of mind and 100% satisfaction guarantee call us today on (03) 9888 2887.

Simon rang the O’Shea Plumbing office in Mt Waverley and spoke to Lawrie. His Hot Water Heater had stopped working. Lawrie arranged to meet Simon at 8am the next morning. Simon is an existing client of O’Shea Plumbing and over the years he had been given advice that the installation of the existing hot water heater did not comply with the regulations, and that a Rinnai Infinity would be a great alternative. After inspecting the existing unit, Lawrie gave Simon prices and options to repair, service or replace the hot water heater. The final choice was up to Simon. Simon decided it was time for a new Hot Water Heater. Lawrie gave him options for a Rinnai Infinity and also for a Rinnai Touch with remote controllers. The benefit of the Rinnai Touch with controllers is it allows the user to select the exact temperature of delivered hot water, avoiding temperature fluctuations and also the danger of a child or elderly person accidentally increasing the water temperature resulting in a scalding. Simon’s second option was a Rinnai Infinity unit, which (amongst other features) has precise temperature control for safety & convenience and never runs out of hot water. Simon accepted the quote for a Rinnai Infinity. Jarett (O’Shea Service Manager) ordered the materials from the Plumbers Supplies Co-op in Mitcham. The next morning Andrew and Jeremy (O’Shea plumber and apprentice) arrived on site. The first thing they did (as O’Shea Plumbing always do on any gas installation work) was to pressure test the gas installation for gas leaks, further tests are done during and on completion of the job – the tests proved that the system was sound and there were no issues. Andrew and Jeremy drained and removed the old Hot Water unit and then installed the new Rinnai Infinity system. The job all went well and by the end of the day, Simon and his family had a reliable, highly efficient hot water heater. O’Shea Plumbing provides maintenance, repairs and installation of hot water systems. Contact us today for a fast quote or call (03) 9888 2887. We’ll come running!

Jason and his family like so many other people are trying to do their part in preserving our precious resources any way possible. Jason has had a water tank collecting rainwater for use in the garden as well as flushing their two toilets. Unfortunately, Jason’s pump had given up on him while his rainwater and mains water was running through the pump, and it was now spraying water everywhere. O’Shea plumber Andrew arrived and gave a quote to replace and install a new pump. Jason approved these works and Andrew ordered the pump and parts required to complete the job from the Plumbers Co-op in Mitcham. Once the parts arrived at the O’Shea Plumbing Mount Waverley office a time was scheduled to complete the job. On the day of the job, Andrew arrived and began installing the pump. When he was doing a cross-connection test he found that the upstairs shower was making an unhealthy noise. Jason said that they do not enjoy their shower anymore because of the horrible noise. Andrew did a quick check of Jason’s water pressure which measured at 1100KPA, well and truly exceeding the recommended 500KPA. Andrew provided Jason with an option to supply and install pressure control at the water meter to limit the water pressure to 500KPA which would solve the noise issue, as well as replace the faulty sink mixer and replace the plug and washer in the basin. Jason gave Andrew the go-ahead. Low and behold by the time Andrew had finished his works, the noise in the shower had completely disappeared because the water pressure was reduced. As well as the noise issue, all of the other fixtures in the house are now being looked after and have been given a new lease on life. This water pressure reduction will also reduce the likelihood of water hammer. Once Andrew had finished, Jason told him that O’Shea Plumbing were “the real deal” and that they would recommend O’Shea Plumbing to all of their friends and use them again in the future. Our professional plumbers are here for all your emergency or non-emergency plumbing services. We’re only a phone call away on (03) 9888 2887. Contact us today!

Noelle from Kew rang O’Shea plumbing in Mount Waverley as she had a sewer blockage on her property. Our plumber Adam and apprentice Jeremy drove down to investigate. When they arrived, Noelle told them that the toilet had blocked up previously approximately 12 months ago. After looking around the property Adam and Jeremy found that the only access to the sewer was through the toilet. After removing the toilet Adam and Jeremy saw that the blockage was located immediately below where the toilet connects to the drainage system. They attempted to clear the blocked drain using a Rigid cable machine, and made some progress. However, due to the severity of the tree roots that had grown into the drain, Adam and Jeremy were unable to completely clear the blockage. The next day owner and lead plumber Lawrie and Jeremy returned to Noelle’s property with an older Rigid machine that was much more powerful than the standard machines carried on the O’Shea Plumbing vans. The larger machine still struggled to cut through all the roots but eventually, the blockage was cleared.   Lawrie and Jeremy then put a drain camera down to investigate where the tree roots were getting into the drain to ensure that the drain was completely cleared. They found a secondary blockage further down the drain, but were able to clear this one easily with the cable machine. They put the camera down again and saw that the rest of the drain was clear of any other blockages. Lawrie and Jeremy suggested that Noelle have her drain relined to ensure that the tree roots could not grow back into the drain.  Noelle was extremely pleased that her toilet was unblocked and flushing properly again. Ever wondered how plumbers clear a blockage? Read our blog about how plumbers clear a blocked drain. At O’Shea Plumbing, we strive to offer competitive rates on all of our blockage services while keeping our standards high. Have a blocked drain? Contact our team of plumbing professionals on (03) 9888 2887.

In need of a plumber, Ian found the phone number for O’Shea Plumbing on a sticker located on the old Hot Water Unit. He then checked review forums on the internet which helped influence his choice to call O’Shea Plumbing (take a look for yourself to see the reviews left by some of our satisfied clients on Google, Facebook and Product Review). Within a couple of hours of making the call, Andrew arrived to investigate the Hot Water Unit (HWU) which was not working. Andrew checked the age of the unit, water pressures and asked Ian a few questions which painted a picture of what Ian wanted and the expectations he had of O’Shea Plumbing. Andrew provided Ian with options to replace the HWU, as the existing unit was well over 20 years of age. After discussing the options, Ian decided he wanted to install a new HWU. Despite the recently warm weather consisting of multiple days over 30 degrees, Ian wanted the new HWU as soon as possible. This was no issue for O’Shea Plumbing to arrange. Andrew rang up the O’Shea Plumbing Mt Waverley office and arranged for one of his colleagues to cover his other job for that day. Once this was done Andrew called the Plumbers Co-op in Mitcham to order the required material. Unfortunately, the Mitcham branch could not deliver to Hampton, but Pat from the Plumbers Co-op told Andrew to give him 5 minutes to organise an alternative. Pat returned a phone call and said they have a driver from the Footscray store going to Brighton who could pick up the material from the Cheltenham store and drop it off to Andrew within 1.5hrs. While he waited for the delivery, Andrew completed a pressure test on the existing gas line, to check for gas leaks, measured water pressures, drained and removed the old HWU.  Once the HWU arrived Andrew went about installing the new HWU, including adding a ball-type valve to be able to isolate their back-up electric HWU which was purchased in 1997 when there was a gas fire and the City of Melbourne was without natural gas for about two weeks. Andrew also installed a limit valve set to 500KPA on the HWU to protect the unit. Ian was very happy that his needs were met and his family could have a warm shower in the morning before work. O’Shea Plumbing offers maintenance and repairs, as well as assistance when you’re picking and installing new hot water systems. Contact us today for a fast quote or call (03) 9888 2887.

Nathan owned a natural gas barbeque and wanted it to be connected to a gas point that was provided by the original plumber/builder of the house. Lawrie and Jeremy visited the site to complete an inspection before giving a quote. They gave a fixed-priced quote to do the work that was accepted by Nathan. O’Shea Plumbing provide fixed-price, upfront quotes so that you have peace of mind that there won’t be any surprise bills at the end of the job. Lawrie and Jeremy got to work. After checking that the pergola was ok for the external BBQ to be fitted, the next thing to do was to pressure test the gas installation from the gas meter. This ensured that there were no gas leaks that would create a dangerous situation (both during the installation and following use).  Next, the BBQ was connected to the gas point. The BBQ was then secured to the wall with chains, this would prevent the BBQ from being moved which would cause damage to the gas supply hose. It was pressure tested again to guarantee that the gas installation was sound.  Finally, the BBQ was commissioned. This involved measuring the burner pressure with a manometer and adjusting the burner aeration. During the commissioning process, it was discovered that the regulator that was supplied by the manufacturer was faulty. A replacement regulator was promptly sourced and fitted. The burner pressure could now be set correctly.  Nathan’s installation was now all set to use and ready for a season of delicious summer BBQs with friends and family. He sent an email shortly after telling Lawrie ‘thank you’ and how much he appreciated the help of O’Shea Plumbing. If you are in need of O’Shea Plumbing’s domestic installation services anywhere around Melbourne, contact us for a fast, fixed-price quote. Call us now on (03) 9888 2887.

Pauline rang the O’Shea Plumbing office in Mount Waverley and spoke to Lawrie. They had a blockage in a pipe between the swimming pool and the pump. She said that several people had been out and all had failed to fix the problem. Pauline told Lawrie that she wanted O’Shea Plumbing to do the job as she always found that even though O’Shea Plumbing was a bit more expensive, they always got the job done. She was confident that they could solve the issue again this time. Lawrie met Adam (an O’Shea plumber) and Jeremy (apprentice) on-site the next morning at 8am. After some investigation, they found that there certainly as a blockage in the suction pipe underground near the pump. To fix the problem a section of pipe was removed, the blockage cleared, the pipes reinstated, and before long the pool was back in operation. Two days later, Pauline was back on the phone again. She said that there was a water leak in the same area as the repair had been carried out, and she suspected that one of the joints was leaking. She also said that she needed it fixed that day as someone was coming around the next day to work on getting the pool water cleaned up ready for swimming. The time was about 3pm and heading towards the end of the working day. Lawrie organised Andrew to go to the job and commence an investigation to see what was going on. He also contacted Adam to put him on alert in case he was needed, before heading out to the job himself.  By the time Lawrie arrived on-site, Andrew had exposed the pipes and proved that there was no fault or water leaks from the work that was previously done. It turned out that the water was coming from a leak in the wall of the pool itself. The client had topped up the water in the pool, and that caused the leak that had not been there before.  This just shows that O’Shea Plumbing will always guarantee its work and will always follow up, check and fix any faults quickly and happily. For quick and reliable plumbing and a team of highly skilled professionals, call O’Shea Plumbing in Mount Waverley, Wantirna, Bentleigh or Bundoora on (03) 9888 2887 or book a quote online. We’ll come running!

Betty is a long term client who has trusted O’Shea Plumbing for many years. Over these years O’Shea Plumbing has completed a variety of work for Betty including clearing sewer and stormwater blockages, renewing sections of stormwater, changing tap washers to fix leaking taps and general work on the roof to name a few. On this occasion, Betty called the Mt Waverley office complaining of a water leak coming from her roof and very poor flow coming from her hot water unit. Jarett (O’Shea Plumbing Service Manager) arrived promptly and jumped up into the roof space to investigate the cause. He very quickly found that Betty was running two old gravity fed hot water heaters and the leak was coming from there. Jarett gave options for Betty to choose how she would like O’Shea Plumbing to fix this issue. All options were given to Betty with a fixed price so there would be no nasty surprises at the end of the works. Betty chose not to fix the old unit, instead opting for a new continuous flow hot water heater. She was fully informed by Jarett that this option would include adding a new section of gas pipe to provide enough gas for it to work correctly. Betty agreed and Jarett booked her in for the next day. The next day Andrew and Jeremy (Plumbers from O’Shea Plumbing) arrived onsite with Jarett who gave them the brief of what had to be done. Whilst they were doing this the Plumbers Co-op in Mitcham arrived with all the materials needed to complete this job. Andrew and Jeremy split up to divide and conquer this job. Jeremy ran all the gas piping from the gas meter to the new hot water heater where Andrew had installed and hooked up the water inlet and connected the hot water to the existing hot water pipes. To ensure the old units wouldn’t cause further issues, Andrew spent most of the afternoon in the roof space decommissioning the old gravity fed hot water heater and connecting up all the hot water pipes to remove the old hot water heater from the plumbing. After a hard days work the boys got the job done and Betty and her daughter were very happy that A) the leak had stopped and B) they would now have better flow coming from the hot taps. For quality plumbing with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, contact the professionals at O’Shea Plumbing to get a fixed quote for your plumbing needs. Call (03) 9888 2887 today!

Most people only replace their hot water heater when it bursts or develops a leak. It goes without saying that you should probably get it serviced or replaced before then. It’s also a good idea to consider replacing the unit when it is old and in need of major repairs. In this case, a client should ask themselves if it is a good economic decision to spend a lot of money repairing an old heater or would it be better to replace it with a new heater that has a long manufacturers warranty. You will also need to consider if the current hot water heater meets the demands of the household occupants or a growing family. If it isn’t delivering, then you may be in need of a new system. The team at O’Shea Plumbing recently came across a case where five adults wanted a hot water heater that could supply sufficient hot water for them all to be able to have showers in a short period of time each morning before leaving for work. The hot water heater had to be able to deliver enough hot water for two showers at a time and not run out of hot water. A Rinnai 26 Infinity continuous flow hot water heater was the answer! Another reason to change the existing hot water heater is to upgrade to a high-efficiency continuous flow gas unit or a Solar Apricus unit or an electric heat pump unit. The very old gravity feed hot water heaters in the roof space, are way past their use-by date. If you own one of these it is best to disconnect it, drain them down, and to replace them with an external gas storage or continuous flow high-efficiency unit before they burst and cause a flood. O’Shea Plumbing is committed to providing the highest quality of hot water maintenance and installation Melbourne wide. Contact us today for a fast quote on (03) 9888 2887.

There are many reasons why it is essential for a plumber to install a hot water heater. These reasons relate firstly to the installation being safe, both for the person installing it and for any use thereafter. Secondly, that any potential leakage does not cause damage, and thirdly, that the hot water heater operates correctly and efficiently. With a gas hot water heater, the gas pipes need to be sized correctly, to supply the correct amount of gas so that the appliance operates to meet the manufacturer’s specifications. Many manufacturers tell O’Shea Plumbing that faults with gas appliances often relate to poor gas supply and this is because of the gas pipes not being sized correctly. The water pressure needs to be checked, and a pressure reduction (PRV) limit valve or cold water expansion valve may need to be fitted. O’Shea Plumbing strongly recommend that PRV and cold water expansion valves are fitted when required, as they can greatly increase the life of your plumbing systems. Water temperature may need to be controlled via a tempering valve. The pressure and temperature relief valve drain lines need to discharge to a position where it will not cause nuisance or damage. O’Shea Plumbing recommend it is discharged to over a  sewer disconnector gully or a stormwater grate whenever possible.  A safe tray with a drain to the outside or a Mildred valve may need to be installed under an internal hot water heater to prevent damage to the building from water leaks. The ventilation into the room or enclosure need to be checked and vents fitted where required when an internal gas hot water heater is installed  It is important that the gas flue pipes are installed and terminate correctly and that the clearances from internal/external corners openings into a building, etc. for external water heaters are all correct. It’s important to consider all of the above-mentioned elements of a water heater installation so that your hot water heater operates safely and efficiently, and is soundly installed. To alleviate the stress and complexity of the task it is best to hire an experienced plumbing professional to complete the installation. O’Shea Plumbing offers hot water system maintenance and repairs, as well as assistance when you’re picking and installing new systems. Our customers trust us to provide exceptional repairs and installations for all of their hot water plumbing and service needs. Contact us today on (03) 9888 2887.

A pilot light is a small flame that is built into your gas heating appliances, such as a furnace or water heater. The pilot light provides a small flame that ignites the gas needed to operate the appliance. So what happens if the pilot light goes out on one of your heating appliances? Does the gas keep flowing? If the pilot light goes out on a storage or instantaneous hot water heater, space heater or a ducted heater, you will not have a gas leak. This is because all modern gas appliances with pilot lights have a fail-safe device that closes off the gas to the appliance in the case when the pilot may go out. The fail-safe device is comprised of a thermocouple. When the tip of the Thermocouple is heated in the pilot flame, it generates a small electric current. This electric current energises an electromagnet that in turn keeps a gas valve open allowing gas to flow to the main burner. If the pilot light goes out for any reason, the current stops, the valve closes, thus preventing any gas from leaking. High-efficiency gas appliances like Rinnai Infinity hot water units, Rinnai Energysaver space heaters or Brivis Starpro ducted heaters are different. They don’t have thermocouples as they are all electronic. We find that these are all very safe and reliable appliances. At O’Shea Plumbing, we recommend getting a gas heater service regularly, especially before the cold months come around. If you own an older gas appliance it may even be time to think about getting it replaced by a licensed plumber to avoid problems and keep you and your family safe. You can rest assured that O’Shea Plumbing are the trusted professionals in Melbourne when it comes to gas leak detection and gas heater services. Our quick, reliable service means that you can solve your gas leak and heater issues in no time. Contact us today on 03 9888 2887.

Do you think you might have a gas leak? Read on to find out what to do in the case of a gas leak and how to stay safe. If you smell or suspect that there is a gas leak in your house, the first thing to do is turn the gas off at your gas meter. The lever of the isolation valve is switched on in the vertical position and switched off when the lever is horizontal.  At O’Shea Plumbing, we find that a number of our clients do not know where their gas meter is or what it looks like. It’s a good idea to find out where it is and how to turn it off in case an emergency occurs. If you know or suspect that the gas leak is located at the meter, between the meter and the street or in the street, then ring your gas company. In Victoria, this is your gas supply company, not your retailer company. The phone number for your gas supply company can be found on the top of your gas bill. If the gas leak is on the gas pipes from your gas meter leading to your appliances, or on the appliances then turn off the gas and ring an emergency plumber. Under no circumstances should you investigate, or look for a gas leak with a naked flame. Only use soapy water. Do not attempt to fix a gas leak yourself, always call a licensed plumber/gasfitter. A plumber will first use a manometer to test to see if you have a gas leak and the severity of the gas leak. Then he or she will conduct an investigation of the leak and determine what course of action is required to rectify the situation. After all the work is completed, a Certificate of Compliance is given to the client to certify that all of the work done complies with regulation and that it the gas system is safe and sound to use again. Our quick, reliable service means that you can solve your gas leak issues in no time. Contact the professionals at O’Shea Plumbing on (03) 9888 2887.

The caretaker of the Uniting Church in Glen Waverley called O’Shea Plumbing of Mount Waverley, stating that there was water starting to pool in the front garden of the property. Chelsea (one of O’Shea Plumbing’s administration staff) identified this as an urgent job and moved around some appointments so that Andrew and Jeremy (O’Shea Plumbing Plumbers) could inspect the issue as soon as possible. Within 45mins of the initial phone call, Andrew and Jeremy arrived and began investigating the issue. They chose to investigate the water pooling in the garden first, rather than going straight into using the specialised pipe and leak detection equipment.  Andrew and Jeremy soon found the water leak but were unable to fix it due to the position it was in. This water leak was being caused by a giant gum tree which had grown a massive root ball and squashed the copper water pipe. The two plumbers began thinking of ideas to resolve the issue. Instead of cutting the tree roots/root ball to fix the leak, Andrew and Jeremy came up with the idea to bypass the gum tree roots. This would alleviate possible damage to the tree as well to keep the copper water pipe away from the ever-growing root ball which was likely to cause similar issues down the track. The caretaker of the property agreed this was a good idea. The next morning Andrew and Jeremy came back. They located the section of copper water pipe before and after the leak and began digging a trench to re-run a section of pipe. Once the pipe was reconnected and the water turned on, it was a simple matter of backfilling the trench and completing a cross-connection test. It is important for not just your household, but for the safety of the wider community to complete a cross-connection test whenever there is an alternative water supply i.e. water tank/s on the property. With any cross-connection, there is a chance of the alternative water supply ending up in the community’s drinking water, which could potentially cause serious illnesses. This is why plumbers have to be very vigilant about backflow prevention. If you want your water leaks handled efficiently and in a timely manner, call on the professionals at O’Shea Plumbing. Call us on (03) 9888 2887.

Most of the blockages that occur are in the sewer or stormwater drains and are caused by tree roots. All of the trees that we have in Melbourne make it a great city to live in and are very good for the environment, but sometimes the roots from these trees do get into cracks in the earthenware drains and cause blockages. Earthenware was the most common material used for drains up until the 1970’s & 1980’s. Some properties also had concrete used for the stormwater drains, as that was the only type of drain pipe available after the second world war.  The tree roots get into the drains through cracks, mainly in the joints. The roots are generally small to start with and then grow larger once in the drain. Tree root growth in sewer drains is usually noticed and attended to fairly quickly, however this may not be the case with stormwater drains where the root growth may be quite extensive before it is noticed. O’Shea Plumbing has come across situations where the stormwater drains around the whole house are full of roots. In cases like this, it may be best to replace all of the drains. PVC drains are much better, because the glued joints generally keep out the roots. It is usually only when a joint has not been glued properly or the pipe has been crushed or not installed correctly, that problems occur. Other causes of blockages are when prohibited items are flushed or are allowed to go down the drain. Grease is also a cause of blocked drains and waste pipes. It congeals in the drain and stops the regular flow of wastewater. Grease should not be put down the drain, instead it should be left to set, wrapped in paper and put in the rubbish bin. Cooking oil should be put in a container and put in the rubbish bin. Breaks and defects in drains are also a cause. These may need to be dug up and a section or all of the drain replaced or relined. If you’re experiencing a blocked drain on your premises, contact the professionals at O’Shea Plumbing in Mount Waverley VIC, Wantirna VIC, Bentleigh VIC, and Bundoora VIC. We’ll come running!

If you’ve experienced a blocked drain in your home or workplace before then you know calling a professional, such as the team at O’Shea Plumbing, is the best and quickest way to fix the problem. Below we’ve put together a list of the equipment that our plumbers use to fix drain blockages. HAND PLUNGERS – Depending on the situation, these may be the first thing used to attempt to clear blockages in toilets, basins, sinks, laundry troughs, for localised blockages. At O’Shea Plumbing, we don’t use chemicals to clear blockages as some of them are ineffective or others are hazardous and dangerous. TOILET CLOSET AUGER – Some plumbers use these to clear blockages in toilets where it is a localised blockage. SMALL CABLE DRAIN CLEANING MACHINES – These machines are good for clearing waste pipes. A waste pipe is the connection pipe between basins, sinks, baths, showers etc. and the sewerage drain. A cable is driven down the pipe with different cutters attached to clear the blockage. PLUMBERS PLUNGER – Plumbers either make these themselves, or buy them ready-made and use them to attempt to clear localised blockages in disconnector gullies or boundary traps. SMALL WATER, HYDRO JET – Some plumbers use these to clear blockages in sewers and stormwater drains. At O’Shea Plumbing we find these inadequate for clearing serious tree roots out of drains, so we only use these machine for clearing waste pipes. Different size hoses and nozzles, with forward and back jets (depending on the job), are fed into the pipe to clear the blockage. These are particularly effective on blockages caused by grease. CABLE DRAIN CLEANING MACHINES – A reliable machine, Ridgid 1500, that’s great for clearing tree roots and other blockages from sewerage and stormwater drains. Sections of cable are joined together, different cutter heads are attached, and the cables are fed into the drain to clear the blockage. At O’Shea Plumbing we start off with a small-sized cutter head and work towards attempting to get a full-sized cutter through the drain to completely clear the drain. This will always depend on the amount of tree root in the drain, and if the drain is broken. In these cases it may be the best option to replace, or reline, some or all of the drain. DRAIN CAMERA – The cable with a self-levelling camera head are fed into the drain. These are used to inspect the drain so decisions can be made as to the best course of action to clear, repair, replace or reline the drain are made. NAVITRACK – This Ridgid Navitrack is a very valuable piece of equipment. It allows the plumber to track and locate a sonde that is in the drain camera head. This gives the plumber the exact location and depth of the drain and if applicable the defect in the drain. TRUCK / TRAILER MOUNT WATER HYDRO WATER JET MACHINES – These machines are great for clearing tree root and grease blockages from drains. These machines have the correct water volume and water pressure to do the job. The machine is generally left in the street when in use. A hose is fed into the property where it is joined to a smaller hose reel. The hose from this reel – with either nozzles with forward and rear or attachments such as a Warthog nozzle – are very effective in clearing drains. ROOTX – This is a great product that plumbers can put down the drain after tree roots have been cleared, to inhibit the tree roots from growing back into the drain. This product must be installed either immediately after the tree root has been removed or approximately 6 to 8 weeks later once the tree roots start to regrow. RootX is environmentally friendly and does not damage the tree/s. If you’re experiencing a blocked drain, contact the professionals at O’Shea Plumbing in Mount Waverley VIC, Wantirna VIC, Bentleigh VIC, and Bundoora VIC. We’ll come running!

When Claire and Ian’s gas provider came around to upgrade their gas meter, the plumber who changed it over was required to complete a pressure test on the clients existing gas pipes. It’s important this test is completed, if the pressure test fails and proves there is a leak on the gas supply pipes, the gas legally has to be shut off until the gas leak is found and fixed. Unfortunately for Claire and Ian, when the gas provider did the pressure test on their system it had to be shut off as there was a major leak in the gas pipe. Luckily, they live next door to Lawrie the owner of O’Shea Plumbing, which has been around for 41 years as of 2019. Lawrie visited Claire and Ian the same night their gas was shut off to investigate and take a look at what was involved in fixing the issue. It turned out that Claire and Ian’s galvanised gas pipe was the original gas pipe and was buried under the slab of the house. To save costs and potential damage to the property (digging up slab to find the leak), Lawrie provided Claire and Ian with an option to renew the gas supply pipes with good quality copper. This option involved a few different courses of action for Claire and Ian to decide upon. They could either run the new copper around the property or penetrate the wall and run the copper through the roof space. The latter option would mean Lawrie could reconnect the new copper gas supply pipes to the ducted heating in the roof space as well as connecting the new gas pipe to the existing copper gas pipe for the hot water unit. O’Shea Plumbers Andrew and Jeremy arrived on site the next morning and began renewing the gas pipes. While they were organising their tools and setting out where the pipes needed to run, the Plumbers Co-Op in Mitcham arrived and supplied the materials needed to complete the job. About an hour later Claude, a core driller from East Malvern, came and made a perfect hole for the new 32mm copper to fit through. The job went smoothly and the gas fitting was completed efficiently. All of the pipes were installed in neat, straight lines and clipped appropriately with a test of new gas pipes set at 7KPA which is about 5 times the amount of pressure that will be present when the gas is connected and at operating pressure. Once Andrew completed the works and testing, he turned on all gas appliances on the property and ensured their gas fixtures were supplying and burning at the correct pressure. He found that the Pressure Temperature Relief Valve (PTR) on the hot water unit was leaking and very old and required changing. Andrew also measured the water pressure as Claire had mentioned to him that they had been experiencing water hammer (noise coming from the water pipes). Andrew presented Claire and Ian with options to supply and install a new PTR Valve as well as install pressure control to hot and cold water. This took the pressure from just under 1000KPA (double what is recommended from VBA) down to 500KPA.  These fixes will be sure to drastically improve the plumbing in Claire and Ian’s home.

When David and his son came home from cricket on a Saturday afternoon they were not pleased to find that their downstairs toilet was threatening to overflow. David decided that he should call his local plumber immediately. Andrew from O’Shea Plumbing arrived half an hour after the initial call to investigate what was going wrong with their toilet and sewer. He quickly found that all fixtures were being effected and were not draining properly. This indicated to Andrew that he should be looking outside as that’s most likely where the issue was. Andrew gave Yarra Valley Water in Mitcham Vic a call to find out the exact location of David’s sewer point. Andrew was advised that David and his neighbour shared a sewer point which was located on next door’s property. This is common in some suburbs, including Mt Waverley. Once Andrew had a solid plan, he presented David with the options to resolve the problem. David decided on the option which involved Andrew using the large sewer cable machine to make an attempt to clear the sewer drain blockage.  Andrew worked his cable machine through the drain, removing a few sections of clumped tree roots. All of a sudden, there was a gushing noise and all the water that was sitting in the drain evacuated and ran into the authorities sewer mains.  The blockage was cleared but Andrew not only wanted to clear the blockage, he wanted to clear the sewer to avoid further blockages occurring. So, he upsized his cutter on the cable machine to 75mm and ran the cable through again, then repeated the process with a 100mm cutter the exact size of the drain. This cleared the drain to the correct size and left minimal – if any – tree roots in the drain which toilet paper could catch on creating another blockage. Andrew was able to give David a 1-year blockage-free guarantee on the section of drain that he worked on. David was very happy that he was able to use his toilet and other fixtures again within two hours of calling the O’Shea Plumbing weekend base in Bundoora.

When our plumbers from O’Shea Plumbing say that our client has a sewer blockage we often get a quizzical look. There is a common misconception that only your toilet will be affected when a sewer blockage occurs. FALSE!  If any of the drains in your shower, bath, basin, sink or other fixtures that have wastewater running into a drain block, drain slowly or make a gurgling noise you may have a sewer issue which should be looked at ASAP. Andrew from O’Shea Plumbing was called out to a blockage issue in Bundoora where a coffee machine and filtered tap were not draining at all.  After investigating the issue, Andrew deduced that there was a blockage which was occurring only in this section of drain, and not affecting other drains on the premises. He couldn’t determine the exact location of the drain blockage but could narrow it down to the section of pipe that was blocked, which helped him to figure out the options for resolution. Andrew provided the client with options to clear the blockage. The first option involved using his plunger, and if this didn’t work the other options included using a small sewer cable machine or a small water jet to clear the blockage. The client chose the first option that Andrew recommended, and once approved Andrew went ahead and cleared the blockage.  By the time Andrew was done, he could turn on the tap and leave it running while the wastewater drained perfectly and a foul odour no longer lingered around the drain. Andrew’s client was pleased with the service and happy that they could get back to their usual operations as quickly as possible.  

‘Ross’ from Mount Waverley Vic, rang the O’Shea Plumbing office as there was a plumbing issue at his mother’s house causing unsanitary spillages in her home. Lawrie and Max (plumber and apprentice) quickly called around to the property to investigate the problem. After assessing the issue, they discovered that the sewer drain on the property had become blocked due to tree root growth in the drains. Lawrie and Max quoted Ross for a number of different options and prices to solve the blocked drain issue, which included options from simply clearing the blockage and using Rootx to inhibit root growth, to relining and also replacing sections of drain. Ross decided he just wanted the drain unblocked, stating said that he has used O’Shea Plumbing many times before and was always happy with the service. Lawrie and Max started clearing the sewer drain with a Ridgid cable machine, beginning from a D.T. at the rear corner of the house and then from a point located outside of the toilet. Due to the severity of the tree roots in the drain, the machine cable got stuck mid-job.  Since O’Shea Plumbing has been in operation since 1978, they have plenty of experience with these types of issues. Lawrie travelled back to their factory/office to get the old, original Ridgid machine, that was stronger and more powerful than the standard machine carried on the vans. By using the older, stronger machine, the cables were quickly retrieved and the job completed. To get the job done, Lawrie and Max used full-size 100mm cutters to run through the drains to completely clear the sewer drain and give Ross and his Mother the maximum time until the tree roots grow back and the job will need to be done again.  Ross was very happy that all of the sewer drains were once again clear and running freely.

‘Beverley’ from Balwyn Vic, rang and spoke to Chelsea in the O’Shea Plumbing Mount Waverley Vic, office as her sewer drain had blocked again. Andrew from O’Shea Plumbing had cleared a blockage at her house a few months earlier. Lawrie (plumber) and Max (apprentice) were working on a job in Doncaster East Vic,  at the time, so Chelsea checked the booking system on her computer and could see that they would be available to go see Beverley shortly after lunch that afternoon. Lawrie and Max arrived at Beverley’s that afternoon. After investigating the problem and calling Yarra Valley Water for a sewer point location, it was found that Beverley’s drain was combined with Nick’s drain on the property next door and this was where the blockage was actually located. Lawrie provided Nick with a copy of the sewer plan so he could see exactly where the drains ran and how the blocked drain would affect him. A number of options and quotes were given to Nick to clear the drain. At first, Nick and his wife thought the prices were too high, but after Lawrie gave them a detailed explanation of what would be done and why it would be beneficial, they decided to proceed. As it turned out, there was extensive tree roots in three points of the sewer drain. These roots were all completely cleared out using full-size 100mm cutters. On completion, Nick and his wife said that they were very happy with the job. They had seen the amount of work that was done. They both said that no previous plumber had done that much clearing, and that no one had provided a copy of the sewer plan to show them where their drains ran. They asked for a business card so they could ring O’Shea Plumbing if they had any plumbing issues in the future.

Recently, Mrs O’Shea (no relation to O’Shea Plumbing) called up our  main office of O’Shea Plumbing. She had looked at the reviews on the internet and decided that she liked the sound of a family run business and was happy with what she read. The fact that her last name was O’Shea was just a nice little touch that helped her cement her decision to give us a go.    Mrs O’Shea rang up the Mt Waverley Vic head office to report an issue with her toilet — the system was constantly running. Our plumber Andrew (from our Bundoora depot in VIC) was designated to her case. He made sure he was at her house the next morning at a very punctual 8am.  Andrew investigated the issue and provided Mrs O’Shea with some viable solutions to fix the problem.   Mrs O’Shea decided to replace the old cistern (over 20 years old) with a new one. With the new cistern being smaller, she fully appreciated the economic benefit that this option provided in  using far less water per flush. She saw this as an opportunity to save money in the long run. This solution would require less maintenance with minimal to no replacement costs involved for a number of years to come.     Andrew performed his duties and installed the new cistern in a timely manner. Mrs O’Shea was thrilled with the work and happy to have her toilet in proper working order. 

Mr Zeng rang up O’Shea Plumbing (our Wantirna office in VIC) on a Sunday, to get some assistance regarding a water leak. This leak was occuring in the front yard of his property and was coming from under the grass. Our plumber Andrew arrived shortly after the call  at Mr Zeng and his wife’s home.    Andrew began by explaining the process that his new clients could expect from O’Shea Plumbing. Once Mr Zeng approved works, Andrew went about attempting to locate the leak. He soon found that the water leak was not under the grass, but potentially under a concrete path or under the house. The water was tracking onto the grass where it could pool and sit.   Andrew squeezed under the house to see if he could see or hear any evidence of a water leak. This was in order to cover all bases. Once Andrew got to the area where he thought the leak could be, he realised he was now lying in a gigantic puddle of water. This indicated that a leak was occuring nearby. Unfortunately for Andrew he had not quite found the source of the leak itself. But he knew he was close!   Andrew was confident he was in the right area. However, he did not want to start cutting up his client’s nice concrete path or remove bricks from the house without any more evidence. Andrew proposed that he used specialised pipe and leak detection equipment to trace out where the water pipe ran. He also suggested connecting an air compressor to the water pipes and using a listening device in an attempt to get a more accurate location on the leak. This approach would minimise damage to the property.   Andrew came back the next day with the pipe location equipment and painted a good picture of where and how deep the water pipe ran, as well as an approximate area where the pipe was leaking. From here, he decided he needed to cut out a small section of the  concrete path to gain access to the water leak. Usually O’Shea Plumbing will try to bypass leaks so there is no need to cut up paths or driveways. But in this case the path ran all around the property. There was just no other option.   Once Andrew cut out concrete path he very quickly found the leak. He cut out that section and replaced it with new pipe. With the water was turned back on, he ensured all fixtures were checked. Mr Zeng and his wife were so happy with the result that they actually said they would never use another plumbing company again!   

‘Maz’, a resident from Ashwood VIC, rang and spoke to Chelsea at the O’Shea Plumbing Mount Waverley head office as his sewer drain had become blocked causing spillages on the property. O’Shea Plumbing offers a 12-month warranty on sewer drain blockages that reoccur in the same spot. Maz queried if this blockage would come under the warranty, as it has been just under 12 months since O’Shea Plumbing had previously cleared this sewer. After investigating the blockage, Lawrie and Max (plumber and apprentice) called at 8am to confirm that indeed the main blockage would be cleared under the warranty at no charge to Maz. Further investigation with a Ridgid drain camera and Navitrack – which locates the position of the camera head – revealed that tree roots that had also made their way into another sewer branch drain.  At O’Shea Plumbing, we conduct extensive assessment and consultations in order to offer the best solutions for your plumbing problem. After determining the best course of action to remove the blockage, Lawrie and Max provided Maz with quotes to clear the tree roots from the drain and also to treat the drain with Rootx to slow the root growth of the tree. Quotes were also given for a more permanent solution, which involved relining the junction where the roots were infiltrating the drain.  The final decision was up to Maz, who accepted the quote to clear the blockage and use the Rootx treatment. With that settled, the tree roots were completely cleared and treated with Rootx and the drain was checked again with the camera. During the course of the work, Maz had to go back to work, and his father (who also uses the services of O’Shea Plumbing at his Glen Iris house) arrived. On completion, Maz’s father commended Lawrie and Max for fixing the issue so promptly, calling them the “best plumbers in Melbourne”, and requested they give him several business cards to give to family and friends.

‘Frank’ from Mount Waverley rang the O’Shea Plumbing office, as his toilets were blocked and the water was not flushing properly. Lawrie and Max (Plumber and Apprentice) made their way to Frank’s property to conduct an inspection. After assessing the situation and checking the extent of the blockage they found that all the fixtures were blocked.  Lawrie and Max began making some calls in order to get some solutions for the problem. A copy of the sewerage plan and a phone call to Yarra Valley Water confirmed the location of the connection point to the Yarra Valley main sewer. Lawrie and Max discovered that Frank’s drain was combined with their next-door neighbour’s and the connection point was located on the neighbour’s property. A quick visit next-door revealed the neighbours were not home, and a note was left on their door to contact Frank and O’Shea Plumbing as soon as possible. Frank later rang to say that O’Shea Plumbing could access the neighbour’s property the next day. Lawrie and Max visited the two properties again. Now that they had access to the neighbour’s property they were able to clearly deduct that the blockage was actually in the Yarra Valley Water main sewer. Lawrie rang and referred the job to Yarra Valley Water, and was informed that they would be on-site within two hours to get Frank and his neighbour’s sewer cleared and running again. Thanks to the quick work by Lawrie and Max from O’Shea Plumbing, the blockage was able to be solved quickly and Frank could go back to living in a home free from plumbing issues.

Because natural gas is lighter than air, it dissipates quickly into the atmosphere in the event of a leak. However, you should still report all gas leaks in Melbourne, as gas may build up in confined spaces and create a potentially dangerous situation. This is the opposite for LPG gas which is heavier than air. This makes LPG more dangerous than natural gas.    What to do if you smell gas If you smell gas in the street or on your property leading up to where the gas meter is located, you should call your gas company (the phone number is usually on the top of your gas bill) immediately to locate and repair the leak. If however, you believe the leak to be after the meter on a section of pipework connecting your appliances, or on the appliance itself, you should contact O’Shea Plumbing to rectify the problem. Remember, any person undertaking work involving gas must be appropriately licensed.   Inside your home If you smell gas inside your building or home: Turn off all appliances and pilot lights Turn off your supply at the gas meter   Open all doors and windows for ventilation Contact O’Shea Plumbing to locate, repair the leak and relight appliances.   Remember: Do not look for a gas leak with a naked flame or other ignition source Do not operate electrical equipment close to a gas leak Don’t turn on or switch off any lights, use a telephone, or use a flashlight, at the risk of causing a spark that could start a gas fire Don’t smoke, light matches, or use a cigarette lighter inside or while on the property.   Inhalation of Natural Gas  A natural gas leak in an outdoor environment is usually not concentrated enough to cause symptoms. A leak into a small-enclosed space can result in a lack of oxygen in the air and symptoms of hypoxia. These include headache, decreased vision, fatigue, shortness of breath and loss of consciousness.   At O’Shea Plumbing, we offer emergency plumber Melbourne services. We guarantee quick and reliable service and can help you solve your gas leak issues in no time. All you need to do is contact us on 03 9888 2887.

The water supplied to the citizens of Melbourne is amongst the best in the world. But what would happen if that water supply started flowing back the wrong way from the citizens? Below we’ll examine backflow and why prevention is so important. What is Backflow? Backflow is a term used in the plumbing world to describe an undesirable flow of water in the reverse direction. The backflow of water can carry contaminants back to the primary water supply system, making the water in it unsafe to drink. Backflow occurs due to pressure changes in the pipe. This can happen, for instance, when a broken water main is being repaired, the water is turned off, the broken section of pipe is removed, water will gush out of the pipes on either side of the broken section, and a vacuum will be created in the water supply system. Under certain conditions, this draws liquid from a potentially contaminated source back into the drinking water supply. Some examples of cross-connections where a backflow incident can occur are: In metal processing or chemical plants where metals in solutions or chemicals used for production can come into contact with the water supply In market gardens, where chemical injectors, irrigation systems and garden hoses are connected to the water supply  When a hose is left running in a container with chemicals such as fertilisers  Car wash facilities, where there is a connection between the scrubber and rinse cycles  Pipework that allows recycled water to enter the drinking water supply. A dangerous chemical (or contaminant) may get into the water mains which leads into a nearby property. If this contaminated water is used, the occupants of the property could be seriously or fatally injured. So, what’s a Backflow Prevention Valve? This is a device that ensures non-potable water doesn’t get back into the main water supply system. Simply put, it’s a device that ensures water flows in one direction. How Does Backflow Prevention Work? There a number of types of backflow systems: everything from Dual Check Valves, Air Gap (AG) to Reduced Pressure Zone Device (RPZD). Dual Check Valves are usually for low hazard situations.   Air Gap backflow systems, as the name suggests, have an air gap between the water supply system and the receiving vessel. The air gap prevents non-potable water from flowing back to the clean water supply system. . RPZD backflow systems, are for high hazard situations.  Make sure you hire a Licensed Back Flow Prevention Plumber like O’Shea Plumbing of Mount Waverley for installation, servicing and repair. We will let you know what backflow valve/s are required to be fitted on your property. Backflow devices have to be installed in strategic places for them to work correctly. Hazard Ratings Of course, having a device is dependent on having your site assessed so that the property’s hazard rating can be determined. The internal pipework arrangements and the processes carried out on the site will dictate; the hazard rating for the property, the type of valve/s required to be fitted, and where they need to be fitted. There are three official hazard ratings: High – any condition, device or practise which in connection with the water supply system has the potential to cause death. Medium – any condition, device or practise which in connection with the water supply could endanger health. Low – any condition, device or practise which in connection with the water supply system would constitute a nuisance but not endanger health or cause injury. Where Backflow valves are to be fitted is divided into 3 areas: Individual – This is usually a certain piece of equipment or machine to be protected, so it does not contaminate the rest of the property. i.e. the lunchroom. Zone – This is a room or area within a property to be protected, so it does not contaminate the rest of the property. i.e. the lunchroom. Containment – This is where a Backflow Prevention Valve is fitted at the water meter at the property boundary, to prevent water from flowing back into the water main. Why Do You Need a Backflow Prevention Device? A qualified licensed plumber can assess the hazard rating of your business process and determine the type of device you need to have. If you have a cross-connection or an installation on your premises with the potential to cause backflow, and subsequent contamination of the water supply occurs, your company may be exposed to: Injury claims Illness or death of occupants Contamination of products and subsequent exposure to product liability claims Litigation and possibly penalties, as the result of actions brought by the health departments under Occupational Health and Safety legislation Liability for damages caused to others at adjoining premises serviced by the same main water supply as your property. If you want to know more about device installation, Backflow testing and repair of Backflow Prevention Valves contact O’Shea Plumbing of Mount Waverley Vic, Wantirna Vic, Bentleigh Vic and Bundoora Vic on (03) 9888 2887.

Before the repercussions of a blocked drain occur, it’s good to know what causes a blockage so that you can avoid the stress of flooding, foul odours, leaking or worse happening in your home. Below we will discuss the common causes of a drain blockage.   The most common cause of blockages in sewer and storm water drains are tree roots. The roots enter the drain through small cracks and then grow, causing blockages in the drain which need to be removed by a plumber in Melbourne.    A good drain shouldn’t block, sometimes broken drains are the cause. Drains or pipes that are incorrectly installed, with incorrect fittings and or gradient can also be the cause of a blockage.   Foreign objects being put into the drain, like children’s toys, rocks or stones can cause blockages.   Do NOT put the following in the sewerage system: plastics motor oils, paints or pesticides non-biodegradable products fats, oils or food scraps cotton buds, nappies, condoms, sanitary products and wrappers medicines wet wipes and facial tissues. What NOT to flush Every fortnight, over four tonnes – about the size of an African elephant – of wet wipes are removed from one of Melbourne’s three sewerage networks because they have been wrongly flushed into the system. Wet wipes are a mammoth issue, with over 100 tonnes needing to be removed each year with some causing blockages that can cost up to $1,000 each time they need to be cleared by a blocked drains Melbourne plumber.   While some of these products claim to be flushable, they may not be and customers should be mindful of what is flushed down the toilet. The best option is to put the wet wipes into the bin. We also suggest you follow these handy hints: Use a sink strainer to prevent food scraps and other household waste, from going down the drain. Consider using a compost heap to dispose of food scraps. Pour kitchen fats and oils into a container; seal it and throw it in the bin. Alternatively let the grease solidify, wrap it in newspaper and put it in the bin Wipe greasy pots and pans with a paper towel before washing. Dispose of items such as cotton buds, nappies, condoms, sanitary products and their wrappers in the household rubbish. Use less detergent. The average household uses three times more detergent than manufacturers recommend. Choose a washing detergent with a low salt content. Concentrated detergents often contain much less salt than conventional varieties. Ask your local pharmacy or council for advice on how to dispose of medicines and hazardous chemicals. What happens if they do go into the system? These products can cause: damaged pipes blocked pipes which may impact your property, your neighbour’s property and or the sewerage mains, reticulation system. Remember we all pay through our rates for the blockages and damage done to the entire sewer system caused by these products being flushed down the drains   harm to the environment.   If your drain is blocked give O’Shea Plumbing of Mount Waverley Vic, Wantirna Vic, Bentleigh Vic or Bundoora Vic a call on 03 9888 2887 for a fast reliable response. We’ll come running!

  ‘Tony’ and his wife have lived in Mt Waverley VIC for over 30 years. Over that time a lot has changed in Mt Waverley.  Many houses have been knocked down and turned into units, townhouses etc. This provides a good opportunity for property owners to upgrade things like sewer pipes, storm water gas and water pipes — to make sure that there are minimal issues in the future. In this instance, Tony made the decision to call up O’Shea Plumbing. He reach our owner ‘Lawrie’ who was visiting our Bundoora Vic base. He sent ‘Andrew’ straight over to have a look at the poor water flow in the back of the house. Upon arrival, Andrew noticed that the water pipes were made of galvanised iron and buried in the ground. Once Andrew found the water pipe under the house it was ascertained that the rest of the water pipes were also made of galvanised iron and not in the best condition. After investigating, Andrew started discussing options with Tony and his wife. The issue that Tony had was the fact that the galvanised iron pipes had started to rust — this material rusts from the inside out. What had happened was that a piece of rust had dislodged or blocked the pipe. The blockage was to such a high degree that there was minimal water flowing through the pipe feeding the water fixtures. As they didn’t want any recurring issues to arise, Andrew and Tony decided that it would be best to renew the whole water pipe with copper. Even though there was no immediate need to get the job done, Andrew promptly ordered the required materials from ‘The Plumbers Coop” in Mitcham VIC and got started the very next day. Andrew dug a trench from the water meter to under the house. He laid 20mm copper pipe and continued running the main run of the copper pipe, clipping it under the house every metre. He ensured the branches fed each fixture he ran but were not actually connected to the fixtures. The reasoning behind this? This approach meant the majority of the work was complete but it allowed for Tony and his wife to still access water off the old pipes overnight.  The very next morning, Andrew arrived early and advised his clients that he would need to turn off the water to their house. Andrew was now at the stage where we would need to connect the new pipe to each fixture. By lunchtime Andrew had finished the work and went about testing all the fixtures contained within the property. Of course, Andrew made sure that all of the landscaping was tidied up. Some sections of lawn had been carefully removed in the course of the work — these were all replaced. Tony and his wife were amazed at how much water was coming out of the taps in the back half of their house. At O’Shea plumbing we are certainly very passionate about providing proactive plumbing solutions, and this is just one example!  

When should you get your gas heater checked? Be sure to get all gas appliances in your home serviced regularly. Energysafe Victoria and the Victorian Building Authority advise doing this at least every two years. It’s a good idea to do it at the end of summer to beat the Autumn/Winter rush. If you have an older gas heater O’Shea Plumbing recommend that you consider having it serviced, and a carbon monoxide test carried out every year.   Use only an authorised gasfitter to carry out the work. It’s illegal (and dangerous) for anyone else to do it and you could also invalidate your home insurance.   The servicing of a gas heater includes –  Checking that the heater is installed correctly and carrying out safety checks A general clean of the heater including the burners, fans and filters Checking the flue Burner pressure checks Checking the heat exchange Checking for correct operation of the heater Carbon monoxide tests.   Benefits of servicing your gas heater regularly  Lowers your gas bill. Makes your gas heater operate at its premium efficiency Helps extend the life of your heater Helps prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.   Use your gas heater safely Check if your heater is affected by a safety alert If your heater is open flue, you should let some fresh air into the house when the heater is on Don’t use exhaust fans at the same time as your heater – this can draw CO into the room Never leave your heater on overnight Install a carbon monoxide alarm as a back-up measure If your heater is old, or hasn’t been serviced for several years, consider replacing it Never use outdoor gas appliances designed for outdoor use inside your home, caravan, car or tent Know the symptoms of CO poisoning and act quickly if you notice them.   Carbon monoxide – what are the risks? Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas you can’t see or smell. When it spills from your gas heater, it can make you very sick or even kill you and your family.   Any gas heater can spill CO – including old and new heaters, central heating units, space heaters, wall furnaces and decorative log fires.   To avoid the risk, ESV and the VBA recommend that all gas heaters are serviced at least every two years by a qualified gasfitter. A qualified gasfitter will inspect your heater and check its installation, including testing for CO leakage.

It can be quite the surprise when a blockage occurs in your pipes and suddenly things you’d wish to never see again start overflowing back out of the drain. In this instance, calling a blocked drain plumber Melbourne service is probably the best thing to do.   However, not all blockages make themselves as immediately (and urgently) known. Some blockages may only cause a foul smell, strange gurgling noise, or maybe you notice that the water is taking far too long to drain. If you’ve noticed any of these symptoms in your drains, then you might have a blockage on your hands.   Below we have put together a short explainer on what to do when your drain is blocked. If the blockage is in the trap (S bend) or the waste pipe between the amenity (i.e. basin, sink, shower, bath, etc.) and the sewerage drain, then you can first try a hand plunger. These can easily be purchased from a hardware store. If you are dealing with a blocked toilet, opt for the higher-quality plungers as they will work better.    If plunging isn’t working, you could try drain cleaning crystals. These can be purchased from hardware stores or supermarkets. Drain cleaning crystal products may also work on local grease blockages. If you opt to use these products be aware;   It may damage plumbing systems. Some products sit in a pipe until the clog dissolves, continually reacting and generating heat. If the product sits in the pipe for too long, it could result in a number of other plumbing issues. Toilet bowls can crack. PVC pipes can soften and eventually break. Old, corroded pipes can be easily damaged, and can quickly eat away at the glue holding pipes together.    Some products can be unpredictable if combined with other chemicals or equipment. When using plumbing tools, like a plunger or an auger, the product could splash up on to your skin, and get into your eyes and lungs. If even a small amount of product remains in the drain, and you use a chemical cleaning product soon after, the two products might react unfavourably to create toxic fumes. You never know what kind of chemical reaction you might get when introducing it to a plumbing system.   Some products can burn the skin, irritate eyes, and damage your lungs. Some products are caustic, meaning it has the ability to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action. When a plumber gets called in to fix a clogged drain, they typically ask the customer if they’ve tried drain cleaning crystals already, because these products can make their working conditions unsafe.   Blockages in the sewerage or storm water drains generally require a plumber experienced in using either a cable machine or a water jet machine. These blockages are mostly caused by tree roots or breaks in the drains.   At O’Shea Plumbing, we will give the client options that include:       Clearing the root growth from the drain with a cable or water jet machine      Clearing the root growth from the drain with a cable or water jet machine and then follow up with RootX to inhibit root growth without damaging the trees and the environment     Inspecting the drain with a Ridgid Drain Camera to locate breaks or defects in the drain with a Ridgid Navitrack     Giving options to reline the drain     Giving options to excavate and replace either sections or all of the drain with new PVC drain   If you are experiencing a blocked drain, call an emergency plumber Melbourne service immediately. O’Shea Plumbing are based in Mount Waverley Vic , Wantirna Vic, Bentleigh Vic, and Bundoora Vic. Call us on 03 9888 2887 for a fast quote.

Not too long ago, ‘Scott’ from Wantirna VIC called our O’Shea Plumbing main office in Mt Waverley VIC. The drains in Scott’s property were draining at a slow rate. There was also a lot of water constantly running. The toilets were filling up but only slowly draining away.    Our plumber Andrew arrived the next morning and had a look at what was likely to be involved in clearing the problem. Andrew then provided Scott with multiple options in proceeding to clear the blocked sewer drain.   Andrew removed the cover/cap from the toilet back access bend. He found that it was filled with waste. Once Scott approved works, Andrew started using his cable machine and found another blockage about 15m down the drain. Andrew continued to clear the drain until the machine hit yet another blockage. However, this one proved difficult to clear.    Andrew did not quit on that task and opened up the inspection shaft (where the blockage had moved to). He advised Scott to take several steps back. Andrew had a feeling that there was going to be a large overflow of sewerage. He was correct.    Once all of the waste evacuated the drain, Andrew was able to continue using his cable machine. All of a sudden, there was a large sucking and gurgling sound and Scott and Andrew watched the entire contents of the drain flush away exactly as it was meant to. The sewer drain was completely clear!    Andrew didn’t stop there. He grabbed a hose to clean up the work area. By the time he finished, Scott and his family would not even notice that there had been any issues. The toilet was in great working order and the bathroom spick and span. With the blocked sewer drain problem sorted, life could continue on without any plumbing dramas for Scott’s household.   

‘Andrew’ of Glenhuntly VIC is a longtime client who uses and trusts the services of the team at O’Shea Plumbing (at the Bentleigh VIC depot). Our plumbers have worked on multiple things over the years for Andrew. This ranges from installing taps, servicing taps, gas heaters, toilets and hot water units (HWU).   This time around Andrew called O’Shea plumbing and was noticeably distressed. He had sewerage coming out from the drains in the backyard of his property. Our plumber, who is also called Andrew, arrived to the location ASAP and had a look around to determine the best and closest location to clear the blocked sewer drain    Andrew the plumber provided Andrew the client with options including using the drain camera to inspect the below ground drains. The client opted out of using the camera in the sewer but asked if our plumber can inspect the storm water drain. This is because when large storms invariably happen in Melbourne, he has a lot of water flowing through his backyard.   Andrew cleared the sewer blockage easily using his cable machine. The investigation at the start of the process saved the client money as Andrew could predetermine (fairly closely) where the blockage was, which in this case proved correct.   Andrew then went to investigate the storm water drain using the camera. Andrew spent some time doing this. He found that the clients storm water drain was clear. However, the  body corporate’s sections of the storm water drains were filled with silt.    Andrew also noticed that there was a large number of units that were sharing the same 90mm PVC pipes. He was worried that there may be too much water collection for the size of the drains. Our trusty plumber documented this and provided viable solutions to the problems. The plumber passed this document onto his client to give to the body corporate.    This is just one example where O’Shea Plumbing will take the next step in being proactive about preventive plumbing solutions and looking at the whole picture, as well as the sum of its parts.   

Kate had just received a very large water bill. She was very concerned that her next bill was going to be just as high and that her house might be getting damaged due to water leaking somewhere on her property.    Kate rang O’Shea Plumbing. Reaching our Mt Waverley VIC office, she requested a plumber to investigate the issue. Our plumber Andrew, who at his time was working out of the Wantirna VIC depot, arrived at 8am to Kate’s property the very next day.   He took a look at the water meter to see if it was ticking over (which it was at the time). Andrew also assessed all the fixtures around the house to see if there was any water coming through and/or undue noise.    Once he got to Kate’s daughters bathroom he noticed that the cistern was consistently running. Andrew asked how long this had been happening. He was told that it had been occurring for some time.   Andrew provided some solutions to Kate. This would be to either service the existing or install a brand new one (his suggestion being a ‘Caroma Slimline’ cistern). This seemed like a good idea as the existing cistern was as old one, potentially requiring a new inlet and outlet valve.    Should this transpire, there would be much more expense incurred than simply replacing the cistern. With a brand new cistern comes with brand new valves, flush pipe, seat and the system can be guaranteed.    For Kate this decision was a no brainer. Andrew installed the new cistern and even tidied up the marks that had accumulated behind the old cistern.   Kate was so happy with the service Andrew and O’Shea Plumbing provided that she jumped onto Google and gave our company a very positive five star review. She said that she would be recommending O’Shea Plumbing to all her colleagues and friends.

Some time ago, ‘Michelle’ from Hampton VIC contacted Chelsea at O’Shea Plumbing. She reach our main office in Mt Waverley VIC. Michelle was struggling with the fact that she has not had a proper hot shower in three days. It was at best a lukewarm shower, which on a cold Melbourne winter’s morning is not the most appealing thing to get out of bed for!   When Andrew (an O’Shea Plumbing team member from the Bentleigh Vic depot) finished his job in Moorabbin VIC and was notified to drop into Michelle’s house. He was able to fit in a visit before heading off to install a new toilet in Armadale.   When Andrew arrived he looked around the house to see if there was anything which appeared obvious to him as a source of the problem. There was nothing visibly untoward.  However, Andrew noticed that the hot water pipe went from the hot water unit (HWU) and into the roof. He decided he would go up there to investigate.    Once in the roof, Andrew found a tempering valve. He asked the client to turn on the hot tap in the bathroom. Now, with the water running, he could feel the hot water pipe going into the tempering valve (which was hot) and then on the outlet side of the tempering valve (which was cold). He had successfully located the issue!   Andrew provided a quote to replace the tempering valve. This made sense, as it was the incorrect one in the first place. Additionally, Andrew noticed that one of Michelle’s mixer taps was leaking causing a nasty looking stain on her otherwise pristine porcelain basin. Andrew provided options to fix this and asked if there were any other issues that Michelle wanted him to look at.   All in all, Andrew provided options on a new tempering valve, fixing the mixer tap, investigating the diverter kit for their shower, a new flexible hose from the shower outlet to the shower outlet, as well as water pressure control (to protect and/or minimise the chance of these things happening again for a long time).    Andrew went back the very next day and completed the works. Michele and her family were very happy that not only their major plumbing issue was dealt with quickly and professionally but that all other existing and potential issues were taken care of at the same time.  

‘Don’ from Lilydale VIC required the services of a plumber and found that O’Shea Plumbing had a lot of good reviews on Google. So he rang up the Mt Waverley office VIC to request a plumber to come and have a look at the multiple plumbing issues he had.   Our Service Manager Jarett , arrived on site and introduced himself and the company. He explained what to expect in terms of the services provided by  O’Shea Plumbing. After this, Jarrett asked Don to point out the plumbing issues in/around his house and what he needed fixing.    Jarett spent some time in providing Don with viable solutions concerning the works required. This started from a basic fix, all the way through to the most comprehensive approach. Don and Jarrett came up with a custom quote where Don got to choose the option dependent on the particular issue.   Jarett organised plumber Andrew (from the Wantirna VIC depot) to collect the required materials to complete all jobs. Andrew arrived at Don’s property at the time that Jarrett said he would. He went about changing inlet valves on two toilets, installing a new beautiful ‘goose neck’ mixer tap to the kitchen sink, as well as installing a new garden tap and a water pressure reduction valve at Don’s water meter.   Initially, Don had said that “after his experience he had with other ‘tradies’ he was really worried that he was going to be taken for a ride again”. With O’Shea Plumbing, Don had control over what he wanted fixed and how. O’Shea Plumbing provided Don with options on all plumbing issues and explained the pros and cons of each. At the end of the day, It was Don’s decision on which course of action to take and he was incredibly pleased with the result.

When your drinking water comes out of the tap tasting and smelling strange or looking cloudy you immediately know that it’s not safe to drink. But what about the contaminants in our water that we can’t sense?   A recent review by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that microplastics are present in our drinking water. Studies have found that people are ingesting approximately 5 grams of plastic each week, which is approximately the weight of a credit card. There are concerns about the effects that microplastics are having on our health, but findings are limited at this stage, so the effects are still unknown.   To prevent the unknown effects of microplastic in our drinking water experts are suggesting the use of water filters. ‘“Opting for filters would aid in the removal of the microplastics. It would also aid in the removal of other pollutants like heavy metals and pathogens,” said Dr Paul Harvey, an environmental scientist and environmental chemist at Macquarie University’.   At O’shea Plumbing, we believe that all people deserve access to high-quality, purified water as it provides a host of benefits that should not be overlooked. We will find the best water filter solution for you, no matter your reasons.   Some benefits of a water filtration system installation include:   Better taste and smell Fewer contaminants Fresher water Much cheaper than buying bottled water   O’shea Plumbing offer servicing and installation of all Aqualife water filtration products for domestic and commercial use.   To combat the prevalence of microplastics in your water, consider installing a water filter. If you would like to know more about how a water filter can benefit you give us a call on 03 9888 2887, we’ll help discover the best option for you. 

Campbell knows the history of his house, in Glen Waverley VIC, inside and out. Before he took over ownership it was his parent’s house. As such, he is aware of all the works that have been completed at the property, as far back as 1960.    He knows how long ago all the drains and pipes were installed and the approximate location. Campbell also has seen a slab of concrete drop in level putting pressure on the water pipes he knows are under the slab.   When Campbell noticed water bubbling up through the ground he contacted a plumber to come and repair it. Three weeks later he noticed more water coming to service (in a different location, further along the pipe) he again rang up a plumber who attempted to fix the broken water pipe again.   One month went by and Campbell thought he was in the clear. However, this was not to be the case. This time his plumber did not answer his calls and did not get back to Campbell! So instead he called up our O’Shea Plumbing Mt Waverley VIC headquarters. Reaching Chelsea, he received prompt attention.    Andrew arrived on site and retrieved the history of the plumbing. This included the year that the existing water pipe was installed. Campbell also mentioned to Andrew that he was worried about the concrete slab that was sinking and putting pressure on the pipe/s underneath.   Andrew went back to his van in order to source some solutions to offer Cambell in fixing the issue. This is a very important step in the O’Shea Plumbing process. The idea is that our plumbers will give options to the client in fixing an issue ranging from a very basic fix to perfect installations (in an ideal world).    This gives our clients all the information they could possibly want, allowing them to make the most informed decision on how they would like to go about fixing any plumbing issue.  At the end of the day, the option that Campbell inevitably selected is not the point. Campbell regained control of his plumbing issue once he received viable pathways of action in planning for the future structural integrity of his family home.   Andrew ordered the materials from the ‘Plumbers Supplies Coop’ in Mitcham VIC. He  organised an excavator from ‘RMR Plant Hire’ in Bayswater VIC and fixed the issue, according to the exact way that Campbell wanted.  

O’Shea Plumbing recently worked with a new customer by the name of ‘John’, who resides in Canterbury VIC. When John called us he told us that he had a blocked sewer drainage issue for a few years.    He had tried a couple of different plumbers to no avail. John would pay them their fee, they would attempt to clear the drain only for it to block up again a few months later.    John called Chelsea in the O’Shea Plumbing base in Mt Waverley VIC. John asked if she could please send out a plumber to have a look at his drain. Lawrie and Andrew arrived and put a sewer cable machine down the drain and removed a large amount of tree roots.    Once this was done, they used a drain camera and located many areas along the line which appeared susceptible to tree roots entering the pipe work. As they continued along, they also found even more tree roots further up the drain.   Andrew and Lawrie provided John with several options in fixing the problem. These approaches included a drain renewal, reclining and using a cable machine (with different cutters and spending time removing small sections of tree roots at a time), finished off with a product called Rootx to inhibit tree root growth.   John selected to use the cable machine and the tree root inhibitor. Andrew came back to site and spent time removing sections of tree roots and pulled out a vast number of individual tree roots (definitely a main culprit in the scenario).   Once Andrew was confident he had removed most of the visible tree roots he used the drain camera once again (to be 100 percent sure). Fortunately, there were no more tree roots and Andrew was able to put the tree root inhibitor down the drain.   John was very happy with the service O’Shea Plumbing provided. He was glad that Lawrie and Andrew took the time to explain what each option involved and the potential issues that could arise. John was confident that he could make an informed decision on the way in which he wanted the plumbers to tackle his sewer blockage.   This case study really shows how O’Shea Plumbing provides various options and explains the recommended course-of-action/s in depth. This allows the client to relax in a no pressure environment, allowing them to make a clear-headed decision which will ultimately suit them best. 

In this next blog, we take a look at the story of O’Shea Plumbing owner Lawrie and his personal plumbing practices. Lawrie started O’Shea Plumbing as a business in 1978.    Firstly, he set up shop in Wantirna VIC. Moving on to Mount Waverley VIC, he set up the head office which remains in the same place to this day. Adding the locations of Bentleigh VIC and Bundoora VIC. O’Shea Plumbing has become a well known, loved and trusted plumbing service in the Melbourne area.    Over time, Lawrie has worked in various parts of Melbourne, meeting people from all walks of life with a multitude of different plumbing issues. He has added to the team, hiring many plumbers (including his son and daughter).   He is passionate not just about plumbing but providing the best possible methods to make his client’s lives easier. Lawrie has obviously completed all the plumbing maintenance on his own property and lives by the best possible plumbing practice in real life.    For example, pressure control is installed on his water meter limiting the pressure coming through the water meter to 500KPA. Lawrie has also installed a cold water expansion valve at the hot water unit as well as a limit valve from the hot outlet (doing this to hot and cold water systems protects all water fixtures).     Since Lawrie installed these valves he has had no water hammer and has not had to install a new Hot Water Unit (HWU) or change any tap washers since 1990! This just proves that there is a difference between changing a tap washer (as well as any mixer tap) and the cause of the problem being treated.    Taking Lawrie’s approach means avoiding having the washer blowing out again (requiring more work to be done to it) and protecting the water fixture with best plumbing possible. The anode has been changed in Lawrie’s gas hot water unit every four years, this has resulted in the HWU (that usually lasts for 10 years) having an extended longevity at over 29 years old!   This just goes to show the benefit of having good plumbing in your home. Why not have a chat to the O’Shea Plumbing team and see what they can do for you today?   

‘Aly’ and his family had just moved into a new townhouse complex in Malvern VIC and needed a few things adjusted. The main issue was in regard to moving the existing washing taps. This was because Aly had just bought a new washing machine and dryer and there was no room to fit them. So Aly contacted O’Shea Plumbing of Mount Waverley VIC to get some assistance.    Upon arrival, O’Shea Plumbing’s owner Lawrie measured the water pressure (provided by water authorities). He found that it was much higher than what is recommended (by the VBA). Lawrie provided a few options to Aly. One was to install a pressure control to protect the water fixtures. He also suggested moving the washing machine stop taps. This would allow room for new appliances to be installed.   Turning off the cold water was easy. However, turning off the hot water proved a little more difficult. As a team, O’Shea Plumbing had to climb up through a small trap door in the roof to gain access to the top of the building. Once they located and isolated a solar HWU with a Rinnai Booster, a member of the crew was able to go about moving these water points. At the same time, Andrew and Lawrie went about installing the pressure control on the water meter.   Whilst Andrew and Lawrie were working, Lawrie noticed that there were no garden taps out the front of Aly’s property. He asked if Aly would like a garden tap installed (whilst the pipe was being worked on). Aly loved this idea and gave the go-ahead.   Once all works were completed, the O’Shea Plumbing team went about refilling the HWU tank. They also bled the air out of the hot water line. O’Shea Plumbing also helped Aly put his dishwasher and dryer into position (as these were heavy and bulky).    Aly was so happy with the service provided by O’Shea Plumbing that he gave a 5-star review on Google Reviews. This reads “great service and experienced team” and is exactly the sort of feedback we aim to achieve here at O’Shea Plumbing!

‘Carlos’ runs a very cool and popular bar, just off Chapel Street in Windsor VIC. He rang O’Shea Plumbing (from Mount Waverley VIC ) because the Overflow Relief Gully (ORG) on his commercial premises was overflowing. Our plumber Andrew was on a gas renewal job in Malvern VIC when the call came in. He was asked if he could pause what he was doing to go and check out the blockage.   Upon arrival, Andrew introduced himself and explained in-depth the service that O’Shea Plumbing provides. Andrew went about checking other sections of the sewer to see if he could ascertain the approximate location of the blockage. This would not only make the job easier for Andrew, but the potential benefits would stand to curb unnecessary expenditure.    Andrew found the approximate location of the sewer blockage and presented Carlo with some options in order to clear this. Carlo asked if Andrew could please use his cable machine and do his best about clearing the drain. Within two hours of the initial phone call, the blockage was cleared and Carlo was a very happy man.   Not only did Andrew clear the blockage (which seemed to him to be the result of years worth of build-up of grease and grime solidifying in the trap of the ORG), but Andrew advised and suggested actions that they could take to limit the amount of material building up in the drain in the future. That’s a level of care and attention-to-detail that is associated with the work of O’Shea Pumbing’s crew, across-the-board.   

Not too long ago, ‘Greg’ from Malvern VIC called our O’Shea Plumbing base (in Mt Waverley VIC). His 20yr old hot water unit (HWU) had finally stopped working and he was needing a replacement.   Our plumbers Lawrie and Haider arrived on-site and provide some options in installing a new unit. Lawrie also noticed that the gas pipes in Gary’s property weren’t ideal. They might not be the correct size, so he informed Greg that it might be necessary for them to be upgraded.    Lawrie organised a quote for the install of the new HWU, and he also included a test to see if there was enough gas flow and upgrade the gas pipe, only if needed. Whilst Lawrie was looking at the gas pipes Haider measured the water pressure. This was found to be very high.    Subsequently, Greg was advised and given options in order to reduce the pressure from the outlet of the water meter. This would involve protecting all water fixtures as well as installing a cold water expansion valve at the HWU (which reduces the build-up pressure of the system).   Once Lawrie ordered the HWU and materials required from the ‘Plumbers Coop’ in Mitcham VIC (who delivered to site), Andrew and Haider continued with the job. The appropriate gas tests were complete.    Then, the HWU and pressure control (including cold water expansion valve) were installed. A test was done to make sure there was enough gas flow. Luckily, the results showed that there was enough gas being provided to all gas appliance. This meant that the client did not need to upsize the gas pipes. We will always make sure to thoroughly check if something really needs fixing.    Greg was very happy with O’Shea Plumbing’s level of professionalism and the comprehensive scope of the options provided to him. He was pleased that Lawrie took the time to advise him on what potential problems may occur, not just the ‘bare bones’ solutions but the entire holistic approach to plumbing services.   

Jane and her family could tolerate the sound of water hammer in their property no longer! One morning, Jane notified O’Shea Plumbing (at our Mount Waverley VIC main office) and asked if they could please send a plumber out to investigate the water hammer. This atrocious noise had been waking up the family whenever a tap was used.   Andrew arrived that afternoon and introduced himself. Jane asked if he would like to come in and listen to the sound himself. Andrew said he would but would like to measure the water pressure first. Unsurprisingly, the levels were found to be high — the water pressure measured 900KPA (which is a lot higher than what is recommended by the VBA).   Andrew advised Jane about the situation with the water pressure and that it was more than likely the cause of the water hammer. Andrew offered Jane some options, suggesting some different pressure reduction valves to be installed at the water meter.    Once Jane approved the works, Andrew went straight to the water meter and installed an AVG pressure reduction valve. This was supplied by the ‘Plumbers CoOp’ in Mitcham VIC. He asked if Jane could let him know if that fixed her issue.   Jane woke up the next day feeling a huge amount of relief with no noise from the water hammer waking her throughout the night. She left a lovely review on online review site ‘Product Review’.    She wrote “…this is the second time we have used O’Shea Plumbing at our home. Andrew was punctual, friendly and very professional. He fixed our water hammer problem quickly and efficiently. We are happy to recommend O’Shea Plumbing to others and would not hesitate to employ their services in the future.”    That’s exactly the type of result we work hard to achieve at O’Shea Plumbing!

Recently, ‘Patricia’ from Armadale VIC found herself in a bit of a pickle, with a plumbing issue requiring urgent attention. Luckily, she did not hesitate in calling our team at O’Shea Plumbing. She reached Chelsea, in our Mt Waverley VIC office, who organised for our crew to have a look at her blocked bath.   Our plumber Andrew arrived on site and found an inspection opening out the back. He opened it up and found that there was water sitting in the pipe. He presented Patricia with options to fix the problem and she asked Andrew when he could start on the job. He said he could do so immediately. Patricia accepted the quote and Andrew went about unblocking her bath waste. Andrew managed to clear it pretty quickly and Patricia was happy once again.   Unfortunately, two weeks later Patricia rang up again and said this time her basin was blocked. Andrew arrived on site and inspected what was going on. The O’Shea Plumbing team dug down to found another inspection opening, this was a totally different blockage. Andrew said that he could get the drain going again, but was concerned that the frogmouth was full of roots and could potentially block again in the future.    Patricia said that she could speak to her Body Corp to see what they can do, but asked if Andrew could clear it anyway (as she would like to use her basin again). Andrew went ahead and performed the task, much to Patricia’s satisfaction. Patricia was so happy that, in both instances, she rang our headquarters at O’Shea Plumbing to report to our admin that our plumbers were on time, gave her notice and genuinely wanted to fix her issues.

For the duration that they have resided in Malvern VIC, ‘Ian’ and his family have been living with just the one storage hot water unit (HWU). When their children were going to school, they managed to all shower and get ready without running out of hot water, due to staggering the timings.    Now that their kids have grown up and all have jobs, the household needs to be ready to leave at very similar times, especially when guests were staying. The family found that if they were one of the last to shower then the HWU would simply run out of hot water.    Ian decided to do something about this and contacted Lawrie at O’Shea Plumbing (Mt Waverley VIC) office to ask about a continuous flow HWU. Upon inspection, Lawrie informed them that his team would have to upsize their gas pipe. This would allow enough gas flow in order for the new hot water to operate correctly.   Lawrie also noticed that their front garden tap was made of galvanised iron and had a large amount of rust on the pipe. He offered to remove the rusted galvanised iron pipe and replace it with copper.    A test of the water pressures of the property showed that their values to be on the high side. So, Ian also agreed to have a pressure reduction valve fitted at the outlet of the water meter. This would also help prolong  the life of all of the pipes, taps and appliances in the house.    Ian and his wife had a talk about what they wanted to do and decided that O’Shea Plumbing could complete the works whilst they were away on holiday. This would give our plumbers enough time to get Claude, our concrete cutting specialist from Keysborough VIC, to cut the brick pavers out to allow for a trench to be dug. We would also have time to arrange for Leo, our electrician from Hawthorn VIC to come in and hook up power for the new continuous flow HWU.   We also organised the team from the ‘Plumbers Co Op’ in Mitcham VIC to deliver all required material to site. This meant that the O’Shea Plumbing team could get all the works completed without the clients being put out at all.    Ian and his family came home and had hot showers in the morning before going off to work. They were very grateful that they could enjoy their hot water once again, and that we had done a thorough and efficient job overall. 

‘Geoff’ and his wife, from Wantirna VIC, arrived home in the dead of winter to find that their ducted heater had just died on them. Granted, the unit was 30 years old! But after spending the last 3 months in northern WA (where the temperatures hit 40 degrees and above) they were quickly reminded of just how cold a VIC winter can be!   They did not hesitate in contacting a plumber to fix the issue. After contacting our friendly team at O’Shea Plumbing, our plumber ‘Jarett’ arrived onsite wearing a nice warm jacket to find Geoff and his wife in similar attire.   Upon inspection of the ducted heater, Jarrett promptly advised them that they were better off spending the money on replacing this ‘relic’ with an entirely new unit. It would be less-than-economical trying to fix a heater that was obviously quite past it’s ‘used-by-date’ – you’d essentially be throwing money away!   Geoff agreed and he was provided with options on different heaters. Choosing the one that looked the best for his and his wife’s needs, Geoff accepted Jarrett’s quote and paid a small deposit. Jarrett ordered the new ducted heater to be delivered the next day from the team at the ‘Plumbers Supplies Co-op’ in Mitcham, VIC.   Jarrett and Andrew arrived onsite at 8am the next day and went about testing the existing gas lines. He then proceeded with removing the existing ducted heater. From here, he installed the base box and flashing. This keeps inclement weather and pests (like rodents) from entering underneath the house.   Our plumber had the new ducted heater ready for use in a flash. But before lighting and commissioning the heater, he followed regulations by performing another pressure test on the entire gas installation. Everything was proven gas-tight. A Victorian Building Authority  Certificate of Compliance was supplied to Geoff, certifying that all the work was done to comply with standards.   Needless to say, Geoff and his wife were incredibly relieved that they wouldn’t have to get through another night without the luxury of having hot air heating their rooms. At O’Shea Plumbing, we know things like this make a big difference to our clients, so we work hard to make things happen!

‘Malcolm’ lives in Canterbury VIC and has used O’Shea Plumbing to look after his plumbing needs on a constant basis. From fixing sewer blockages to repairing burst water pipes, O’Shea Plumbing has Malcolm’s undivided trust. That’s because we are committed to delivering professional work in a tidy and friendly manner, and we care about our client’s wellbeing.   Recently, Malcolm called our main O’Shea Plumbing office (Mount Waverley VIC) concerning an issue with his stormwater drain. It was clearly blocked, as storm water was overflowing onto his driveway and walkways along the side of the house.   O’Shea arranged for one of our plumbers to arrive on sit. Cue ‘Jarett’ who set to work to attempt to clear the blockage. First, he tried his cable machine but it just wouldn’t cut through. Jarrett moved onto using a drain camera. Now, he could see exactly where the drain was blocked: the culprit being some very thick roots. Jarret managed to clear the blockage, but the camera did show that there were some bad cracks in the stormwater drain   Jarrett provided his client with options in fixing this issue. Malcolm decided to opt for a permanent fix. The course of action would be digging up the footpath and replacing the section of drain. Jarett organised a skip bin from ‘Metropolitan Bin Hire’ (Keysborough VIC). He also acquired a ‘Road Opening Permit’ from Boroondara City Council, Camberwell VIC  Plus, a ‘Dial B4 U Dig’ application was submitted.   Jarett also arranged for ‘Claude’ (from Cheltenham VIC) to work alongside. Claude is O’Shea Plumbing’s main guy for neat and perfect concrete cutting. Claude arrived at 9 am, which gave Andrew and Lawrie enough time to mark out where the cuts would need to be made.   Once the path was cut and concrete removed, Andrew and Lawrie could assess the problem in detail. They could see that the section of drain that was blocked was caused by a large tree which was growing roots and had split the old stormwater drain. Smaller roots were now taking over the drain.   Andrew cut-out the broken section of pipe and replaced it with a high-quality PVC alternative. Once the new section of pipe was connected to the existing stormwater drain, it was backfilled using ‘quarter minus’. This supports the pipe from dipping over time. They finished off by filling the trench with ‘instant bitumen’ which was compressed down. All materials were delivered onsite at 8 am by the ‘Plumbers Co-Op’ (Mitcham VIC).   O’Shea Plumbing is pretty confident that this relieved the headache that Malcolm must have been feeling due to his stormwater drain issues! Plumbing is the kind of thing that you often overlook. But you certainly notice when it stops working and it sure does make life difficult when it does! That’s what we are here for at O’Shea Plumbing: to make our client’s lives that little bit easier.

Our plumber ‘Andrew’ was on call over the weekend. A call came through from ‘Peter’ from St Kilda VIC. As it transpired. Peter had previously used another plumber to install his new hot water unit (HWU).   This plumber was an older gentleman who had started on the task adequately enough; he did test the existing gas lines before starting any works. This had pinpointed a large leak presenting a significant danger to all involved.     Unfortunately, the plumber wasn’t equipped to deal with the problem and had to walk away from the job. You see, it is a legal requirement that the gas supply is shut off until a leak is found and fixed. In this case, the plumber in question couldn’t actually find the gas supply and he also was no longer up to speed with this type of plumbing.   Here is where O’Shea Plumbing came into the picture, alongside our trusty plumber Andrew (from our Bentleigh VIC depot). He arrived within 1.5hrs of the initial call and set about to gauge exactly what he was dealing with.   Within Peter’s property was an old galvanised iron running up into roof space, as well as an undersized copper pipe to the old HWU continuing around the corner going under the house (picking up a gas stove and a gas heater).   However, these pipes did not meet current regulations. For Andrew to take over the job, he would be required to renew the copper pipes. The size of the existing copper pipe did not allow enough flow to service all of the gas appliances in the house. Additionally, the copper pipe was sitting on the ground: this certainly was not up to code!   Andrew presented options to Peter in to attempt to find the leak (with no guarantees that leak will be found that day), as well as quotes for installing the new HWU. Andrew also provided options to renew the entire exposed gas line only (making sure that it was the correct size as well as following regulations).   Peter opted for Andrew to come back two days later in order to install his new HWU correctly. This meant that Peter and his family did not have gas for these two days. However, this is a far better alternative than living with a large gas leak; considering the potentially dire consequences.   When Andrew came back the team at ‘The Plumbers Co-Op’ in Cheltenham VIC had already delivered the required materials and Andrew set about to work. He finished the job according to his pre-agreed timeline.   He then tested the new gas pipe (that he pressure tested  to 7KPA as per regulations) and connected the new pipe to the copper pipe that went under the house. Once all fixtures were connected, he pressure-tested the gas pipe again with no pressure drop. This meant no more gas leak!   All Andrew had left to do now was make sure that the copper pipe was clipped at the correct intervals, as well as commissioning the new HWU. Peter was so thrilled with the work and friendly service that he gave our team at O’Shea Plumbing a 5-star review on Google!

‘Noel’ of Chadstone VIC was referred by a friend to O’Shea Plumbing. He called our main office in Mount Waverley VIC. His hot water unit had failed and another plumber had been already been out to his property. However, Noel did not like what this other plumber had suggested and was calling our team for another opinion.   ‘Lawrie (the owner of O’Shea Plumbing) called out to Noel’s location. He gave him a number of options to fix the problem, varying from repairing the existing unit to supplying and installing a new hot water unit.   Noel decided to proceed with replacing the existing hot water unit with a ‘Rinnai 26 Infinity’ continuous flow hot water unit. ‘Benjamin’ (one of our plumbers) went ahead and organised sourcing the materials from ‘The Plumbers Supplies Coop’ in Mitcham VIC. He installed the new ‘Rinnai’ system, pressure tested the gas installation (for gas leaks) and commissioned the new hot water unit.   Noel was soon back to enjoying the comfort of free-flowing hot water from his brand new system. Additionally, Noel requested that Lawrie call back to quote on adding a ‘Rinnai Smart Start’ and controllers to what was already installed. This would allow Noel to get hot water at a predetermined temperature without wasting any cold water; all at the press of a button.   You can trust our team at O’Shea Plumbing to come up with innovative solutions for any kind of plumbing problem; to make your life that much easier!

As his hot water unit has stopped working, ‘Kevin’ from Mount Waverley VIC reached out to our team at O’Shea Plumbing for assistance. Our Service Manager ‘Jarrett’ called around to Kevin’s property to investigate this issue, that very same afternoon.   Jarrett provided Kevin with various alternative solutions in fixing the problem. These ranged  from repairing the existing unit, to supplying and installing brand new units. Kevin opted for an install of a new Aquamax 390 hot water unit.   The new hot water service was ordered from ‘The Plumbers Supplies Coop’ in Mitcham VIC. Unfortunately, when ‘Andrew’ (one of our plumbers here at O’Shea Plumbing) pressure tested the gas installation (as we always do before and after any gas installation/repair work) he found that there was a major gas leak.   Andrew proceeded to complete the hot water installation but he could not complete the job until the gas leak was found and fixed. After disconnecting the gas appliances and re testing, the gas leak was located on the gas pipes. The next step was to separate sections of gas piping. The gas pipe that was leading to an outside kitchen and BBQ was disconnected. A second gas test was performed. This time the gas installation proved to be sound.   At this point, all of the gas appliances were reconnected. One more gas test was carried out for good measure and this proved the installation to be 100 percent sound. Kevin’s hot water could now be commissioned.   It was evident that Kevin was pleased to have his hot water going again. He benefited from the assurance that his gas installation was now completely sound. Kevin left O’Shea Plumbing a great review on Google, and that’s a result we always strive to attain!

‘Walter’ from Brighton VIC called us recently at the O’Shea Plumbing head office (in Mount Waverley VIC). He spoke with ‘Chelsea’ in order to get some assistance with his ducted heater, which was no longer working.   Chelsea is relatively new to our team. As such, she was not aware that Walter is one of our very loyal, long term clients. She told him that we were heavily booked until the following week; without realising that we will squeeze in our regulars, wherever possible.   ‘Lawrie’ (the owner of O’Shea Plumbing) received an email concerning this issue. Lawrie quickly remedied the situation. He let Walter know that he would be at his house at 8am the very next morning in order to fix the domestic plumbing issue. He would also bring ‘Marco’ from the Bentleigh VIC depot to assist.   The fault codes on Walter’s ‘Lennox’ ducted heater indicated that the system was operating normally. Further investigation proved that the fault was actually with the wall thermostat . Subsequently, a new thermostat was sourced from ‘Reece’ in Mentone VIC. Once this was fitted (and the heater serviced and a carbon monoxide test carried out); it was evident that the system once again in good working order.   Walter sent an email saying how much he appreciated the quick response and successful solution. He added that he especially loved the fact that Lawrie had personally intervened in order to make it all happen. At O’Shea Plumbing, we go the extra mile to keep our clients happy!

‘Ali’ hails from Armadale, VIC. After hosting a party on a Saturday night, one of her guests decided to lend a hand and help Ali clean up. Unfortunately, this guest decided to fill Ali’s sink with food scraps, which were then pushed down the Insinkerator. These units do not like to be overloaded and this incident blocked her sink.   Ali got a few quotes from different plumbers. These plumbers opted to go straight to using a small cable machine to clear the sink (the most obvious choice to clear the blockage). Ali also reached out to our team at O’Shea Plumbing. Our plumber ‘Andrew’ (from our Mount Waverley VIC office) arrived on site the following Friday morning. He provided some options in approaches to clear the blockage.   One of these options was also to use the small cable machine, but he made sure to give Ali a secondary solution. This was to use a hand plunger (this is much cheaper than using a cable machine). Ali agreed to this course of action. Very quickly, Andrew unblocked the sink. He ensured that is was fully cleared by running water down the drain for approximately 10 minutes. Good news, there was no subsequent backing up!   Whilst Andrew was looking under the sink, he noticed that there was a large amount of water pooling in the cupboard. This was damaging the timber. Andrew asked if Ali had noticed this before. This prompted her memory and she recalled that her veggie spray mixer tap hose had split. However, she didn’t quite realise just how much water was going under her sink! Ali asked Andrew for a suggested solution to fix/replace the tap.   Andrew went out to his van and brought in the sink mixer taps that he had on board. Ali fell in love with the ‘Gooseneck’ mixer tap. She wanted one without even needing to know the price. Which is funny, as the tap is a actually a major hit with Andrew himself. After installing his first ‘Gooseneck’ mixer, Andrew had also been quite taken with its excellent form and function. He went ahead and purchased his own and installed it in his house that very same night!   Andrew completed the install on Ali’s new mixer, sourced from ‘The Plumbers Supplies Coop’ in Mitcham VIC. He made sure to check the water pressure and temperature. It’s important to make sure the value of these aren’t too high, as extremes can damage mixer tap cartridges and washers in taps. Plus, high water pressure and temperature may also result in voiding the manufacturer’s warranty. Thanks to Andrew, this was now controlled to sit perfectly in the ideal range.   Ali was very happy with the thoroughness of the work completed and the knowledgeable advice that came alongside it. She has reviewed our business very favorably online, and the team at O’Shea Plumbing is very grateful for her valued feedback.

Ferny Creek VIC is a sleepy town located near the top of Mt Dandenong, in the Australian State of Victoria. People from the relatively nearby city of Melbourne may know this place as the ‘top of the 1000 stairs’. Damian and his wife have lived here for many years. Now that all their kids have moved out they enjoy a large amount of space for just the two of them. However, a few times a year their children and grandchildren visit and stay with them for various lengths of time.   Without the family visiting, they never run out of hot water. But, when they do have extra guests they must stagger the daily showers. Quite understandably, this makes it very hard for everyone to get ready for the day. This is where O’Shea Plumbing (of Wantirna VIC) comes into the picture. The team was on hand to provide several solutions. The first was to install a continuous flow hot water unit, which Damian thought would be a good option.   Our plumber ‘Andrew’ performed the necessary calculations in making sure enough gas was supplied to support a new continuous flow. It turned out that this would involve quite a large scale of work, as an upsizing of the gas pipe would be required. Also, the driveway was over 100m and the client did not want to go down this path.   Andrew suggested installing a second storage hot water unit (using much less gas). This would not require any upsizing of any pipework. The install was not going to be standard. This is because the client wanted the new hot water unit to be in continuous use only during those times when it was just Damian and his wife at the house. When there were additional visitors the idea was to divert the new unit to the upstairs part of the house, and for the older unit to service the downstairs part of the house.   This was achieved by connecting the new unit in a creative fashion. This new hot water unit was supplied by ‘The Plumbers Supplies Coop’ in Mitcham VIC and was fed into the hot water pipe to the downstairs pipework. It was also connected to the upstairs pipework with isolation valves to divert the water either upstairs, or both up and downstairs. Also, an isolation valve was fitted to the older hot water unit so that it could be connected to the plumbing (but isolated when not needed).   Damian and his wife were very happy about the end job. It met all of their expectations, as well as speeding up the delivery of hot water to their kitchen (as the new unit was installed much closer to the fixtures than the existing unit). This would not have been possible if our plumber did not take the time to understand the needs of his client and to work out the best possible way to achieve them. That’s just the way we do things at O’Shea Plumbing.

As winter comes closer, the heaters go on. The thing is, very long and hot Australian Summers mean that heaters often remain dormant for extended periods of time. When the cooler months eventually do come around, a lot of people are finding that their heaters aren’t turning on. If they do turn on, then a lot of times they don’t function very well at all!   Recently, ‘Don’ from Surrey Hills VIC attempted to switch on his 1984 model ‘Brivus Buffalo’ heater. It just didn’t start! So, he gave our team at O’Shea Plumbing a call at the main office in Mount Waverley VIC. Reaching the owner ‘Lawrie’, Don told him that he would like a new ducted heater installed.   Lawrie went over to assess the situation, and have a look if Don’s heater looked fixable. Once Lawrie saw the age of the unit, he was in full agreeance with Don needed a new one. From here, Lawrie went ahead and provided some quotes for different types of ducted heaters.   Don decided which heater he wanted and Lawrie ordered a ‘Brivis’ ducted heater from ‘The Plumbers Supplies in Mitcham VIC, to install the very next morning. Lawrie arrived with our plumber ‘Andrew’ 15mins before the time they had organised with Don for the install.   They went about conducting the appropriate tests (required whenever any gas works are performed). Once these were completed, Lawrie and Andrew removed the top half of the old ducted heater and put the new half on. Then, they connected the gas and wires and tested for gas tightness.   At this point, they tested the burner pressure of the unit and walked around the house with a carbon monoxide tester (making sure Don was safe). Whilst Andrew was walking around the house, Don mentioned that his toilet was blocked. He asked if Andrew if he might be able to fix it.   Andrew investigated the issue with Don’s toilet. He found that there was a blockage in the sewer main run (located between the last overflow relief gully and the boundary trap). He then provided some options in using his sewer cable machine to attempt to clear the blocked sewer drain. In almost no time at all, Andrew and Lawrie left Don with a warm house and clear sewer. That’s another job well done from the team at O’Shea Plumbing!

Not too long ago, ‘Amanda’ contacted our O’Shea Plumbing main office in Mount Waverley VIC. She was calling regarding a strange smell that was coming from her toilet. Our plumber ‘Benjamin’ went to Amanda’s house to assist her with the problem.   Benjamin assessed the situation when he arrived. He could see nothing visibly wrong with the toilet. From here, he suggested to Amanda for the toilet to be removed. This would be more conducive to investigating the issue in depth. As the smell was really unpleasant, Amanda insisted Benjamin remove the toilet himself.   As requested, Benjamin removed the toilet. He found the rubber seal for the toilet to be missing. Benjamin spoke with Amanda about her options in moving forward. This involved sourcing and fitting replacing parts to provide a permanent fix to the toilet. After discussing for an appropriate span of time, Amanda gave to the go-ahead to replace the parts.   Benjamin went to ‘The Local Plumbers Supply’ in Mitcham VIC to get the correct parts. On return, Benjamin reinstalled the toilet with the new equipment. Benjamin showed Amanda the toilet once completed. The smell was completely gone! Amanda was so pleased that she asked Benjamin to check her other plumbing.   Benjamin did some exploring and found that Amanda had kids in the house and her water temperature was at 75 degrees. This was a concern to Benjamin (as this is generally too hot for children).   Amanda asked Benjamin what he could do to remedy the situation. Subsequently, he advised for a tempering valve to be installed by her hot water unit (this is to reduce the temperature of the hot water to 50 degrees). Amanda asked Benjamin if he could do the install the very same day. As it seemed urgent, Benjamin went ahead and installed the AVG tempering valve. which was also bought from The Plumbers Supplies Coop in Mitcham. Naturally, he did this after conducting a temperature test.   All in the one day, Benjamin left Amanda with a smell free toilet and had her feeling a great deal of relief in regards to her hot water temperature. Amanda was so happy that she left Benjamin a 5-star review on Google!

Naturally, sewer blockages can be quite disturbing for clients. They often involve raw sewerage flowing into people’s back yard and other areas. This presents a substantial health risk. There’s also the potential for a very nasty smell, especially on a warm summer’s day!   The longer a blockage is left unattended, the harder clearing the sewer becomes. Solids (including tree roots) build up over time. A plumber will have to do more work to clear the site. However, that’s not to say it can’t be done.   Recently, ‘Lawrie’ (our O’Shea Plumbing founder who resides in Wantirna VIC) received a call from ‘Shiela’. Shelia is based in Mt Waverley VIC, and called our office late on the evening preceding Mother’s Day.   Lawrie asked Shelia if she wanted somebody out that evening to attempt to clear the blockage. Her reply was “can it wait till morning?” Shiela had another toilet that was not blocked that she (and her visiting family) could use.   Lawrie instructed our plumber ‘Andrew’ to head over to Sheila’s house. Upon arrival, Andrew started an investigation around the house to determine which fixtures might be blocked and to locate the most likely site of the blockage. He presented this information to Sheila to guide the work ahead.   Andrew received approval from Shiela to proceed with using his sewer cable machine to attempt to clear the blockage. Andrew ran the cable to the point of 7m. At this juncture, the machine started to struggle to cut through (what he thought to be) the blockage.   Andrew worked the machine a little bit further down the sewer and started to bring the cables back out again. He retrieved a length of tree root of about 2m long by 70/80mm in circumference. It was evident that this tree root was the likely cause of the blockage.   Andrew used the same cutter to run the cable all the way to the sewer point location with ease. This is in the jurisdiction of the local authority, which plumbers are not allowed to enter. Andrew used a spearhead cutter, 75mm cutter and 100mm cutter. This cleared the drain cleanly and completely.   At this point, Andrew voiced concerns that there was something more sinister going on in the sewer due to the large amounts of tree roots. This has either occurred over many many years, with Shiela not noticing. Or, it was because the initial signs of blockage were largely ignored. These indicators include a gurgling noise as water drains, water rising higher than usual in the toilet pan when flushing, or even toilet paper/grey water coming out of the drains next to your house.   Shiela said that she was happy that Andrew cleared the sewer blockage. He reiterated his concerns. She said if she noticed the sewer becoming blocked again that she would call O’Shea Plumbing and ask for Andrew. The next stage would be to put a camera down the drain to inspect the quality of its construction. It’s this level of customer care that makes O’Shea the trusted choice in local plumbers.

Recently, ‘Kerry’ from Clayton VIC called up our  O’Shea Plumbing main office in Mt Waverley VIC with a complaint of a strange sound happening when she flushed her toilet. Our plumber ‘Andrew’ arrived in order to provide her with a quote to fix the problem.   The investigation would involve checking water pressures, inlet and outlet valves on the toilet and feeling for vibrations on the wall near where the sound was coming from. Proceeding with this work, Andrew noticed that the inlet valve of the toilet was not functioning correctly. His course-of-action was to replace it.   He had intended for this approach to negate the issue and remove the subsequent noise (coming from the old inlet valve). Unfortunately, the noise was still present after Andrew completed this task. He didn’t hesitate to call for back up (the beauty about O’Shea Plumbing is that is a medium-sized company and that the team really work well together at all times when required).   Our boss ‘Lawrie’ stepped in to lend a hand. He continued to investigate the strange noise that was occurring (at no extra charge). Lawrie queried the client in order to get some more details about what was occurring. Lawrie found out that there used to be a shower in the toilet room. This had been removed a while ago.   Lawrie found the drain and trap (which was covered with boxes and other household knick-knacks) and put water down to sit in the trap of the old shower. Lo and behold! When the toilet flushed again there was no noise. What had happened was that the shower trap had dried-up, and the noise was simply an echo coming back up the pipes when the toilet flushed.   When O’Shea Plumbing commits to a client the whole team is invested. We are all about helping people sort out their plumbing issues in the most prompt and practical fashion. That’s our promise to all of our valued clients.

‘Walter’ is an elderly gentleman who lives with his wife in Endeavor Hills, VIC. He has contacted our O’Shea Plumbing office (at our Mount Waverley HQ) a couple of times in the past. The first instance was for assistance with a sewer blockage, and the other for a tap install. He called up at about lunchtime after his wife has noticed that there is a leak under the kitchen sink (not the tap O’Shea Plumbing installed).   Andrew received notification from the Mt Waverley VIC office regarding Walter’s issue and had just finished up installing a toilet in Glen Waverley VIC. Andrew quickly rang Walter to see if he was home (as Andrew figured he could squeeze in a visit to Walter’s property before his next job).   Upon arrival, Walter told Andrew that he was concerned that he would need a new tap set and was worried that he could not afford it. If this were to be the case, he and his wife would have to put up with a dripping tap for a couple of weeks!   Andrew quickly diagnosed the issue. He offered Walter another option in performing a tap service. Walter was under the impression that a service is just changing the washer between the spindle and breach. O’Shea Plumbing offers a much more comprehensive tap service than what is typically provided by competitors.   A Tap Service from O’Shea Plumbing includes:   changing washer using a brass washer changing body washer changing o-rings clean and repack spindle with high-quality tap lube check and reseat tap, if required measure water pressure and temperature   Needless to say, Walter was grateful that Andrew offered alternative solutions. This included solutions other than replacements to parts. Unfortunately, this seems to be a common trend in today’s disposable society, ie. to source a new one without even trying to fix the old one.   Andrew left Walter with a drip-free kitchen sink tap, with the spindle being able to be turned on with more ease than before. This is exactly the kind of cost-effective and practical outcome that we set out to achieve for our clients at O’Shea Plumbing.

In this next blog, we talk about building inspections and plumbing, including the common pitfalls to avoid. If anyone has purchased or sold a house before they would be familiar with the terms: ‘subject to finance’, ‘subject to pest inspection’ and ‘subject to building inspection’. These stipulations form effective safeguards, particularly if you are wanting to buy a house to live in (not demolish).   A building inspection is generally done by a builder, who has a general knowledge of various trades but may specialise in a certain field, for example, carpentry. When an inspector goes to inspect a building they take account of any faults that they can see. But, what about how the plumbing? The fact is that not all plumbing is visible.   It is well known that you can get a reputable plumber to take care of assessing the situation for you. However, there no such thing as a good plumber who is cheap. It’s undeniable that it can be a costly exercise, especially when resultant issues come to the fore. But, neglecting this step may be even more dangerous and expensive over the long-run.   For example, what happens if you buy a house and spend nearly all of your savings in the process. That’s only to move in and find out you need one, or even several plumbing issues rectified.   Maybe it’s a gas pipe renewal/water pipe renewal? Or, your eardrums are now taking a battering from the massive water hammer issue. Sometimes, you’ll discover a hot water unit that is as old as the hills and may die any minute. Gutters may be rusted out, or the stormwater drains are blocked and the first rain you get floods your entire house/property!   It’s crucial to realise that a standard building inspection will not necessarily cover all these things. O’Shea Plumbing of Mount Waverley, VIC have completed numerous plumbing inspections. Some have turned out to be just fine, and others have been veritable nightmares. In each situation, the client’s peace-of-mind is of utmost priority.   Here’s a case in point: O’Shea Plumbing recently visited a property in Croydon, VIC. ‘Jarrett’ (one of the Wantirna,Vic. depot team members) undertook an inspection for a hopeful new house owner. It became apparent that there was going to be a number of large jobs required in order to get the plumbing to a point that could even be remotely considered ok.   Jarrett passed on this information to his client. She walked away from buying the house. This may have been disappointing, but it offered a much better outcome than what would have happened otherwise. Imagine the shock once the ink was dried on her contract and it was too late for any recourse. In this case, the client was able to avoid extensive costs in repairing severe plumbing problems and sidestep an absolute doozie in purchasing a property.

In this recent case study, we look at the plumbing issues that our client ‘Yasmin’ from Clifton Hill,VIC  encountered and how we set about solving them.   She contacted our main O’Shea Plumbing office in Mount Waverley, VIC on the Easter Monday holiday morning. She was calling to notify us that there was water leaking everywhere on her property, which was flowing from the exterior side of her house.   Yasmin asked if we could come out as soon as possible to fix the leak. With nothing being too much of a problem for our team, our trusty plumber ‘Ben’ (from our Bentleigh, VIC depot), arrived at her doorstep within just two hours of her reaching out to us.   Ben spoke with Yasmin regarding the leak on the side of the house. After he had a good look at the leak, he relayed how he believed the valve had come to a state of disrepair. Yasmin asked if he could fix it today. Our team is always well prepared for emergency situations, so Ben was happy to agree to the timeframe. Yasmin was pleased that not only had O’Shea plumbing responded so quickly, but that we could fix the problem on the day.   After Ben fixed the leak, Yasmin mentioned to him that she has other plumbing work needing a look at. She was having problems with her tap sets in her bathroom not opening up. Yasmin drew attention to the fact that they hadn’t functioned as well as she would like, all the way back to when she first moved into the house.   Ben explored some options with Yasmin in order to get her shower and bath sets fixed/replaced. She was pleased with the proposed solutions, which would mean both taps would actually match and work properly. She requested that we go ahead and replace them.   Yasmin asked O’Shea Plumbing could undertake the work on the Friday of the following week, as that was the day she was working from home. Ben booked Yasmin in for first thing that morning. Our client was so relieved that we were able to accommodate a time that suited her, as she is usually kept busy working in a full-time job.   Overall, Yasmin was incredibly happy with the service of our team at O’Shea Plumbing and the work performed. That’s exactly the result that we always strive to achieve!

‘Josh’ and his partner are a young couple who are very proud owners of a brand new property. They own a unit in Ashwood, VIC. They had been enjoying the freedom of their new residence, putting up artwork on the walls and they even got a dog without requiring permission. That was until their sewerage started to overflow into their front garden, spilling onto the driveway and overflowing onto the footpath.   That’s when they called the O’Shea Plumbing office in Mount Waverley, VIC. Josh reached our plumber ‘Andrew’. Andrew sympathised greatly with the urgency of the situation and provided a prompt investigation on site. He provided Josh and his partner with some options in fixing the problem. The most salient being to completely clear the drain.   INSIDER NOTE: Clearing a drain is not to be confused with unblocking it – which only partially clears the drain. Clearing a drain is obviously a far superior solution, but one that requires more expertise and care. O’Shea Plumbing believes in doing things properly, or not at all.   Andrew then went outside to give Josh and his partner some privacy to discuss if they wanted to go ahead with the works. Once he was given the go-ahead, he set up the ‘drain snake’ and got down to business. Very quickly, Andrew hit the blockage and cut his way through it. All of the sewerage emptied down the drain. Andrew had successfully unblocked the drain, fully and entirely clearing it of obstructions!   Following this, Andrew moved the ‘spearhead cutter’ and upsized it to a 75mm cutter, slowly clearing the pipe of the tree roots. Andrew then upsized the cutter once again. This time to 100mm, which was the size of the pipe.   INSIDER NOTE: Upsizing the cutters is not common practice in the maintenance industry as it is double to triple the work required to perform. If a company were to choose not to upsize the cutters, more than likely they are going to get more work from the same client sooner as the tree roots will grow back quicker (as they are already in the pipe and will grow back with vengeance).   This is just one example of O’Shea Plumbing’s expertise. The friendly and skilled team can also give options to replace, renew or reline drain if this is the client’s preferred option). The benefits of such things as clearing drains and upsizing cutters is what sets O’Shea Plumbing apart from the bulk of the competition. They are about solving plumbing problems for the sake of longevity and care about their client’s quality of life. That’s for now, and far into the future.

The Wantirna Club is a licensed venue just near Knoxfield, VIC. We recently received a call from this business at our O’Shea Plumbing HQ is Mount Waverley, VIC. Justin was on the line,  needing help with some leaking toilets in his venue.   He reached our O’Shea Plumbing owner/operator ‘Lawrie’. Lawrie went about arranging a quote to supply and install a Caroma Slimline toilet cistern and seat. This was accepted by Justin and the item was purchased from ‘The Plumbers Supplies Coop’ in Mitcham, VIC. It was then fitted promptly and efficiently, solving the plumbing problem at the Club.   This is not the first time The Wantirna Club has relied upon the services of our team. In fact, they have been using our expertise at O’Shea Plumbing for over 10 years. From servicing tap sets, to changing over toilets, to unblocking toilets; they are confident that our people are skilled and professional enough to discreetly go about their plumbing works. That’s without bothering or getting in way of the staff or patrons at their Club.     O’Shea Plumbing know the location of most of the isolation valves for gas and water. We also know ‘the lay of the land’, which expedities the works that are regularly required within this large venue. The Wantirna Club is just one of many large businesses who form our backbone of loyal and valued long-term clients. It’s just how we do things at O’Shea Plumbing!

Our team O’Shea Plumbing not only complete works on domestic properties, but are relied upon by a number of number of shops and commercial properties that trust their expertise in plumbing services. Our headquaters is based in Mount Waverley, VIC and the office is backed by systems and processes that our plumbers use to help track and monitor tasks.   Coupled with friendly and genuine customer care, these safeguards allow us to provide the best level of service for our clients. We have a level of adaptability and responsiveness that is a real point-of-difference. Plus, we band together like a family to make things happen.   Take the following example: our plumber ‘Jarrett’ is requested regularly by one of our clients who operate a store located within Chadstone Shopping Centre, that is in Malvern East ,VIC. However, this time around (when he got their call) he was completely booked with pre-existing work.   Our plumber ‘Andrew’ picked up this job on Jarrett’s behalf. He arrived to find that all toilets, and drains were blocked and needed to be fixed. The employees at the shop couldn’t use the facilities. Andrew looked up the history of this shop and within five minutes of arriving could already affirm some important particulars. He knew where Jarrett had previously worked (where all the pipes had been layed) and how far down the drain the blockage was likely to be.   Andrew acquired permission to start works and in no time at all had cleared the drain. Naturally, he then packed up and cleaned the surrounding area. Being able to access the history of the shop’s plumbing really streamlined his task. It also meant that the shopworkers didn’t need to hold their plumber’s hand, letting them focus on their job. At O’Shea Plumbing, we are all about efficiency!

This next case study involves O’Shea Plumbing assisting with a retiree from Glen Waverley, VIC and her daughter ‘Elizabeth’ (who is her caretaker).‘Tereza’, is an elderly lady who experiences some health problems. Her daughter was looking after her house and had noticed a small pool of water starting to form on the driveway and concrete path leading up the side of the property.   It was one Sunday in April when Elizabeth first contacted the O’Shea Plumbing main office in Mount Waverley, VIC. Our team promptly dispatched our plumber ‘Andrew’ to assess the situation. Upon arrival, Elizabeth met Andrew out the front of her house and turned the water meter back on.   Within two minutes, water had started to sweep through the cracks in concrete and has started flowing to the nearby stairs. It was also going into the back yard as well as starting to pool along the side of the house. Naturally, this did not sit well with Elizabeth (she did not want her mother to come home from the hospital to find a new ‘water feature’ in her front yard)!   Andrew suggested that he perform an initial investigation to locate the split in the water pipe.  Once that was approved, Andrew crawled under the house and found that water was also dripping in this spot.   Andrew provided further options. The first one was further investigation using pipe and water leak detection equipment, in an attempt to find the split and fix it. This would be a good option if the split was in the soil outside. The second option was to organise a renewal of a section of the water pipe, bypassing the leak to stop this from happening again in the future.   Elizabeth gave the go-ahead to bypass the leak. Andrew organised a digger (from RMR Plant Hire in Bayswater, VIC ). He also engaged ‘Claude’ (our concrete cutter from Keysborough, VIC) to make a perfect hole in the brickwork and cut out a thick section of concrete.   The ensuing work was completed in just a couple of days. This was just in time before Elizabeth’s mother was scheduled to return home! The only way that Tereza could possibly notice that there were works done was via a thin section of concrete cut out and backfilled with ‘quarter minus’ (and a thin section of grass that had been dug up).   Needless to say, the forward-thinking and diligence our team displayed in this scenario avoided a whole lot of potential stress for Tereza. Elizabeth was extremely grateful for the prompt service that O’Shea Plumbing delivered. It’s just one example of where we put the real-life concerns of people first. That’s the O’Shea Plumbing way.

Water Hammer can be a very frustrating sound. Especially when your partner goes to the toilet and washes there hands and you wake up to a thundering or squelching sound.   In the middle of the night, the water pressure spikes, as no one is using water in the neighbourhood, which can affect the volume of the water hammer. Not only that but it can damage fixtures and void warranties on some water taps and appliances.The best option to attempt to stop water hammer is to install pressure control to the water mains and hot water unit.   When Andrew arrived to Evelyn’s house to look at some water hammer issue he gave options on installing a 500KPA pressure reduction valve at the meter and a cold water expansion valve on the hot water unit. Evelyn decided that she would wait and put up with the noise until her HWU failed as it was in her words “100 years old” it was actually more like 20-25years old which is getting on in HWU life span.   Andrew asked if Evelyn could get the water hammer to happen so he could here where it is occurring and try and come up with some other options. The kitchen mixer tap would make a large chunk noise once you turn it off and the shower would squealch when it was turning on and off. Andrew gave options to service the tap set and see if that would help.   Andrew serviced the shower tap set and replaced the plastic washer with a brass one, servicing the tap by changing o-rings, body washers, cleaning and repacking spindle with tap lube. Once the taps were put back together he tested the tap which drastically reduced the noise that this tap previously made.   Whilst Andrew was walking down the side of the house to the HWU he noticed that it looked like there was a flood that had occurred down the side of the house. Andrew questioned Evelyn who said that during the heavy rain over the weekend her and her husband noticed that water was pouring out from the bottom of the downpipe and flowing like a river into the backyard. They also mentioned that they had a plumber camera down the storm water drain only 10months ago and it was like brand new, with nothing obstructing the pipe.   Andrew noticed that there was lots of bird activity around there backyard and said that he could remove the downpipe and have a quick look at the square to round downpipe adapter, in case something had fallen down there. While it was open if there was nothing obvious Andrew provided a quote to use the cable machine to clear what ever was blocking the pipe.   Once the downpipe was removed there was a very wet, very stuck birds nest nestled into the square to round downpipe adapter. Andrew removed this and flushed water down the drain for 10mins, with no subsequent backing up as well as checking to see if this water was flowing into the storm water pit that Evelyn had installed a year ago. Gutter was put back on and clients were left very happy.   Evelyn was so happy with the service that she called the Mt Waverley office to thank O’Shea Plumbing for their prompt, professional and informative service.

‘Fiona’ owns a beautiful two-story unit in Dandenong VIC. She called the O’Shea Plumbing central office in Mount Waverley VIC to get some help with her blocked drain, that was  affecting the  ensuite and shower (all other fixtures were draining as normal).   ‘Andrew’ (one of our plumbers here at O’Shea) arrived and assessed the issue. He provided Fiona with some solutions – with the aim to clear the blockage. Of course, it would be best to try to use a plunger before instigating more extensive plumbing. However, Andrew gave Fiona full disclosure of what would be required if plunging was to fail.   Andrew proceeding with attempting to clear the blockage in this manner. Unfortunately, it did not work. As all the pipes were behind walls, went downstairs and then under a slab, there was nowhere immediate that Andrew could use the cable machine. Andrew provided Fiona with another option. That would be to remove the blocked toilet system and then to use a cable machine down the ‘soil pipe’.   Once the toilet was removed Andrew covered the tiled floor and surrounding carpeted area with drop sheets. This was in order to provide a workspace that was as damage-proof as possible.   Andrew used the cable machine and managed to clear the blocked drain. Subsequently, he tested that it was cleared by running water down the soil pipe for about ten minutes. There was no further ‘backing up’. He was then able to remove the cable machine and install Fiona’s toilet firmly back into place.   Fiona was so happy with the service that she rang Mr. O’Shea (who was working in our Bundoora VIC office at the time). She said “Andrew was very clear and explained the whole situation to me. I am very happy with the service he provided and will be recommending O’Shea Plumbing to my friends”. That’s exactly the kind of feedback that the team at O’Shea Plumbing loves to hear!

‘Karen’ from Glen Iris VIC called our O’Shea Plumbing main office requiring our services. She reached our plumber ‘Andrew’ in our main office in Mt Waverley VIC. She told him that her downstairs toilet was not flushing properly and that whenever her daughter flushed the upstairs toilet, water would fill the downstairs pan.   Andrew was finishing a job in Chadstone VIC when he received the initial phone call. Amazingly, he arrived at Karen’s place within just 20mins! Andrew inspected the problem in-depth and found that there was a blockage in the sewer. A cable machine would be required to fix this issue.   Once Karen accepted the quote, Andrew got to work on clearing the sewer on her property. Within 1.5hrs of the initial phone call, Andrew had cleared the blockage in Karen’s plumbing. He advised her that all work from O’Shea Plumbing comes with a ‘12-month-blockage-free-guarantee’. Best of all, Karen’s family could go back to living their lives without fear of toilet water flooding their house.   Andrew also assisted Karen in providing some prevention measures, in order to keep this type of problem from happening again. He also made some future plumbing recommendations (with absolutely no pressure for Karen to go ahead).   Karen was made aware that when the time comes to renovate their bathroom (they have plans to do this in December 2019) that it would be a good idea to renew the entire sewer (or at least sections of) as a part of the entire process. This is because their sewer currently features old earthenware pipe and less than ideal plumbing. The point to remember here? Good drains don’t block!

Unfortunately, while ‘Supis’ was at work one day one of her water taps decided to snap off and start to flood in the upstairs bathroom. By the time Supis arrived home, the flooding had spilled out of the bathroom and had collapsed entire the roof of the bottom floor, soaked all of the carpets and most of the electrical fixtures!   Luckily, no job is too difficult for the team at O’Shea Plumbing. Supis needed to acquire a plumber’s report. This would detail what had occurred and seek to identify the potential factors in the source of the problem.   Our plumber ‘Andrew’ (from our O’Shea Plumbing Mount Waverley VIC office) started on the job by completing pressure tests. He then made sure that the fixture had a watermark (all water taps used in Australia have to adhere to this standard). A full inspection of the broken fixture was conducted.   Whilst Andrew was on site he asked Supis if she was happy with the rest of her plumbing. Also, he took the initiative to look at other fixtures in her property, in order to ascertain potential further damage. This included ‘flexi hoses’, taps etc.   Andrew found that both garden taps on the property were very old, leaking and stiff. Supis agreed that Andrew should change over these taps. All material was purchased from the Plumbers Coop in Mitcham VIC.  Of course, this was in addition to her initial request to complete the plumber’s reports to give to her insurance company.   So, all-in-all a very successful day and Supis was left feeling assured and happy with all the plumbing in her home. At O’Shea Plumbing, keeping our clients happy is always what matters most.

In this next case study, ‘Andrew’ (one of O’Shea Plumbing’s plumbers from our Mount Waverley office VIC) responded to a call from ‘Gary’. Gary hailed from Glen Iris VIC and he was worried about a possible gas leak in his house.   Upon arrival, Andrew had a chat with Gary about why he thought this might be an issue. A neighbour had mentioned to him that there was a smell of gas coming from his side of the fence. The neighbour had encountered this more than once and this had instigated Gary’s cause for concern.   Gary had a quote from another company to renew the gas line. Before Andrew went about completing his quote, he decided to do some investigation to see if the leak was in ‘min run’ or in the ‘gas isolation valves’ to the gas units.   Andrew turned off all isolation valves and went about pressure testing the existing gas line. The pressure held, so he went and turned all isolation valves back on. He completed the pressure test again once again. Lo and behold, it held. This left only one possibility as a cause of the problem: the leak was at the gas meter itself.   Andrew informed Gary that he should contact his gas supplier to come and check the meter. This was because the meter most likely had a fault and this presented a significant issue. This saved Gary’s pocket quite considerably.   Not only did he no longer need to renew his gas line, but payment for plumbing now became the responsibility of his gas company. Thanks to O’Shea Plumbing, Gary had proof that his pipes were in good working order and could put the onus squarely where it was due.   At O’Shea Plumbing, we go beyond our core aspiration to deliver professional workmanship. We also provide professional advice to every client. This provides the best experience and the most astute solutions for anyone who requires our services.

In this next case study, the team at O’Shea Plumbing was called in to install the plumbing for some home improvement. ‘Karen’ and her husband from Mooroolbark VIC had purchased a beautiful new home and wanted to create a garden to complement their house.   They were just about to begin working on that when they realised that there were no taps near the front of their property! That would make keeping a garden alive a virtual impossibility. Their thoughts were “no point making a nice garden if it is just going to die from lack of watering”.   ‘Andrew’ (one of our plumbers from our Wantirna VIC depot) arrived at the property 15 mins before he was required, in order to be prepared. He measured the water pressure on site and spoke with Karen and her husband in order to find out where they would like their new tap installed.   After a bit of thought, Karen advised Andrew that she wanted the tap in a certain spot. She also wanted it very low to the ground as they were experiencing some neighbourhood nuisance issues late at night. Karen did not want someone to walk past and turn their tap on. This had happened at nearby house a couple of times and meant that their neighbors had wasted a lot of water through no fault of their own.   Andrew suggested that they install an ‘anti-vandal’ garden tap. He went to the local ‘Reece’ outlet in Lilydale VIC to purchase these specialised fittings and appropriate polypropylene water pipe connections. Andrew installed the tap exactly where Karen wanted it. She was very happy in the knowledge that she could now sleep soundly, without worrying some delinquent could make her and her husband’s life that bit more difficult.   Andrew and the O’Shea Plumbing team always take the time to find out the complete background on plumbing issues and client expectations. In essence, they apply problem-solving and forward-thinking. The anti-vandal tap would not have been installed if our approach was to complete jobs in a routine and uncaring fashion.   We pride ourselves on ‘going above and beyond’. We are pretty sure that’s why our clients are so loyal and we get plenty of repeat business! At O’Shea Plumbing we provide the best possible advice on plumbing and practical solutions which suit the unique needs of our clients.

This next case study from the team at O’Shea Plumbing involves ‘Ted’, who recently called our main office in Mount Waverley VIC. Ted’s mother’s house was advertised on the property market for sale. There was a problem with the toilet in the ensuite continually blocking up, so this presented quite an issue!   Our owner ‘Lawrie’ and our plumber ‘Benjamin’ visited on site. They removed the toilet in order to start investigating the problem in-depth. A ‘Ridgid’ drain camera was inserted in the drain.  This provided some insight into the problem. Tree roots had entered the drain and the installation of the sewer pipes was deemed to be very poor.     ‘Liam’ from ‘Pipe Hunter’ in Ringwood VIC, was called to site to advise if the option of relining of the drain would be viable. The consensus was negative. So with very carefully, floor tiles were removed to the most minimal degree. This was so that the damaged section of the sewer drain could be replaced.   Following this, a new ‘Caroma Luna’ back-to wall-toilet suite was ordered from the ‘Plumbers Coop’ in Mitcham VIC. This was installed as a superior, working replacement for the old toilet.   All the resulting scrap and rubbish was removed from site. The work area was thoroughly cleaned. This was of great benefit to Ted – as the house was open for inspection the very next day!   A VBA Certificate of Compliance was supplied to cover the work in entirety. Ted called to site when he was in town on the next Friday. He emailed Lawrie, with some fantastic feedback, stating that the job was “excellent”. That’s exactly what we like to hear about our work at O’Shea Plumbing!

O’Shea Plumbing is an experienced, friendly and hardworking business operating out of Mount Waverley VIC (head office). Other locations include Wantirna VIC, Bentleigh VIC, Bundoora VIC and Burwood VIC   The team prides itself on carrying out all plumbing, drainage and gas work to an exceptionally high standard. This is alongside consistently great service.   You can trust O’Shea Plumbing to ‘do things by the book’. We ensure that the correct applications are submitted prior to work, that inspections are booked and that road opening permits are obtained where required.   At O’Shea Plumbing, we source the correct fittings and materials. We also keep them in stock wherever possible. This means that jobs can be completed with minimal delay.   Some of these items include E.G. Tapered brass fittings and 20 kg lead or PVC wall sleeves. These are not usually available from ‘The Plumbers Supplies’ in Mitcham VIC or ‘Reece’ in Burwood VIC (or other plumbers suppliers).   Our workers safety is our top priority. Our regular responsibilities include organising scaffold for working at heights, trench shoring (for trenches over 1.5m deep) and asbestos awareness (we hire a licenced asbestos removalist even when the small amount of asbestos needs to be removed).   These are just a few of the ways that O’Shea Plumbing stands out from the crowd. Just ask us what we can do for you.

This case study involves a hot water unit leakage. It all started when ‘Beverley’ from Balwyn, VIC  looked out her kitchen window to find her footpath flooded with water. The culprit was her hot water system, which was spilling a large volume of water.   In order to sort out the problem, ‘Lawrie’ owner and operator at O’Shea Plumbing (who is based out the Mount Waverley, VIC office) went to Beverley’s house at 6 PM on a Friday evening. At O’Shea Plumbing we really don’t mind attending outside regular working hours, to assist those with emergency plumbing issues.   Lawrie found out very quickly found that the hot water unit had split and was leaking water onto the ground (as fast as the water could enter). Unfortunately for Beverley, there was no chance to organise a new hot water unit at that point in time. However, Lawrie went about sourcing one to be installed by our plumber ‘Andrew’, who was on call for that weekend.   Andrew arrived at Beverley’s house at 8 AM the next morning and disconnected the old hot water unit. He performed the relevant gas pressure tests (that are required whenever any gas installation or repair work is carried out). He then installed a new hot water system. This was delivered to site by the team at ‘The Plumber Co-Op in Mitcham, VIC.   Andrew didn’t leave it there. After looking at all of the gas isolation valves, he found that there was a loose connection. Andrew undid the valve completely to check the condition of the valve (and the flared copper that attaches to isolation valve). Now that he had confirmed all was in good working order, Andrew felt confident about reconnecting the valve.   Once again, Andrew tested the gas line to ensure against any subsequent gas leaks. The new hot water unit was commissioned and a Certificate of Compliance was issued for the work. The gas was turned back on and the work area left clean and tidy. Best of all, Beverley and her husband were once again able to enjoy a warm shower that morning.

This next case study involves ‘Rosemary’ from Mount Waverley VIC. When she called our main O’Shea Plumbing office she reached our friendly administrator Kelly-Anne. Rosemary alerted Kelly-Anne to the fact she was having problems with the cisterns of both the toilets in her home.   Kelly-Anne acted promptly and later that day our plumber ‘Benjamin visited’ Rosemary’s home. He had a look at both cisterns. He suggested (that due to the age of the cisterns that a replacement) that a brand new system was the best option. However, Rosemary was also given the option of installing new toilet pans.   Rosemary chose to proceed with the complete installation of two new toilet suites. The O’Shea Plumbing team called our supplier ‘The Plumbers Supply Co-op’ in Mitcham VIC. They confirmed that the required toilet suites were in stock. Therefore, the job was booked to be completed only a few days later.   Benjamin and our apprentice ‘Alan’ installed both toilet suites for Rosemary. She was so pleased with the installations that she left a 5-star review on the website ‘Product Review’.

As most would already be aware, Lawrie O’Shea is the proud owner of O’Shea Plumbing (our main office is situated in Mount Waverley, VIC). But his own own house is also a big part of the ‘O’Shea story’. Lawrie’s unique property is located in Wantirna, VIC and forms the basis of an interesting case study in and of itself. Lawrie has lived in this house since he had it built in the early 1980s. Remarkably, he completed all of the plumbing work in the house entirely on his own.   Lawrie’s house has some noteworthy features and specifications which are particularly relevant from a building and design standpoint. The residential structure is built to be very energy efficient, facing the north with wide eaves. This aspect allows winter sun to filter through, whilst eliminating the full heat of summer’s glare. Therefore, the effects of extremes in temperature are minimised throughout the home, reducing the need for gas, electric or other forms of heating/cooling expenditure.   Additionally, a solar gas hot water system works well in assisting the reduction of energy bills. Solar pool heating means that the pool can be used for more months of the year, providing obvious economic benefits. Another measure of frugality and eco-consciousness is the ‘Vulcan Freeloader’ hot water tank installed on the property. The anode in this system needs only be changed every four to five years. This result is a vastly extended life span of the hot water tank. It’s still functioning equally as well today as when it was first installed 27 years ago     Photovoltaic panels on the roof help to further reduce electricity bills and water pressure reduction is of great benefit. A ‘Wilkins’ pressure reduction valve is fitted at the outlet of the water meter. A cold water expansion valve is fitted to the inlet and a limit valve is fitted to the outlet of the hot water unit. All these valves were sourced locally from ‘The Plumbers Coop’ in Mitcham, VIC. The fittings of these valves equals optimised operational performance for all of the plumbing pipes, mixing valves, taps, and appliances installed in Lawrie’s property. Amazingly, two ‘Dorf’ shower mixer taps are still going strong even after 30 years!   All these smart measures implemented in Lawrie’s home are highly recommended for the residential building sector and, indeed, any individual homeowner who would like to reduce their maintenance and energy costs alongside their environmental footprint.  

One of our loyal clients from Bentleigh East, VIC contacted us recently with a concern about a puddle of water in her garden (it hadn’t rained in a few days). ‘Minnie’ was aware that this might point to a plumbing issue. She had engaged our services previously (via our Mount Waverley, VIC head office) with a separate issue and felt confident with how we approach our work. Therefore, she did not hesitate to get in contact with us again.   Andrew (our plumber from the O’Shea Plumbing Bentleigh, VIC depot) arrived 15mins before the time he was scheduled – to get a head start on the job. He went about measuring water pressure and checking the water meter (to see if it was a large leak or not).   When Minnie showed Andrew where the puddle of water was, he provided two options for Minnie to choose from in investigating the issue (in order to locate the pipe that was leaking). Andrew was tasked to ‘hand dig in’ the area where water was pooling and in about 15mins had dug up an old irrigation connection. The isolation valve had failed and a crack had appeared in the PVC pipe.   Andrew demonstrated the situation at hand to Minnie and posed the question: reinstate the irrigation connection or remove it? Andrew was asked by Minnie to cut out the irrigation section and make it as if it had never been there (as she had never used the irrigation in her time in the house).   After removing the irrigation branch and bleeding the existing water line (to make sure no dirt flushed into the hot water unit and cisterns), Andrew turned the hot water unit and two toilets back on. It was at this point that he noticed that one of the cisterns was not working properly and asked if Minnie wanted options to fix/install a new cistern. Minnie did indeed want a new cistern – so Andrew obliged and went to work on installing a new ‘Caroma Slimline’ cistern (which he ordered from Reece in Burwood, VIC).   Minnie was very happy that Andrew did not just focus on the initial problem of the water leak, but was diligent in regards to the entire plumbing in Minnie’s beautiful home and spoke to her in depth about any issues he found. That’s what makes all the difference to our valued clients here at O’Shea Plumbing.

This next case study involves ‘Katie’ from Brunswick, VIC. She initially called the O”Shea Plumbing office and spoke with ‘Kelly-Anne’ (our friendly administrator at our Mount Waverley,VIC head office ). Katie’s gas hot water unit had failed and she was after a quote for a new ‘Rinnai’ hot water unit.   Our plumber ‘Richard’ was dispatched from our Bundoora,VIC depot. He provided quotes and options in replacing the system – which included a new gas pipe back to the gas meter. Katie happily accepted and Richard quickly set about organising the job.   Richards ordered materials from ‘The Plumbing Supplies Coop’ in Preston, VIC. ‘Leo’ (our trusted electrician from Hawthorn, VIC) was also booked in order to fit an external powerpoint. The completed works were pressure tested for gas leaks. With results proving that all was gas-tight, the new hot water system was commissioned and a Certificate of Compliance was issued.   All in all, Katie was incredibly pleased to be enjoying hot water with minimal delay. Her home is now equipped with a reliable and efficient ‘Rinnai Infinity 26’ hot water unit. Katie was so thrilled with the service at O’Shea plumbing that she gave our plumber Richard a five-star review on Google!

This next case study involves our client ‘Adam’ from South Yarra, VIC. Adam contacted O’Shea Plumbing HQ (our main office in Mt Waverley, VIC) when he noticed the smell of gas in his home. We received his call on a weekday (at around lunchtime) with the request for a plumber to come over – in order to investigate the gas pipes on his property.   Within two hours ‘Andrew’ (our plumber) was knocking on Adam’s front door to introduce himself and to set about testing the gas line on the property. After acquiring authorisation to start a gas test, Andrew performed a pressure test and concluded that there was a leak in existence somewhere on the pipe.   Andrew had to shut off the gas. This is a requirement by law (until a gas leak is found, capped or fixed). Andrew completed this and then went about isolating each gas appliance in Adam’s house – to determine whether the leak was coming from aforesaid appliances, or on the gas line.   Andrew discovered a loose connection to the hot water unit. He went about removing the isolation valve (to check that the flares in the copper pipe were in good repair). After affirming this, Andrew then installed a new isolation valve (that he purchased from the Reece store at Armadale,VIC ) and proceeded to test the gas line (once again). This time there was no pressure drop – this meant that the gas  leak had, indeed, been fixed.   Within only three hours of the initial call, Andrew had successfully found and fixed the gas leak. This meant that Adam and his family could once again rest easy, knowing that they are no longer at risk for gas inhalation and all the scary implications of that. Another job was well done by the team at O’Shea Plumbing.

This is yet another case study from O’Shea Plumbing which occurred over the busy Christmas period. In this instance, ‘Hattem’ and his wife were not ready to deal with having no  access to hot water around Christmas time. With no hot water flowing through their taps, they got in contact with our O’Shea Plumbing HQ in Mt Waverley, VIC.   They reached ‘Kelly-Anne’ in our office who assured them that a plumber would be there with minimal delay. After just a short lapse in time, ‘Andrew’ (who is one of our plumbers) arrived on our client’s property to investigate the situation at hand. Unfortunately, he found that the client’s hot water unit was over 30 years old, and was not worth servicing.   However, Andrew did notice that their house had a number of solar panels on the roof. With the potential this provided in mind, he sat down with Hattem and his wife in order to survey the range of hot water units on the market (including solar), as well as the particular processes/requirements that the installation of each item would be likely to require. This in-depth analysis and ‘shopping around’ really helped to provide peace-of-mind for our client.   Once Hattem and his wife had made his mind up on which hot water unit they would like, Andrew made preparations to acquire an ‘Aquamax 390’ hot water system. Hattem was not confident that Andrew could source one in the busy period between Christmas and New Years on such short notice. Never fear, our employees are very resourceful people. Andrew spoke with ‘The Plumbers Co-op’ in Mitcham, Vic and managed to get his hands on the desired hot water system. Even better, the supplier could get it delivered within the hour!   In the meantime, Andrew went about performing the appropriate gas testing in order to affirm that the entire gas line was sound and safe. He drained the unit and got it out of the way for the new one to arrive and be installed.   Within four hours of our client’s initial phone call, we were so happy to have Hattem and his wife enjoying the comfort of fresh hot water once again. They now have a brand new ‘Aquamax 390’  hot water unit at their disposal, with a 12-year cylinder guarantee. Hattem was so happy with the service that we provided to him that left a glowing 5-star review on Google singing our praises. And that makes us feel so valued here at O’Shea Plumbing!

The weekend before Christmas seems to throw up a number of interesting jobs for the team at O’Shea Plumbing. From sewer blockages to gas leaks…right through to burst hot water units… there’s always something to keep us busy! We work across all areas of Melbourne, VIC and frequently receive calls from people needing our help with plumbing who either reside in or operate business premises in the suburbs of Balwyn, Mt Waverley, Glen Iris and Hawthorn…and, just about everywhere in between!   After we receive an initial request, we will hit the road promptly to be onsite, solving plumbing problems left, right and centre! The Christmas period of 2018 was no exception. Whilst our clients were getting ready to go away or have Christmas parties, our plumbers were still on hand to help in any way possible. What follows is a typical ‘day in the life’ for an O’Shea plumber (especially during peak holiday seasons).   When a client in Glen Iris, called us in a panic (to tell us that their sewer drain was blocked), one of our professionally trained and certified plumbers was quickly sourced to assist. Our plumber went out to the property in question in order to clear an old earthenware drain, making short shift of the problem with our highly effective ‘Ridgid’ drain clean machine (with 100 mm cutting head). He also checked the drain with our ‘Ridgid’ CCTV camera in order to ensure that the drain was clear, providing that extra peace-of-mind for the client.   Once our plumber had finished clearing the client’s sewer drain in Glen Iris, he moved on to a second plumbing job in Mt Waverley. After efficiently fixing the problem at a property in this location, he was able to assist yet another client in Hawthorn. This was his third plumbing job in one day, with ‘nothing too much of an ask’. The client here had a burst hot water unit; our plumber quickly called around to our suppliers for a suitable replacement. After a thorough and safe installation, our client was able to enjoy hot water again.   However, just as our plumber was about to go home for the day a client from Balwyn called with a gas leak. Our trusty team member raced over to test the gas line and to investigate the property in question. He located and fixed a leak in the client’s kitchen (under the stove top). He then performed a gas test from the meter to prove that the gas installation was sound. This meant that the client’s gas was once again safe to use and they were able to cook that all-important Christmas turkey! No matter the season, this is ‘all in a day’s work’ for our reputable team members here at O’Shea Plumbing!

Did you know that O’Shea Plumbing isn’t just your friendly go-to for home plumbing issues, but that we are also involved in several large-scale commercial applications? The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) in Carlton, VIC, is one such client.   An undoubtedly magnificent building, ACF also leads the way in Melbourne for green buildings and conservation. It is Australia’s peak national environment organisation, with over half a million people involved in speaking out for a world “where forests, rivers, people and wildlife thrive”. ACF are proudly independent, entirely non-partisan and funded via community donations.   The administration at ACF is also a proud, long-term customer of O’Shea Plumbing. ‘Andrew’ (the maintenance manager the ACF) has used our services for many years now. Here are O’Shea Plumbing, we carried out various works for this organisation over time, including installing mixer taps, water tanks, toilet systems and much more!   The ACF is just one of several large buildings that O’Shea Plumbing regularly services, particularly within the greater Melbourne region. We are so proud to assist not-for-profit, philanthropic and altruistic organisations and their endeavours. Getting involved in our local community is always a major perk for the team at O’Shea Plumbing!

In this next case study, we solved what could have been a crucial safety problem and it just goes to show the level of responsibility we hold at O’Shea Plumbing. It was late one night when ‘Graham’ woke and smelled gas coming through his window. He quickly alerted his wife ‘Dorothy’ (who couldn’t smell anything).   Graham realised there was no gas application in existence anywhere near their bedroom, so he only thought was that is could be the gas mains (located just next to the window). Graham made contact with his gas supplier who attended his home. The gas supplier tested the gas at the mains and noted that there was no problem on Graham’s property’s side of the gas meter. He shut off the gas to the house until he could find a plumber to fix the gas leak.   At this point, Graham started shopping around for options. He obviously found our team at  O’Shea Plumbing to be the best choice. After engaging us for the task, our plumber ‘Andrew’ was on site to test the gas line within just a few hours. He tested the gas line and all appliances (just to make sure that these were not the cause of the leak).   After performing these rigorous checks, Andrew went under the house and noticed that the existing gas line was made from galvanised iron, with nearly half of it buried underground. Andrew provided a quote to renew the gas line to copper. Graham and his wife were very happy with the price (as it was considerably cheaper than the other company’s).   In this case, our clients wanted us to start on the job right away. After checking our schedule, we discovered that all of our O’Shea Plumbing team members were all booked out until the next week. However, after a few phone calls, ‘Kelly-Anne’ (our administrator at our Mount Waverley, VIC office) was able to swap some jobs over for us to renew the gas line in just two days (instead of five).   Andrew ordered all materials to complete the job from ‘The Plumbers Supplies Coop’ in Mitcham, VIC. He then finished, tested and verified all the work. Graham and Dorothy had their gas back in safe operation in time for the weekend. They were very happy indeed!

Sometimes the effects of inclement weather can cause not only a heavy outpouring of rain but also an onslaught of calls to O’Shea Plumbing HQ. During December 2018, ‘John’ from Balwyn North, VIC was one such caller. He had noticed water from the rain pooling and starting to flood his backyard (alarmingly close to his house and garage).   John reached our friendly administration ‘Kelly-Anne’ in our main office in Mount Waverley, VIC. She organised for our trusty plumber ‘Richard’ to visit onsite to investigate and promptly rectify the problem. He thoroughly inspected the potential location of the blockage (through the opening in the stormwater drain).   Richard advised that he could attempt to clear the stormwater drain using his ‘Ridgid’ drain cable machine and, with approval from John, set to work. He managed to clear a lot of the tree roots and leaf litter out from the drain. He then continued by putting a hose down the area which ran the excess water out onto the road (without backing up) and thus, effectively solving the issue.   We were so pleased to see John leave this comment on ‘Product Review’. “He (Richard) explained everything he was going to do, so I knew what was involved from the start. I am very happy with the works and will recommend O’Shea Plumbing to my friends”.

This case study shows that O’Shea Plumbing is your local ‘go to’ for any plumbing issues – even when these occur outside of normal business hours. Just take, for instance, the following real-life story as solid proof.   Recently, ‘Les’ called us at our office in Mount Waverley, Vic to get assistance with a problem with his toilet flushing. He had noticed that water was running onto the floor every time  he operated the cistern.   Our response at O’Shea Plumbing was characteristically prompt. Our owner ‘Lawrie’ quickly dispatched one of our plumbers ‘Richard’ to the client’s site in Bentleigh East, VIC in order to fix the leaking toilet. Richard took the time to explain what was involved in the job, detailing in ‘layman’s terms’ what would be the likely course-of-action, and the potential risks in removing toilets. He issued quotes to Les, which were happily accepted.   In no time at all, Richard removed the toilet, paying due care to keeping the entire system intact and in good condition. He was also careful with the surrounding walls and bathroom door – as not to dent or scratch them. He replaced the rubber (that was allowing for leaks) with a new ‘50mm pan cone’ rubber and installed the toilet in its original position. He applied silicone around the base of the pan.   Richard had found that toilet had not actually been screwed in properly when he first arrived and inspected it, so he spent that little extra time in order to screw the base of the pan to the floor (the toilet was now fixed to the floor properly and unlikely to move over time).   The team at O’Shea plumbing were so thrilled to receive Les’ glowing review. He reviewed us on Google with a five out of five star rating, stating that he was very happy with our service and results. He said “Richard had a friendly approach and explained everything he was going to do very well, so I knew what was involved from the start. I am very happy with the results of his work and will be happy to recommend O’Shea Plumbing to my friends”.

The following is a recent case study involving garden pipe issues. To begin with, ‘Irene’ from Wantirna VIC, called O’Shea Plumbing’s Mount Waverley office and reached our administrator ‘Kelley-Anne’. She was in a bit of a panic; due to the fact that her father had hit the water line in his front yard with a shovel. He was in the process of constructing some garden edges when the unfortunate event occurred (of course, leading to water spraying out everywhere).   The very first thing that Kelley-Anne advised was for Irene to turn off the water meter. Then she arranged for our plumber ‘Andrew’ to be at Irene’s home as soon as possible. He arrived in a mere half an hour and promptly set about explaining the process likely to be involved in fixing the water pipe. After supplying a quote (which was approved by Irene and her father) Andrew got to work on fixing the split pipe.   Andrew asked if they were happy with the position and height of the existing garden tap. One change was requested: they would like to raise the tap so that they could fill a bucket underneath. As Andrew had to remove the ‘tee piece’ on which the tap was set, he simply asked them to demonstrate the desired height of the tap. He then raised the tap to suit the specifications of Irene and her Dad.   With a level thoroughness he is well-known for, Andrew made sure he left no stone unturned on the job. Luckily, he noticed that there was still a large volume of water filling up the trench (that was constructed to fix the split pipe). After fixing the leak, Andrew immediately called ‘South East Water’ to advise them that they would be required to fix the ‘isolation valve’ on the water meter (as it was not shutting the water off properly).   We are so thrilled to say that within an hour of Irene’s call that the plumbing issue was solved in entirety. That means fresh flowing water with minimal interruptions (almost like nothing had happened at all). So, that’s another win for the team at O’Shea Plumbing and of course for our valued clients!

Here’s another awesome result for the O’Shea Plumbing team in our Mount Waverley, VIC office. In this recent scenario, ‘Ping’ (a local Real Estate Agent) phoned and reached our friendly office administrator ‘Kelly-Anne’. She told Kelly-Anne that she required assistance with storm water and sewerage drains on a property in Glen Iris, VIC.   ‘Richard’ and ‘Grant’ (two of our plumbers) got to work in attempting to clear the drains. They employed a customised approach in a combination of tools, machinery, and equipment (all proudly owned by O’Shea Plumbing). They set about investigating the plumbing issues with a ‘Ridgid’ cable machine, a ‘Ridgid’ drain camera and ‘Ridgid’ Navitrack’ equipment (this tracks the drain camera). Plus, they also worked with a ‘Spartan’ trailer mount water jet machine.   Our superhero plumbing duo discovered that sections of drain needed to be replaced. Quotes for this work were submitted and accepted by our client Ping. Consent for the works (and a copy of the sewer plan) was sourced from ‘Yarra Valley Water’ in Mitcham, VIC. Only after this crucial stage did we go ahead with the task in earnest. We then found our most suitable tradespeople: ‘Keith’ (OShea Plumbing’s trusted excavator contractor from Eltham North, VIC); alongside ‘Claude’ (our reliable concrete cutter) were booked for the job.   The team at O’Shea Plumbing then arranged all the finer aspects of the task ahead. Bins were sourced from ‘Metropolitan Bib Hire’ in Keysborough, VIC (to facilitate the removal of rubbish and excess soi)l. Of course, inspections were booked with the ‘Victorian Building Authority’. In due course, a new ‘Caroma’ toilet suite was installed (all material was supplied by the ‘Plumbing Supplies Coop’ in Mitcham, VIC). As due diligence dictates, a ‘Certificate of Compliance’ was issued for all work undertaken.   We were pleased with the completed work, and Ping even moreso! Additionally, the property owners were delighted with the finished product of our plumbing services, and for the fact that the site was left in a spotlessly clean and tidy state. So, that’s yet another job well done for our crew at O’Shea Plumbing!

Here’s another case story from the team at O’Shea Plumbing. Our office received a call from ‘Matt’ from Wantirna South, VIC who was renovating his house before moving in. He required plumbing services as a result of the overhaul. Following this, ‘Jarett’ (our Service Manager here at OShea Plumbing) arrived promptly to site, providing quotes that were accepted by Matt.   The planned work included installation of a reflux valve on the sewerage drain (located near the property boundary). This particular valve proved to be a necessary component, largely due to the fact that the cheaper option of an Overflow Relief Gully was not an appropriate option in meeting AS/NZS 3500 regulations.   Before any works were carried out in actual practice, consent was first obtained from ‘South East Water’. Also, drainage inspections were booked, trench shields erected and an excavator arranged. Naturally, during the course of the work, a gas pressure testing was carried out. This detected conclusive evidence of a gas leak.   To remedy this situation, the existing gas pipes were replaced in heavy duty copper pipes and fittings. The new gas installation was pressure tested once again, to prove that it was safe and sound. This level of due diligence provides ultimate assurance, both for our company and our client/s.   A pressure reduction valve was then fitted (at the water meter) and a tempering valve attached (at the hot water plumbing) to prevent scalding water coming from the taps in the bathrooms. All the materials were proudly supplied by ‘The Plumbers Supplies Coop’ (in Mitcham). A Victorian Building Authority Certificate of Compliance was supplied for this work, in order to seal the deal. We are happy to report this with all work completed, Matt was soon able to move into his newly renovated house, with all plumbing in fully and safe operational order. That’s another job well done from the crew at O’Shea Plumbing!

In the following case study, we feature one of our long-term, loyal clients ‘Jay’. O’Shea Plumbing has an extended history of a successful completion of work for Jay, including replacing taps/toilets, fixing pressure control and solving water leaks in his house in Mt Waverley VIC. Jay called our office recently for some more assistance from the team he turns to for all his plumbing needs. This story has a bit of a backstory: Jay had recently taken the leap into purchasing a property in Ferntree Gully VIC. Unfortunately, after he had already ‘signed on the dotted line’, it was revealed that his new acquisition was equipped with poor water pressure, rusty-colored  water coming out of the taps and also a large amount of groundwater running under the house (as confirmed by a building inspector). ‘Jarett’ our Service Manager here at O’Shea Plumbing made the visit out to Ferntree Gully the very next day. After meeting with Jay, it was discovered that the house was fitted with old galvanised iron water pipes that needed replacing. Also, the agricultural drain (AG pipe) at the front of the house had been installed improperly and was allowing water to flow under the house. Jarett provided quotes to replace old galvanised iron water pipes with copper alternatives, alongside a proposal to install a new AG drain. Jay happily accepted the quotes, and Jarett facilitated a meeting with our plumber ‘Richard’ on site in order to get ‘works underway’. Heavy duty copper pipes and fittings were installed, and backed by a 25-year warranty. Pressure control testing was undertaken to provide ultimate peace-of-mind on the replacement of the water pipes. As always, excavated material and rubbish was thoroughly removed from site at the completion of the job. A Victorian Building Authority Certificate of Compliance was issued for this work to certify that it complied with AS/NZS 3500 standards. With the entire process taking no longer than a week, Jay was incredibly relieved to have the plumbing problems solved and to be able to move into his new house in a much shorter time span than he expected. And, that’s another positive result for the team at O’Shea Plumbing! We also thank Jay very much for leaving us a 5 star review on Product Review

O’Shea Plumbing delivers another great outcome in this next case study. Early one morning, ‘Kelly-Anne’ (our Customer Service Representative) received a call from ‘Nicky’ (our new customer hailing from Wheelers Hill, VIC). Nicky was calling to request assistance with a blocked drain in her kitchen sink. Her attempts to clear the drain with the household product ‘Draino’ had been to no avail.   Kelly-Anne promptly arranged for ‘Grant’, our experienced plumber to visit on-site later that morning. Grant provided some upfront quotes and suggestions to clear the blocked drain. However, upon further investigation, it was discovered that the drain under the house would require a higher degree of attention. Not only was it in very poor overall condition, but it also did not have anywhere near the correct gradient and was improperly connected to the main underground system!   Grant outlined replacing the existing 65mm suspended drain under the house with a 100mm drain. Nicky happily accepted the associated quotes. The work involved installing the new drain with the correct gradient, installing expansion joints, clips, wall sleeves (to allow for pipe expansion through the brick walls) and venting (as specified in the regulation/standard AS/NZS3500).   To go further into detail, a’ Ridgid Drain Camera’ and a ‘Ridgid Navitrack’ were used to locate the existing underground sewer drain. A new junction was cut into this drain to provide a proper connection between the suspended drain and the underground drain. In terms of site work, excavators were arranged, along with a bin to removed excess soil. Topsoil was provided to complete the ‘clean up of site’.     In accordance with current regulation, a ‘Victorian Building Authority Certificate of Compliance’ was issued to authenticate the work in its entirety. This effectively ‘wrapped things up’, but the job did not stop there! Feedback is so important to us at O’Shea Plumbing. So, we ensured that ‘Joanne’ (from our Accounts Department) contacted Nicky to make sure she was happy with our work.   Nicky said she ‘was very satisfied’ and that both ‘Grant and Marco were very professional’. Overall, she was surprised that none of her previous plumbers had brought these issues to her attention and, all-in-all was so relieved to put all the inconvenience with her kitchen drain behind her!  

This following case study involves a repair on an old oil heater. ‘Pam’ initially called our office to request a service to fix the fan on this piece of equipment (that had since been converted to gas) which has located at a property owned by her father in North Balwyn, Victoria.     Our friendly O’Shea Plumbing business operator/owner ‘Lawrie’ called on his extensive experience in the field to give the advice that “as this heater was very old, the wisest and safest option would be to replace it, in its entirety”.   Lawrie and trusty O’Shea Plumbing team member ‘Richard’ visit ed onsite to conduct investigations and deliver quotes with the aim to replace the old heater with a very safe, reputable and efficient ‘Rinnai Energysaver’ heater.   Pam was happy to accept this option and the works were confirmed, with the new heater ordered and a date and time suitable for installation booked in. We organised for our electrician ‘Leo’ to be available to assist on the day.   Before installation, Richard also pressured tested the entire gas system for any leaks. The gas testing proved the existing gas system to be sound. However, during the course of the job, a fault in the existing wiring was found. Leo brought this to our client’s attention – as a matter of full accountability in the interest of safety.   The fault was fixed in due course – in order to make the area safe and operable. However, our team didn’t stop there. When the heater was removed, it was noticed that the heater flue pipe was broken. Therefore it proved that removing this flue pipe and replacing the old heater with a new heater , was the best option   The old and broken pieces of equipment were removed, the roof repaired and the old heater and flue taken away for recycling. Of course, as due diligence demands – another gas pressure test was performed upon completion along with commissioning the new heater (to ensure it was operating correctly).   All in all, the new gas heater installation went without a hitch. A Certificate of Compliance was issued to Pam, to certify the work was done correctly. We are happy to report that the Pam’s Dad is now warm, safe and comfortable in his home – thanks to a job well done by the team at O’Shea Plumbing!

Nicholas Banfield, a 23 year old sailor from Tasmania unfortunately passed away a few years ago from carbon monoxide poisoning. He was an experienced sailor, and had grown up on the water, his father said. Nicholas had taken his girlfriend, also 23, out on his yacht on Sydney Harbour on a Friday night, the ABC reported. After his girlfriend called her parents two days later in a state of confusion, police began a search of the area. They were eventually found, and the woman was taken to hospital in a serious condition. It was unfortunately too late for Nicholas Banfield, who was found dead on the yacht.   Coroners call for mandatory carbon monoxide alarms When the police found the boat, the gas stove was switched on, which lead police to believe it was carbon monoxide poisoning, which was later confirmed by tests. Carbon monoxide, unlike gas, does not have a smell. So you cannot see or smell it, making it a silent but deadly killer. Most boat engines emit carbon monoxide, as well as some cooking appliances and home and commercial heaters. The threat of carbon monoxide poisoning in an industrial setting is taken very seriously and procedures are put in place, but what most people will not know is that carbon monoxide poisoning can also happen in the home. The coroner who examined Nicholas Banfield’s body, has asked for urgent consideration of mandatory carbon monoxide alarms. He showed ABC a carbon monoxide alarm worth $50 that could have saved the life of Nicholas Banfield and many others.   Fully licensed plumbers inspect and repair gas heaters Malfunctioning gas heaters within the home have the potential to be very dangerous for your family. O’Shea Plumbing can provide you with an inspection and repair of your gas heater  seven days a week. There are a few signs you can look out for that will tell you your gas heater may need repairing: Unusual noises coming from the gas heating unit A yellow gas flame instead of a blue flame If you notice any of the above signs, or have any suspicion that your heater may be malfunctioning, it is important to turn off the unit immediately, have it inspected right away. An inspection from highly experienced, fully licensed plumber will provide your home with better safety than a carbon monoxide alarms, some of which can be unreliable or can miss signs of carbon monoxide leaks. If, after the inspection, the unit is found to be broken, O’Shea Plumbing can repair the unit onsite.   Gas leak detection Gas leaks can be highly dangerous both within the home and business, and must be taken extremely seriously if one is suspected. Gas leaks can be a health risk to those who work or live in a building, as well as a danger to the building itself. A gas leak in the home or otherwise is flammable, so poses an immediate threat to the safety of the area. If a gas leak comes into contact with flame or spark, it can cause a fire or explosion. If you notice any of the following signs, you might have a gas leak issue: The smell of gas Higher gas bills than usual Your gas cooktop won’t light The heating isn’t working If you have noticed any of the above, contact a O’Shea Plumbing on (03) 9888 2887 today for a fast quote. O’Shea Plumbing offers expertly trained professional plumbers who are highly experienced in gas leak detection. It is also recommended to have older gas appliances serviced by a professional, as they can be the cause of gas leaks.   Gas heater installations Gas heater installations should only ever be handled by a professional, licenced plumber. As should any issue pertaining to gas heating units, including leak detection, inspection, and repair. If someone other than a licenced professional handles the installation or service of a gas unit, the results can be dangerous, and even life threatening. O’Shea Plumbing have a team of fully licenced and highly experienced professionals who are trained to expertly install gas heater units safely. The team at O’Shea Plumbing can also install hot water units, cookers, and even gas lighting. O’Shea Plumbing offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all their services, ensuring you are getting the best in the business every time.   If you have any concerns about potential gas or carbon monoxide leaks, call O’Shea Plumbing Services Melbourne on (03) 9888 2887 for a free quote. O’Shea Plumbing offer 7 day servicing in Melbourne.

Here’s another success story for our team at O’Shea Plumbing. Even on a Saturday morning, there is no job too big or small – that we can’t, or won’t assist with! When Beverley from North Balwyn called our company owner she was ‘in a bit of a pickle’, and needing some on-the-spot help from a gas fitter, Melbourne. Lawrie was available to listen to her concerns, and provide some very solid solutions.   What had happened in this instance was that a representative of the gas company had knocked on Beverley’s door that morning. He was there to alert her that during the work of renewing the gas pipes in her street, they discovered that there was a leak on her gas pipes, he had cut the gas off the due to the gas leak, and that she should get a licenced gas fitting representative ‘over pronto’ to sort it out. This was certainly not the best start to the weekend for Beverley!   Beverley was a bit of loss as she did not know of a gas fitter that she could trust, especially at such short notice. She proceeded to get out the phone book, and when the page opened to an O’Shea Plumbing advertisement the gas company representative affirmed our excellent reputation. This is always so great to hear!   Lawrie quickly organised for our team member Grant to call around that same Saturday morning. As efficiently as ever, he thoroughly checked out the situation and provide a good amount of options and, of course, some fairly reasonable quotes. We are happy to report that these were accepted, with the gas pipes in copper tubes and fittings replacements scheduled.   Lawrie met Andrew on site at 8am on the following Monday. All work was completed by midday of the Tuesday. This included all aspect involved, such as pressure testing of the gas installation, servicing and carbon monoxide testing of the gas ducted heater.   A Certificate of Compliance was emailed to Beverley upon completion. Beverley was relieved and happy to have the issue sorted out in such a minimal time frame, far exceeding her expectations. She said that she would use O’Shea Plumbing for any future work required – which is certainly the feedback we love to receive!

This following case study involves Mrs Taylor of Thornbury, VIC. When Mrs Taylor first contacted us she divulged that on (previous occasions) she had encountered some bad experiences with tradespeople (from rival companies). We told her that we would send over one of our professional plumbers, by the name of Andrew. We reassured her that he would check out her tap problems thoroughly – providing her with an array of options and fair prices.   Andrew discussed and explained everything in depth with Mrs Taylor, to her great satisfaction. He only ‘made the call’ to proceed after she gave her explicit approval. We are very pleased to report that the tap repairs went exceedingly well. As a very efficient plumber, Andrew was soon on his way to his next job!   Not long after, Mrs Taylor rang the office of O’Shea Plumbing and spoke to Lawrie, our owner/operator. She said she was very happy, and made a point of being grateful for Andrew’s work. She also told Lawrie that she would be pleased to “spread the word” to anyone that she knows – advising them to use O’Shea Plumbing for all their plumbing needs!

At O’Shea Plumbing we want people to have a good experience with our tradespeople – and, a ‘job done right’ – for the best possible plumbing solutions overall. Obviously, a lot of times this involves a individual’s or family’s place of residence (where they live, eat and sleep) so, it’s really important to rectify any issues with plumbing quickly and efficiently – as ongoing problems can really affect ‘quality of life’.   In this case, we assisted a gentleman by the name of Bill. Bill had purchased a property about 10 years ago and organised a builder to construct his dream family home in Hughesdale, VIC. What transpired is that Bill and his family noticed a damp smell coming from under the house (becoming increasingly apparent over time), causing black mould on windows and staining walls.   Over the years, Bill had tried hiring a number of tradespeople to sort out the issue. He also fought a lengthy legal battle in order to get his builder to take responsibility, and fix the problem permanently. Unfortunately, the builder involved foreclose and Bill was left to ‘foot the bill’ for the works. He and his family also had to deal with what was a very unwelcome inconvenience – smack back in the middle of their own home!   At this point, Bill wanted to source an independent review and advice on how to stop water from entering under his house, and to get a professional quote to renew the agricultural drain. Bill had trouble finding a plumber to start the process – as no one took the time to really understand the issue in depth!   Thankfully, the team O’Shea Plumbing are very good at listening. Having twice now ‘gone over with a fine-toothed-comb’ to give detailed quotes and professional suggestions to prevent wet areas under the house, we are now at the stage of sending these to Bill. This is so that he can finally finish off their dream house. It’s definitely a relief for Bill and his family, and we are more than happy to help!

Recently, O’Shea Plumbing very happy to assist Stan and his wife, who hail from Bentleigh VIC. As a retired couple, they renovated their bathroom many years ago. Unfortunately, issues were found to eventually arise from their efforts to improve their home – as the plumber responsible at the time had simply raised the shower base and connected the waste directly over the top of the old one – without bothering to even remove the grate!   Undoubtedly, this plumber performed a terrible disservice to Stan (and his spouse). Over the years obstructions were merely ‘poked down’ past both grates, which naturally lead to a very blocked drain. Luckily, a plumber from our experienced team at O’Shea was able to address the problem with a home visit. The plumber first unblocked the drain, then proceeded to propose options to find a permanent solution to the problem.   Through successful identification of the issue and alongside practical expertise, O’Shea Plumbing (as a tried and trusted plumber in Bentleigh) were able to provide peace-of-mind and a reliable service. Due to this, Stan and his wife will now only call our team to the exclusion of all others when they encounter any plumbing problems in their house. We were pleased to have them report that they found up to be “honest, fair, punctual and to do a job to a high standard”.

In this next case study, a resident of Mount Waverley by the name of Stewart gave the team at O’Shea Plumbing a call, with an issue regarding a blocked drain (storm water) and blocked sewer. This was a job for our senior plumber Grant – who promptly visited onsite to deliver  solutions backed by years of practical experience. As a plumber in Mount Waverley, he is in a  well placed proximity to most locations in the Melbourne region.   Some options (with accompanying quotations) were provided as potentialities in unblocking the drains, which included cable, water jet machine and drain camera methods. Stewart chose to proceed with a water jet and camera option – which resulted in a successful sewer clearance. The drain camera revealed faults with the drain, but the conclusion was that it would remain serviceable, for at least the time being.   The storm water drain was shown to have structural breakage and partial collapse. To deal with this particular problem, Grant once again went ‘back to the drawing board’, preparing quotes and recommendations in replacing sections of the drain, as part of a sewer replacement.   This was, of course, all performed in adherence to relevant regulations/protocol and included a substantial amount of ‘background work’. This took the form of Monash Council permits, inspections to meet Monash Council Inspector’s requirement, bin hire, concrete cutting/hole boring, excavating, ‘Dial Before You Dig’ permits and, of course, a complete clean up of site – amongst many other aspects.   With the problem at hand resolved quickly and meticulously, Stewart was very happy. He is now considering further work to be done by O’Shea Plumbing. And, that high level of loyalty is exactly what we aim to endear (through our hard work and dedicated customer service) in all our clients!

Here at O’Shea Plumbing HQ, we recently had a phone call from Natalie (a very valued long term client) about a blocked drain. The sewer drain had been cleared of tree roots, but our client wanted long term solutions. Our trusty team members were on hand to provide quotes for both a partial sewer replacement, and a section of stormwater drain. The work was confirmed by Natalie and completed as quoted. As plumbers in Elwood (inner suburb of Melbourne) must, of course, comply with State regulations, all work was completed in accordance with the Local Sewerage Authority, the Victoria Building Authority, and in compliance with AS/NZS 3500 standards. Therefore, consent was obtained from South East Water and inspections were booked before any work was undertaken. Specifically, a Road Opening Permit and a Dial Before You Dig (generally storm water only) applications were made, processed and granted. At this point the team also made sure all equipment was made available, and that a protocol was drafted before the practical application of the plumbing work could begin. A bin was provided to remove excess excavated soil and rubbish from the site, and a plan was enacted to leave all areas in a clean state. It was agreed that an excavator would be sourced and that excavated soil from under paved area would be removed from site, and back filled with crushed rock. We are pleased to report that the all the planning and hard work paid off. Natalie was very happy with the job, and exceptionally relieved to have her plumbing issues sorted with peace-of-mind into the future. It made it so rewarding when O’Shea Plumbing received positive feedback by way of an SMS from Natalie. “It’s at moments like now (as the rain pelts down) i’m very grateful for all the recent good plumbing work. Thanks Grant (and Keith). Cheers, Natalie.” If you too are experiencing issues like Natalie and need your plumbing fixed promptly (yet thoroughly) don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and give our friendly team a call today on 03 9888 2887!

We recently completed a drain replacement job for a client named Spiro based in Mount Waverley, Melbourne. He was struggling with a blocked sewerage drain that he had already attempted to fix, unsuccessfully. Spiro had gotten Yarra Valley Water to come check out the problem, but their efforts did not provide the results Spiro needed. They said the blockage was in the property drain and did not offer further solutions. Spiro then decided to contact a plumber in Mount Waverley instead. He reached out to the O’Shea Plumbing team to come clear the blocked drain. We investigated the situation using a drain camera and location equipment that could track the camera head. Upon inspection, we found that the sewerage drain was broken and needed to be repaired. We provided Spiro with quotes for the necessary plumbing work, which Spiro accepted. This included replacement of several sections of sewerage along with additional replacement of stormwater drains. Plumbers in Mount Waverley (Greater  Melbourne region from relevant sewerage authority) must obtain consent and sewer plans from Yarra Valley Water before completing such work. We helped obtain these permits along with information and plans from Dial Before You Dig (another requirement for Melbourne plumbers). Our plumbers also booked inspections at Spiro’s Mount Waverley property with the Victorian Building Authority. The plumbing project itself involved removing excavated soil from the site and backfilling the excavation with crushed rocks for sections of the drain that were underneath the pavement. Finally, our plumbing team supplied and lodged a Certificate of Compliance, which guarantees that services completed by any plumbers in Mount Waverley and surrounding areas adhere to relevant codes and regulations. We are pleased to say that Spiro was very satisfied with our services once it was all said and done. He wrote us a raving 5/5 star review on Product Review, claiming that we provided “quality service and exceptional value for money”.   Another satisfied O’Shea Plumbing customer in Mount Waverley   Cathy has lived in Mount Waverley all her life or there about. Throughout the years she has seen the O’Shea Plumbing office and vans around the streets of her area and thought that she would use O’Shea Plumbing the next time she needed a plumber in Mount Waverley. Throughout the years since she first called us, Cathy has relied on the services of O’Shea Plumbing from heater and tap issues to hot water unit issues. On this occasion, Cathy rang up stating that her pilot light on her hot water unit was off and that she could not get it to go back on. Jarrett, who is a long time team member of O’Shea Plumbing, hung up the phone and was knocking on Cathy’s door within 10 minutes. Jarrett assessed the situation, noting that her hot water unit was over 25 years old and had well and truely served its purpose. While giving Cathy her options to solve the problem, Jarrett was transparent and mentioned that O’Shea Plumbing could attempt to service the unit, but at the age the unit was he could not guarantee that the Hot Water Unit would last too much longer.   In this case, it was a much better idea for Cathy to put the money that it would cost to service the unit into a brand new unit with the manufacturer’s cylinder warranty, as well as knowing that all the internal components are new and she will not have to worry about re-lighting her old unit regularly. Jarrett and Cathy agreed that O’Shea Plumbing should install a new hot water unit. Jarrett organised delivery of the new unit from the Plumbers Co-op in Mitcham. Andrew and Dani arrived a short time after and went about installing the new hot water unit, performing all relevant gas tests to ensure that there were no gas leaks and commissioning the unit in accordance with the current regulations. Cathy was over the moon that she did not have to wait more than a day without hot water especially as the weather was cold, windy and wet – so a hot shower in the evening would have been very welcoming. Well done team!   Spiro, Cathy and many other clients know and trust us for plumbing in Mount Waverley and all around Melbourne. To experience the difference we can make for yourself, call us today on 03 9888 2887!

Geoff is a local resident based off of Dandenong Rd in Murrumbeena, Melbourne. He called us up one day requesting a quote for swapping his gravity feed hot water unit to a gas unit. He had been looking for a reliable plumber in Murrumbeena and stumbled upon our company.   Shortly after our phone call with Geoff, several members of our plumbing team met him on site in Murrumbeena to inspect his property and provide advice tailored to his specific situation. We gave Geoff a range of service options and explained the details and requirements of each one. We also listened to Geoff’s suggestions and took them on board so we could offer a plan of action personalised to him.   We then presented Geoff with a quote, making sure to highlight the attention to detail, high quality and guarantees of our plumbing work. Geoff told us that he would get quotes from other plumbers in Murrumbeena and think it over before getting back to us. The next day, Geoff accepted the quote and arranged a day and time for the work to commence.   All the work we completed was done on time, including extra work such as water pressure reduction and water and waste pipe replacement that Geoff decided he wanted done as well. Our team even organised all application forms to Greenbank Environmental, which are important for plumbers in Melbourne and the greater Victoria region to complete. We filled the forms out and sent them off to Geoff so he could claim a government rebate, as he was changing from an electric unit to a gas five star hot water unit.   By the end of the project, we could see that Geoff was very satisfied with our work and level of customer service. In fact, he has even left us two 5-star reviews on Product Review! We can confidently say that if you need an honest and reliable plumber in Murrumbeena, we’re the place to turn. Both Geoff and ourselves guarantee it!   To arrange your own consultation or request a free quote, call the best plumbers in Murrumbeena at 03 9888 2887!

As the weather is cooling down, more and more Melburnians are starting to rely on indoor and outdoor heaters to keep themselves warm and cosy. Portable gas heaters are are a very popular warming method, as they are relatively inexpensive and energy efficient. But while gas heaters can seem like the perfect solution to combat the winter weather, they actually bring with them a high risk of danger that many homeowners are not aware of.   Fixed heaters have a lot of accompanying rules and regulations regarding proper installation, where the heater can be placed, how to properly maintain the appliance, etc. Portable heaters, on the other hand, often have little to no safety instructions at all, and leave all dager prevention practices up to the user’s discretion.   The biggest threat when it comes to gas heaters comes from people using outdoor heaters in indoor spaces, which is strongly advised against by professional gasfitters but unfortunately quite common. When gas appliances are trapped in a closed-off area with no way for the gas to escape, users are at an increased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. If there is any flame present in the area while the heater is on, homes are susceptible to fires or even explosions. Whether the heater is in the bedroom, kitchen, living room or some other part of the house, your roommates and family can be put in a lot of danger if the room doesn not have proper ventilation.   Another common problem at the moment comes from homeowners who are using their gas heaters in indoor/outdoor spaces (such as enclosed porches) that still do not have enough airflow to rid the area of accumulated gas. These spaces may seem like an acceptable place to use a portable heater because they are exposed to the outdoors, but if they are not fully open then placing your heater there can still be unsafe. Even the LPG gas bottles alone can be a huge hazard when manually connected to your gas line and kept in closed spaces. It’s important that wherever you put your heater and gas tank has open windows, a chimney or some other spot where the gas can exit out of.   Another solution is to nix your gas heater completely and instead opt for another home heating option. Sure, portable gas heaters may be convenient, but they are not worth the risk. If you get in contact with our experienced gas heating experts, they can advise you of the best domestic heating option for your Melbourne residence. If you insist on installing a portable gas heater, they can help you set yours up safely and guide you in the proper way to use it. We can even assess your likelihood of gas leaks and help you minimise your risk.   For more information on the risks of gas heaters and what alternative options are available, contact the O’Shea Plumbing team today at 03 9888 2887.

In Australia, land of the “barbie”, almost every house has a barbecue of its own. These barbecues run on gas, which typically requires an individual liquid propane gas (LPG) tank (easily found at your local petrol station).   Although gas tanks are the most easy and efficient way to set up your home barbecue, some locals in Melbourne are now attempting to connect their grills to their home’s natural gas lines. Their main justifications are that they want to avoid the hassle of lugging home and having to refill their gas tanks, and that they are trying to minimise the eyesore of a large gas bottle in their yard.   While the decision to swap your barbecue from LPG to your home’s natural gas line may sound like a good idea in theory, it gets a big red flag from us. When you compare the two options, you may actually find that LPG wins every time.   Here are the top six reasons to avoid doing so:   Conversion Requirements   The biggest reason why is because barbecues that require LPG run completely differently than items that use the natural gas in your home gas line. They operate at different pressures and temperatures, and utilise differently sized, injectors / valves. You cannot connect your barbecue to your natural gas line without doing some sort of complicated conversion.   New Gas Line Installation   Another thing many people don’t realise is that you must install an additional gas line directly to your grill if you want to cater for the extra load to your domestic gas system. Your existing gas pipes may need to upgraded to cope with the extra appliance   High Price   Even if you are insistent upon making all the necessary conversions and adding additional gas lines so that you can connect your outdoor barbecue, you must note that this process could  cost, hundreds or  thousands of dollars. Gas fitting is complicated enough on its own, let alone when trying to merge outdoor and indoor fixtures. In many cases, the excessive fees associated with this project is simply not worth it.   Lack of Flexibility   Another factor to consider is that connecting a barbecue to your natural gas line means that once the barbecue is connected, it cannot be moved. LPG grills, on the other hand, are highly portable and can be relocated as needed. If you have a large outdoor area and would like the flexibility to wheel around your barbecue if you desire a change of location, stick with your strictly LPG version.   Indoor or outdoor   With many people building Alfresco entertaining areas, its important to realise that there are strict regulations about the installation of these  appliances. BBQ’s that are specified for outside, are only to be installed outside, and BBQ’s that are specified for indoor installation are only to be installed indoors. There are regulations as to what is classed as an indoor or outdoor area       High Chance of Malfunction   There are many things that could go wrong during the LPG to natural gas conversion process– its important to rely on the help of a professional. An improperly installed natural gas barbecue may have very small flames, for instance, and will also have difficulty heating up. You may even find yourself more susceptible to gas leaks once you have attempted to make this swap over.   If you are in need of a new gas barbecue for your Melbourne home, we strongly advise that you don’t try to connect it to your domestic gas source. Instead, relish in the freedom and safety that LPG grills allow. The team at O’Shea Plumbing is happy to help you set up and maintain your LPG or natural gas barbecue, if you would like some assistance.

Last July, Greensborough resident Sonia Sofianopolous was found face-down and unconscious in her housing unit. Despite efforts by her family and medical professionals, she could not be revived. Upon autopsy, it was discovered that the mother and grandmother, known for staying active and generally being in good health, had high levels of carboxyhaemoglobin (with saturation levels at 64%).   Carboxyhaemoglobin occurs when carbon monoxide is inhaled and mixes with red blood cells. Once Energy Safe Victoria caught wind of the incident, they began in-depth investigations and found that 14 units in Sonia’s complex were fitted with her same heater (Vulcan Heritage), which failed Australian tests for product safety standards as well as monoxide spillage tests.   While all affected heaters at Sonia’s Greensborough complex were immediately disconnected after the news broke, other locals with Vulcan Heritage Heaters were left largely in the dark. In fact, lawyers representing the company even disputed claims of faulty heaters, instead arguing that perhaps poor ventilation was to blame.   Although Energy Safe Victoria now has further plans in place to test carbon monoxide toxicity and general gas heater functionality and processes, it is important that homeowners also take agency to determine whether they are at risk.   As the weather cools and Melbourne residents are increasing their home heater use, the risk of harm or death as a result of toxicity increases as well. Victorian coroner Jacqui Hawkins spoke on the issue, saying “I’m concerned there is public safety issues at stake.”   The first step you can take towards assessing and managing your level of threat is by having your gas heater inspected and serviced regularly by qualified home heater technicians. It is generally recommended that you get your heater checked every other year at least, although every year is preferable.   The news of Sonia Sofianopolous is troubling to say the least, but similar scenarios can be largely avoided when the right preventative measures are in place. If you are concerned about the threat of carbon monoxide leakage or poisoning in your Melbourne home, reach out to the team at O’Shea for more information about how to determine and avert your chances of danger.

There are many reasons why it’s important to call a professional plumber for your Melbourne home. Industry trained and licensed plumbers are highly knowledgeable about water fixtures and pipe repair and maintenance. They are able and willing to do the jobs you simply don’t want to or don’t know how to do. They can fix most issues in way less time and for way less money than you would spend trying to do it yourself.   That being said, there are certain scenarios where calling a plumber out to your property is a waste of both your time and theirs because you can easily solve the problem on your own. For the untrained eye, a pipe or tap leak can seem like a huge deal, and may send you running to phone the plumber straight away.   If you know what signs to look for, however, and have methods in place of addressing them, you may be surprised at what you can achieve by yourself. Of course, there is no comparison between a DIY plumbing project and the effective work of a qualified professional. What we are trying to say is that some more simple fixes can be done without having to schedule and pay for a professional service.   If you have a water leak in your Melbourne property, here are a few factors to check for before giving your plumber a call:   Clogged Pipes and Drains: When your kitchen or bathroom pipes and drains get clogged up with hair, oil, or other sorts of grime, water can become backed up, leading to excessive water pressure in the pipes and therefore leaks. Be sure to clean your pipes and drains out regularly as a simple way to avoid larger complications down the road.   Faulty Valves: Often times, leaks are just a result offaulty  pressure relief valves (PTR) or pressure/temperature relief valves (PTRV). Before calling a plumber, locate your valves and lift the lever a few times to clear any blockages. If the valve is old , or the lever has not been lifted for a year or more,  then its best to call O’Shea Plumbing to replace the valve, as it may have a build up of debris in the valve that may cause it to continue to run If the leak stops, your problem is solved. If it doesn’t, you may need to replace your valves.   Loose or Broken Washers and O-Rings: Sometimes, a bit of a tightening is all you need to stop a pipe leak. Washers and O-Rings have a tendency to loosen up over time, so it pays to check them and tighten them regularly. (Just make sure to not tighten them too much, as this can also be problematic.) If they are cracked or worn down at all, a replacement would probably be beneficial to help manage your leak problem.   Worn Out Seals:Leaks from any sort of water fixture, such as washing machines, refrigerators, sinks or toilets, may be a result of old or worn sealant. Replacing your washing machine and fridge doors or installing new seals around your toilet base and sink handles may be enough to fix your leak problem.   High Water Pressure: If you hear a banging sound when you turn on your tap (water hammer), you likely have excessively high water pressure. This can lead to leaks, as too much water is trying to get out of the tap at once and and tries to escape elsewhere. A quick fix for this problem is to utilise an anti-hammer valve, which your plumber can help you install if needed. Reducing high hot and cold water pressure will greatly increase the life of and reduce the risk of damage to all taps,  appliances and pipes     While most of these sources of water leaks are simple enough to handle on your own, we do recommend that you seek the help of a professional plumber if the problem continues. If you think that you can handle your water leak by yourself but would like a bit of guidance in how to do so, feel free to reach out to the staff at O’Shea Plumbing with questions or concerns.

Plumbing is a major industry in Melbourne and all around Victoria. Commercial and domestic plumbing is a priority for property owners looking to ensure the health, safety and comfort of their family, employees or guests. Because of the saturation of plumbers in Melbourne, it can be difficult to choose which one is best for the job you need. There are so many to pick from– all with a range of experience and qualifications. Different plumbers can also have quite different price points and fee structures, which can understandably influence your decision-making process. While the necessity of some plumbing company characteristics are negotiable, there is one that is not: All plumbers you hire should always give a  Certificate of Compliance for gas work , underground sewer drainage work , and all work over $750.00, so that you can feel secure in their knowledge and ability. Even if it costs you a bit more, this is one necessity that cannot be overlooked.   What is a Certificate of Compliance? This refers to a certification for licensed plumbers, distributed by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA). It guarantees that they work they do complies with all relevant plumbing standards, rules and regulations within the state. On  completion of certain plumbing work, licensed plumbers must send compliance certificates to both the person getting the work done and the VBA. Failure to do so can result in harsh penalties for the plumber as well as potential detriments for you.   Why Do Certificates of Compliance Matter? To work as a plumber in Victoria, one must either be licensed or registered through the VBA, or currently be in training under the guidance of a licensed plumber. Certificates of Compliance,  are mandatory for plumbers licensed through the VBA (and for good reason). Licensed plumbers exist within the top tier of this hierarchy. It is implied that they hold more knowledge than registered or training plumbers. To uphold this standard, licensed plumbers must be well-trained in any sort of plumbing job they may face before they are able to practice. Certificates of Compliance are to be given for work within the following categories: Drainage Fire Protection Gasfitting Irrigation (Non-agricultural) Mechanical Service Roofing (Stormwater) Sanitary Water Supply Hot Water   Although these are the primary areas that are assessed, Certificates of Compliance are also given for work  in appliance servicing and conversion, gasfitting work (standard and advanced), refrigerated air conditioning work and backflow prevention. If you need any of these jobs completed, a licensed plumber ready to supply and lodge  a  Certificate of Compliance should always be the one to take it on. There are many certified plumbers in the Melbourne area, including the entire team at O’Shea Plumbing.   Avoid Faulty Workmanship The main benefit for home or business owners of hiring certified plumbers is to reduce the risk of faulty workmanship. This is important regardless of the circumstances, but is especially relevant on any large, time-consuming or expensive project. Certificates of Compliance are mandatory for any plumbing job in Victoria that costs over $750. If you have hired a plumber for a major job and they are hesitant to lodge a Certificate of Compliance, this should be seen as a significant red flag. In any case like this, we recommend that you reconsider the company you are using and look for someone who agrees to maintain proper legislative practices. Hiring a plumber who fails to comply to state regulations can put you and your property at risk. It is not worth it to save a bit of money and hire a dodgy plumber. Instead, invest in a company you can trust, such as O’Shea Plumbing! Our licensed plumbers are fully certified and highly dependable. No matter what sort of plumbing job you need done, we are the optimal team to handle it. Call us today for a quote on your next project.

Everybody has experienced issues with their taps at least once in their lifetime and the initial stress and anxiety that accompanies not knowing how to fix the issue at hand. Most people’s first instinct is to call a plumber, but depending on the time of day or your local plumbers schedule, it may take a while before they can visit your property and examine the problem. Before calling a plumber here are a few different steps and measures you can follow to determine whether or not the problem is serious enough that it requires professional help.   1 – Check other taps in your home Sometimes the issue is limited to just one tap as opposed to all of your taps throughout your home. Before calling a plumber it is important to check first exactly how many taps are affected by this water shortage. If it is just one tap that has limited water supply it may just be the case of determining and investigating where the shortage is coming from. For example, your aerators may be blocked on the one tap, which you can check quite easily as they are located at the tip of your water tap. Once you determine how many taps are affected, you can assess the significance of the issue.   2 – Ask Your Neighbours If all of the taps in your home are affected, you should definitely check with your neighbours to see if the issue is just subjected to your individual property or your whole neighbourhood or estate. If it is affecting a larger proportion of your neighbourhood then it is safe to assume that the problem is much larger than initially anticipated. In this instance, you should call the local council to determine what the problem is and when it is expected to be resolved.   3 – Replace Your Tap Washer Cracks and punctures in your waterline can affect your water flow and can be created by branches, debris and other natural products finding their way into your drains. This could potentially be where your restricted or completely cut off water has come from. The actual drain itself may be old and therefore may be damaged through wear and tear which could also have caused this issue. Once again, it is advisable that you call a team of professionals at O’Shea Plumbing to discuss with them how to resolve this issue.   4 – Check the valves in your home   Your water supply may have been turned off at your isolation valve. This is located next to your water meter which is usually placed out the front of your home. If you are living in an apartment complex, check with your landlord to see where your standalone system is located. If it is turned off, it may simply be a case of turning it back on so water is restored throughout your home.   5 – Have you paid your water bill? Water companies don’t usually completely shut off your water as a first sign of overdue payments. More than likely, your water pressure would initially be reduced as a sign to indicate that you have not paid your bills. If you have been notified by your water company that you haven’t paid your bills and have experienced restricted water flow recently, then more than likely this is the reason why your water has been cut off this. Sometimes the first reaction when something goes wrong with the taps in our home is to call a plumber. However, more often than not the problem is usually quite miniscule and can be solved by following these simple steps and procedures.   For when the problem is more serious than what we’ve listed above, the team at O’Shea Plumbing are more than willing to help you out. Call them today on 03 9888 2887, or fill out the contact form to submit an enquiry, and they’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Allowing someone into your home or professional space doesn’t come without its own set of concerns. You want to ensure that the person hired to do the job will be able to do so without having to worry about ulterior factors at play. Then again, you also want to ensure that you won’t be taken for a ride; whether it comes to fixing problems which don’t really exist or having to pay more for a service than you normally would. Thus, when trying to figure out what makes a good plumber before deciding on a specific professional, be sure to keep the following characteristics of a good plumber in mind:   1.       Provides accurate/clear estimates. The last thing you want is a professional plumber who keeps changing a quote. Someone who’s never quite sure what it would cost after all the work has been completed. When searching for a professional plumbing service, you need accurate and clear estimates in order to budget – knowing exactly how much you’re going to have to pay at the end of the day without any sneaky surprises.   2.       Not afraid to show credentials. Is the person you’re thinking of hiring qualified to do the job? Any plumber should be licensed, bonded, and insured in order to protect you from possible accidents which may occur on the job. A professional plumber will proudly display these credentials in their own office or be more than happy to show you.   3.       Arrives on time. There’s nothing worse than having to push your own appointments aside in order to make time for a plumber, only for the plumber to show up when they feel like it. As unprofessional as it may be, it does happen.   4.       Good online track record. With social media taking over these days, online reviews are everywhere. Lucky for you, you’re able to assess the professionalism and quality of work of someone before having to hire them yourself.Check out their Facebook and Google reviews, but keep in mind it’s impossible to keep everyone happy. Check out the way that they handle the negative reviews, as this will give you a more transparent insight to their personality and trustworthiness.   5.       Ability to detect possible problems. Professional plumbers with many years of experience will be able to spot potential problems; even if they may seem quite minor at that particular moment. A recent ABC News report revealed a plumber’s mistake when he had to fix a simple leaky pipe, which ended up exposing the tenants to deadly asbestos dust. According to the report, the 26-year-old students, Ella Gleeson and Morgana Russell expected the plumber to fix a leaky pipe in their bathroom wall.   “I just assumed he knew what he was doing,” Ms Gleeson said. “When he was finished, the hole he had cut in the tiles above the bathtub was still there. “He was like, ‘that’s for the handyman to fix’. There was just a giant hole in the wall. There was dust everywhere.” Ms Russell added: “I saw a hole in our shower wall. I saw dust all over.” After realising that a handyman is a no-show, they cleaned up the damage caused by the plumber. “The dust just spread around the house,” Ms Gleeson said. Her brother, a carpenter, visited after the third day. “I showed him and his face dropped. That’s asbestos. So then we just panicked,” Ms Gleeson said. Any professional plumber would have realised the dangers and notified the tenants immediately. However, when dealing with someone who’s simply out for the money, doing their job and only that is what you’ll potentially find. Plumbing problems can happen at any moment, any time of the day. Thus, finding a reliable plumber to help you out in a tricky situation will give you peace of mind that everything will be alright. Regardless of the situation at hand, finding a professional plumber with quality characteristics will save you money in the long run and prevent minor problems from becoming massive plumbing issues.   Looking for a professional plumber in Melbourne? Get a reliable quote from one of our professional plumbers in Melbourne. Click here. Source: 1, 2, 3

  Australia is a country that is growing rapidly. The 2016 census, released by Australian Bureau of Statistics, found Australia’s population has grown by 8.8 per cent to 24.4 million people since the last time it was measured in 2011.  If you live in Melbourne or Sydney, the city landscape scattered with cranes and construction sites is so normal you probably don’t even notice it anymore.   Rapid population growth equals rapid expansion of both the central business district and suburbs.  While this exciting expansion has offered a tremendous amount of opportunity for the city, it also comes with risks in how quickly growth is occurring.      A construction site may just seem like large metal building machines and concrete blocks, but behind what is visible to the eye are hundreds of specialists, tradesman, and essential regulations.  A recent concern to the Senate from Master Plumbers is how regulations are being upheld amidst such fast-moving growth.   Below is a quick look at the concern, how it could impact you, and what needs to be done.

Famous for bargain buys, discount supermarket chain Aldi can now add lead poisoning to their gamut, with an estimated 12,000 Australian households using lead contaminated kitchen taps bought from the Aldi aisles. The defective Chinese-made kitchen taps are currently under investigation, with lead contamination tests due to be completed by July 31 and serious warnings issued against using the taps for drinking or cooking. The Easy Home spiral ring mixer was particularly popular in the Australian market, due to its sleek style and control function. As expected, soon after being cleared by Australian Safety Standards earlier in the year, the taps quickly flew off shelves and made their way into thousands of Australian kitchens.   So, how concerning is lead contamination? Lead is a toxic substance that filters through the body to vital organs such as the brain, kidneys and liver. Over a period of time, ingesting this substance can lead to chronic toxicity. A key concern is that lead stores itself inside teeth and bones, which is predictably even more dangerous for young children. Pregnant women naturally release lead from the bones into the blood, so an increase in lead exposure is a reason for concern for those with young families.   How does this happen? While the Aldi “tap fiasco” has justifiably struck a chord with Australian consumers, it’s not to say this is an isolated situation. Many Australian homes and businesses still being shown to have elevated levels of lead and copper within their piping, with city councils regularly replacing pipe connections that were implemented before 1919. The general mindset of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ promotes the idea that, if water is flowing, it is safe to drink, without necessitating further investigation. To say that lead contamination is top of mind for homeowners is a stretch, not to mention the expense involved in getting down to the pipes to check connection materials.   How do you prevent this? An interim measure for families concerned about lead pipes would be replacing the faucets as they are the immediate middle-man. Water filters are popular for a number of reasons, but perhaps the most beneficial is that they remove heavy metals efficiently. Ensuring that you have a properly maintained and installed water filtration system can safeguard you from potential lead contamination, offering you peace of mind until they can test definitively for lead. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the council and homeowner to ensure that utilities are properly checked, maintained and replaced by experienced plumbing professionals. Aldi has vowed to take action, should the pending laboratory tests yield the predicted lead levels, and The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has prefaced a supplier and manufacturer recall pre-empting the results.  Let the Aldi taps serve as a cautionary reminder that cutting costs on your utilities can lead to some unexpected results. For an expansive range of professional plumbing maintenance and repair services, contact O’Shea Plumbing today!

Many homeowners have little idea what type of piping is beneath their kitchen or bathroom sinks, yet these common household fixtures can cause serious unexpected damage. There are already too many stories of people returning home to find water cascading down the stairs due to a burst braided pipe connecting the toilet cistern, or sinks. It’s worth getting to know your household piping a little better before something catches you unaware, like the flexible braided water pipes under your sink. These pipes replaced the old copper piping use in housing and are made of rubber encased in braided layers of stainless steel. Common in modern bathrooms and kitchens on account of their ability to be bent into shape, they’ve been a popular item in residential construction for about 15 years. They are now known to have a lifespan limited to about a decade, which is why recently they have been called to attention, and why you need to have your piping checked as soon as possible.

  Our first thought on a cold winter morning is rarely, “I wonder if my hot water heater is okay”. Instead, it is likely you are instead thinking of that toasty warm shower waiting for you, when you eventually get out of bed that is. With that said, should you be doing more to protect your hot water heater in winter? You bet you should. Avoid cold showers this winter and try these simple ways to protect your hot water heater:

  All across Australia, homeowners are dealing with the aftermath of poorly installed plumbing. Whether it’s the product of an amateur job or a professional service which just isn’t up to scratch, it is important to respond quickly to problems with residential pipework. At O’Shea Plumbing, we see low-quality installations all the time and they can cause a lot of damage if not repaired in the right way. It is why we’re trying to help homeowners recognise the signs of bad pipework and take practical steps to fix it. Keep reading to learn about the most common plumbing mishaps and why they might be playing havoc with your house.

Plumbing issues can happen to anyone and at any time. It can often be quite difficult to identify and plumbing issues if you don’t know what to out for. So, in order to make it easier for you to identify a major plumbing issue as well as avoid a costly emergency plumbing fee, here are 5 tell-tail signs that something is seriously wrong with your plumbing. Dripping Faucets Faucets often drip from time to time, especially when it’s not been correctly turned all the way off. However, if you notice that your faucet is leaking even when it has been properly turned off this could be a sign of some major plumbing issues. Not only are dripping faucets terribly annoying to listen to, they could also be contributing to an expensive water bill. So if one of your faucets is currently leaking be sure to call a plumber immediately to identify what the problem is. A Clogged Drain A blocked drain is usually pretty easy to deal with. Either using a plunger or a bottle of drain cleaner, both of which can usually be purchased in most supermarkets, more often than not solves the problem. But if you start to notice that there is a foul smell coming from your drain, or that there is a blockage that you are unable to unblock yourself it may be time to call in the professionals. Low Water Pressure Have you ever been in the shower and the pressure suddenly changes as soon as someone runs a tap or turns on the dishwasher? It can be terribly annoying and frustrating – even more so than a leaky faucet! However, low water pressure can also be a sign that there is a leak. Many plumbers are able to check your water pressure and check for faults or leaks. A Running Toilet A toilet that constantly runs or runs for a substantial amount of time after being flushed could be significantly increasing your water bills. Not only that a running toilet is often a telltale sign that the inner workings are due to be replaced. Smells and Stains Funny smells and stains on the ceiling directly underneath your bathroom, or in fact any of the surrounding walls, could be a sign of serious plumbing issues. If you notice any strange stains it’s always a good idea to get a second opinion from your plumber before attempting to deal with the issue yourself. Stains on the wall could be a sign that there is a leak and leaks, if left untreated, can cause serious damage to the foundations of your home. Hopefully, the above warning signs will make it easier for you to identify any plumbing issues before they get out of hand. For those that need some additional assistance, contact O’Shea Plumbing today!

Plumbing plays a huge role in our society. Without plumbing, we wouldn’t have the infrastructure and civilisation that we do. Since the Romans and the aqueducts in 312 BC, we have grown as a society and now safe plumbing is the norm for most Western countries. It must be said though, that while we in the Western world enjoy the supreme luxury of being able to turn on a tap to get water, many others in developing countries and even in modern countries have to boil water, travel for many kilometers to get water; and with sanitation being an issue, waterborne diseases are the biggest killer worldwide. A recent study found that 4,000 children die every day from ingesting filthy water and water that is not fit for drinking due to contamination. While we are lucky enough to not face these kinds of sanitation concerns and can enjoy a high standard of cleanliness in our society, there is a concern which – luckily – modern plumbing is able to help with as well. The Zika virus is something that came to light in 2016 as people struggled around the world in the United States of America and Singapore. The disease of Zika virus is caused by infected mosquitos biting a person and transmitting the disease on to them through their skin.   Where there’s water… In order to get Zika virus there needs to be mosquitos present, and the plumbing industry has been leading the charge in providing an innovative and effective solution. When flash flooding and heavy rainfall happen, it has resulted in flooded buildings and swamped areas. When this water is left to be stagnant for a period of time, it can quickly turn into a breeding ground for mosquitoes. To combat this, key players in the plumbing industry have stepped up with dewatering pumps which have been deployed throughout Southeast Asia, as a means to help remove stagnant water and emptying out potential risk areas. As plumbers, we often have to clear out contaminated water quickly and efficiently, and it’s vital that we have the right tools for the job to ensure we can work quickly and safely. This is just one such example of how our industry can lead the charge in keeping our world safe against threats. The threat in your home doesn’t have to be huge – but it can come from things like standing water turning into mozzie breeding grounds, or perhaps you have a leak that’s causing potential damage to your home. Whatever the problem, at O’Shea Plumbing we can help you out.   Why not get in touch with us today and get a free quote? Call us on 03 9888 2887 and we’ll hit the ground running.    

Access to clean, running water is something that we don’t question as homeowners. It is an ever-present luxury. We can’t imagine it changing because it feels like such a fundamental and unshakable part of life. Yet, it’s worth stopping to think about just how good your domestic water supply really is right now. Every month, we answer questions from homeowners who have only just realised that they can question the quality of their water; that it is their right to investigate its purity and value. Many of these queries are about the usefulness of water filtration systems, as a way to bypass the additives and chemicals that are found in a domestic supply. If you would like to make your drinking water purer and cleaner, water filtration systems are the right choice. Keep reading to find out why you should have one in your home. Water Is 100% Clean The only way to ensure that drinking water is free of treatment chemicals like fluoride and chlorine is to filter it before it comes out of the tap. There are a staggering 2,100 toxins that may be found in domestic supplies. They include potentially very nasty substances like lead. Filtered water is clean, safe, and contains the perfect balance of healthy minerals.   Keeps Pipes Healthy Domestic filtration systems are usually installed at the point at which the water supply actually enters the house. This means that all of the water you use is filtered, whether it is in the bath, the dishwasher, the washing machine, or the sink. When stripped free of heavy metals and minerals, water is a lot less destructive for the inside of pipes and drains. Filtered Is Eco-Friendly The bottled water industry is one of the least sustainable on the planet. It produces billions of empty containers every year. Each bottle takes hundreds of years to biodegrade, so they sit in landfills and take up a vast amount of space. Filtered water is the eco-friendly way to enjoy clean mineral water. Soothes Skin Conditions Exposure to substances like fluoride, chlorine, and heavy metals can make skin conditions worse. So, if anybody in your family suffers from psoriasis or eczema, it is a good idea to make the switch to filtered water for drinking and bathing. Natural Disaster Prevention This is a benefit that tends to be overlooked, but we want to stress its importance. If you have an inbuilt filtration system and a sewer line bursts, your supply will remain clean. All contaminants will be filtered out and there will be no risk to the health of your family. This is a pretty big advantage if you ask us. You’ll Save Money Also, just think about how much money you could save if you stopped buying bottled water. The cost of a domestic water filtration system is surprisingly low and it is an investment in the future of your home. The average cost saving is around $700 per year. This is nothing to scoff at; you could spend that cash on travelling, sprucing up the house, or toys for the kids. Enjoy Tastier Water If all of that isn’t enough, we can promise you that filtered water always tastes better than standard, unfiltered tap water. You don’t get that metallic taste from the presence of heavy minerals and metals. You can’t detect the chlorine or the lead because there isn’t any. It is nothing but pure, clean water; as fresh and healthy as can be. Why a Water Filtration System Should Be Your Next Investment It is easier than you think to have a high-quality filtration system installed in your home, get in touch with O’Shea Plumbing today and our qualified plumbers can have the job can be finished in an afternoon. And you and your family can enjoy all the benefits of filtered water in your home.

For first time movers, there are a lot of considerations to think about. Removalists, home and contents insurance, updating your address in all your records, just to name a few. There are, however, several practical considerations to think about when moving into your new home, such as gas and electrical considerations. We’ve compiled a few of the most important gas and electrical issues that you need to be wary of when moving into your next home. Old heaters Heaters do not last forever. If you have an old heater, it’s important to remember that some heaters cannot be repaired for safety reasons and, sometimes, spare parts are not available for older heaters. If your heater is very old (around 15 to 20 years), it may not be possible or worthwhile to repair it. Regarding old unflued gas heaters, these are only allowed by law in homes if they are supplied by an LPG (liquid petroleum gas) cylinder or tank and if they meet strict installation requirements. These heaters do not meet current emission standards. You should consider replacing these heaters if they are more than 10 years old. By law, an existing flueless LPG space heater must only be replaced by an LPG flueless heater that meets very stringent emission conditions. Gas vs electric vs induction cooktops Gas cooktops work by pressing the burner knob down and turning it. This releases the gas and ignites it with an electric current when you turn the switch. You can also light the burner with a match although this is not recommended. Heat is controlled by turning the knob which increases the flame. The higher the flame; the hotter the temperature. Electric cooktops work by turning on the burner. When we do this, a switch opens and sends an electrical current to the burner. This produces heat, which raises the temperature of the burner. Induction cooktops work by using induction heating to heat your cookware directly. An electric current flows through a copper coil in the cooktop which produces a magnetic field. This produces an electric current in the pot which heats the pot and therefore the food. So what does all this mean? It means that your food is cooked using the heat of the cookware, not the cooktop itself, therefore saving you energy and money. You’ll find there are a lot of choices out there for first time movers, whether you’re choosing a cooktop, need a heater installed or need some electrical repairs. No matter what your new home situation is, our experienced and qualified plumbers guarantee proper inspection, service, repair and installation for all gas heater types. One thing we always recommend is that you choose a licensed tradesperson install your new cooktop or heater or do any gas or electrical repairs around the home. It’s safer, they know what they’re doing and there’s less risk of damage to your brand new appliance, your home or yourself! For professional gas heater service and repairs, contact O’Shea Plumbing on (03) 9888 2887.

Tap Troubles It is a dreaded situation to come upon. You walk into the kitchen or bathroom, turn the tap expecting a rush of water to come out, and nothing happens. No matter how many times you twist or turn the handles, water just does not seem to want to flow. Now What Do You Do? Don’t Panic. Check to see if your water supply has been turned off at the isolation valve. This can often be found alongside your water meter at the front of your property, or as a standalone system for those that reside in apartment complexes. Check With Your Supplier Whether due to a simple mistake, or issues involving payments or construction, often times a loss of water is due to the water company shutting off service. Usually you will be informed of this beforehand, however it is always a good plan to ensure that this isn’t the case before looking elsewhere.  Ask Your Neighbours Checking as to whether or not this issue is isolated to your property will give you a great insight into what might be causing your tap troubles. The best way to go about this is by asking those around you if their water has been affected in a similar way to your own. If so, this means that it is a larger issue, and is not likely to be something that you will be able to take on yourself. If not however, it means that you have at least ruled out a lot of possible problems that could be causing your current predicament. Probable Problems Debris, roots, tree branches and a variety of other natural nuisances often find their way into drains. While this can be a problem by itself, as more things make their way into the pipes, it can lead to cracks and punctures along the waterline. This can cause a wide variety of issues that can lead to a drop in pressure, or a complete lack of water altogether. Debris isn’t the only cause of damaged pipes, as factors like age, shifts in terrain and the materials used in the production of the pipes are all known to influence the fortitude of plumbing systems. Call Us Attempting to deal with punctured pipes yourself can, more often than not, lead to further issues down the line. In the instance that you find signs of a blockage or break, it’s best to call O’Shea Plumbing for professional assistance. O’Shea are the certified specialists in the repair and maintenance of plumbing systems, and are Melbourne’s first choice for plumbing expertise. Contact the team today on 03 9888 2887, and let the experts take care of it.

One of the most common issues in commercial and residential plumbing is when people fail to spot the very clear warning signs. Often, they overlook minor issues and don’t perform routine checks. Simply put, most people often hope plumbing problems will go away by themselves. However, it’s usually easier, faster and cheaper in the long run for experienced plumbers to fix minor issues before they become major disasters. The good news is that with our free hints and tips, home and business owners can easily identify the warning signs themselves. Turn down your hot water heater For those in colder climates, did you know that turning down the temperature 10 degrees on your hot water heater can save you 3 to 4 percent on energy costs? We recommend this especially if you are going on holiday and don’t need to use your hot water. 3-4% is a substantial saving when put into a yearly context, so this is a tip to keep close to your chest. Replace your old bathtub Is your old bathtub leaky, broken or mouldy? Mould can be taken care of, but if leak repairs are costing more than it would to replace the bathtub and shower head, it is certainly time for an update. Avoid the financial mess by replacing your old bathtub, and take care of it well by ventilating the bathroom adequately and regularly. Schedule maintenance checks for toilets and other fixtures Life is easier when you don’t have to call your plumber for last minute emergencies, especially if your toilet is overflowing or a pipe is seriously leaking. To avoid such problems, call in our friendly team of plumbers ahead of time and schedule regular check-ups for all your plumbing fixtures – both inside and outside the house. Hire a professional instead of DIY We know you might want to take matters into your own hands when something needs repair, it’s human nature to do so. However, in most cases, it’s better to save yourself the trouble and call in the professionals for a proper opinion. We have the right tools and experience to resolve the issue and prevent it from happening again. The garbage disposal is not a trash can These days, food wastage is at an all time high. However, this doesn’t mean you can throw anything and everything into the garbage disposal! Avoid throwing poultry bones and skin, fruit or vegetable peels, and cornhusks into the disposal. This will clog up the unit in no time! Of course, not every dripping tap is a disaster waiting to happen. However, many common plumbing problems can be an early indication of something more sinister. Many of the plumbing emergencies that our professionals handle are, in fact, avoidable and preventable. Stick to these 5 proactive tips to help mitigate your plumbing problems this season. For all your plumbing needs, contact O’Shea Plumbing on (03) 9888 2887.  

The spring is currently in full swing and for many homeowners, it is time to get the trusty, old barbecue back into action. There’s nothing quite like a garden cookout with friends and family, so make the most of the fine weather and show off your grilling skills. At O’Shea Plumbing, we think barbies are a great way to enjoy the sun, as long as they’re used in the right way. This is especially important for butane and propane gas barbecues, which can be very dangerous without the proper level of precaution. They’re pretty easy to use and you don’t have to have any special expertise, but you do need to follow the instructions in the manual and avoid taking any unnecessary risks while lighting and cooking. To help you stay safe at your backyard cookouts, we’ve put together this simple guide to using your gas barbecue safely.  Get Outdoor Kitchens Professionally Fitted There are all kinds of different gas barbecue designs. Some are portable and can be moved around on wheels. These are usually powered by disposable gas canisters. Or, there are fully integrated fitted designs that turn the garden into a makeshift ‘outdoor kitchen.’ These are commonly built into a wall or enclosure, where the grill snugly sits. They need to be hooked up to the gas mains by a professional installer. You can check out our gas fitting services for information on how we do this.   Cook in a Well Ventilated Area The best place to set up your barbecue is on a deck or patio, but not too close to the house. Make sure that the ground is flat and the barbecue doesn’t rock or tilt. There should sufficient space for air to circulate around the structure so that gas leaks are dispersed and rendered inert as quickly as possible. Click here for advice on what to do if you suspect that your fitted barbecue has a gas leak.   Light the Barbecue Safely Lighting propane and butane barbecues isn’t a difficult task, but you should stick to the same key steps every time. The first is to check that all of the burners and rings are turned off. Then, open the lid to get air flowing and eliminate any gas vapours that might have built up inside. Open the gas cylinder valve slowly to start the flow. If you’re using disposable gas bottles, don’t forget to open the service valve before you turn on the controls. Finally, start the ignition source and open up the burner controls closest to it. It is very important that you light each, in sequence, and that you end with the burner furthest away. Keep a Close Eye on the Grill Now, the hard part really begins. You’ve got to satisfy a garden full of hungry mouths and make sure that your steaks and burgers are cooked to perfection. You don’t have much to worry about regards safety at this point, as long as you keep a close eye on the barbecue and ensure that children stay at a distance. You can close the lid once the gas has been burning for a short while and the grill has heated up, but remember not to leave it burning unattended. Why Professional Installation is Necessary  Unless you’re a plumber of a gas fitter by trade, it really isn’t safe for you to tamper with the gas mains and try to install a fitted barbecue without professional help. Fortunately, our team of experts aren’t just big barbecue lovers, they are great at installing them too. So, don’t hesitate to get in touch and let us you know what you need to get the summer started in style.   

Case Study    O’SHEA PLUMBING – APPLYING SOUND BUSINESS PRINCIPLES TO ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT Plumbing is a challenging trade: a good plumber needs to understand hydrostatics and hydrodynamics, have all the necessary skills as well as a good dose of common-sense, and be prepared to work in some unpleasant environments. Plumbers who work on existing housing stock also have the additional challenge of working with asbestos. O’Shea Plumbing is a family-owned plumbing company located in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, mainly carrying out work on private homes. The owner and managing director, Lawrie O’Shea, has developed an even more cautious approach to handling asbestos than in the past, prompted by Master Plumbers (Victoria) who alerted plumbing companies to the technical and financial risks of working with asbestos. What have they done? Processes which make ‘best practice’ the easiest practice The company has a number of simple but effective processes to make it easy for the company’s plumbers to act appropriately if asbestos is suspected: all staff have the occupational hygienist’s and the asbestos removal contractor’s phone numbers pre-programmed in their phones disposable masks and overalls are standard issue and easily accessible in all company vehicles the company uses scheduling software to minimise the chances of employees being “too rushed, too busy, too little time between jobs” to follow the company processes for dealing with asbestos the owner is always available to be consulted on ambiguous situations.   A methodical approach O’Shea Plumbing has an extremely logical approach to working with asbestos or in sites which potentially contain asbestos. It is often hidden – for example, under tiles which might need to be cut in order to carry out plumbing work – and cannot be identified until the work begins. They prioritise identification and management in advance, so that other trades don’t lose a day unnecessarily due to the last-minute identification of asbestos, and the client sees that the company is looking after their health. O’Shea Plumbing Asbestos Management Decision Tree Effective financial practices Apart from being personally committed to best practice in asbestos handling, the owner says it’s the only possible strategic financial decision: “it’s a business-based decision as well as a compliance-based decision”, due to the potential financial liability (not covered by insurance) if a client or staff member fell ill even years later. One risk to companies that undertake best-practice is that they could be underquoted by less careful or less scrupulous companies. O’Shea Plumbing gets around this problem by ensuring that asbestos testing or removal/disposal is always separately identified on any quote, so that a client can differentiate between the plumbing cost and the asbestos-related cost: when quoting, staff bring up the asbestos issue very early with clients – and ensure that the client is well-briefed before work starts. To ensure that best practice is followed, the company has designed a quoting template that makes it easy to separately identify the cost of asbestos-related work; staff have a series of standard clauses for quotations relating to asbestos risk pre-filled in on their iPads. The careful approach (and the separate invoicing) has paid off well for O’Shea Plumbing: their clients are delighted to see they care about this issue and are doing everything they can to protect their clients’ health, and their staff and other trades know that they can be sure they’re working on a site that is completely free of asbestos.   Part of a broader message The company has made the ‘asbestos message’ as part of a broader ‘safety message’: it’s not justified to take risks with asbestos, just as it’s not necessary to crawl under low floors and risk damage to your back. This broad safety message is continually emphasised during their regular weekly team meetings.   Challenges Many tradies are young, and the young are invincible. It’s necessary to keep emphasising the dangers of asbestos: some younger plumbers can still have too much of the “I’ve got to die of something, so why worry” mentality. There are still relatively low levels of community awareness of the potential risks of asbestos – the message keeps needing to be given.   Key messages about how to make it work O’Shea Plumbing’s practices have demonstrated how even a relatively small company can achieve best practice. The key to its success is: making ‘best practice’ the easiest practice having a standard, methodical, company-wide approach to working with asbestos, which incorporates the ‘asbestos message’ as part of a broader ‘safety message’ developing business practices that ensure that a best-practice company is not financially disadvantaged.

Hot water systems rarely just completely stop working. In the weeks and months leading up to a complete system failure, there are usually a few signs that the hot water tank or hot water system is about to stop working.   Knowing the signs that your hot water system is about to fail could prevent you from waking up in the morning to no hot water in the house. In an effort to avoid a situation like that which would require the help of an emergency plumber in Melbourne, we have created a list of signs that could indicate a hot water system is about to stop working. The Colour of the Water Water coming out of the tap should be crystal clear. It should not appear brown, murky, or cloudy. If you turn on your hot water and see water that is unclear or discoloured, it could be because you need to schedule a hot water system maintenance appointment with a local plumber and quickly. A local Melbourne plumber will be able to determine if the discoloured water is caused by your hot water system or some other type of problem, such as rusty pipes or sewer problems. If your hot water system is to blame, the plumber will conduct a brief hot water maintenance check and get the system running properly. The Temperature of the Water Occasionally, you will need to change the thermostat on your hot water system. This will help you heat up or cool down the water. Unfortunately, if you notice you need to do this on a regular basis or if your water is not heating up to the temperature you want, it could be a sign the system is about to go. If you try to use hot water and nothing comes out, it could be because the heating element on the hot water system has broken. In most cases, replacing the heating element will fix this problem, but not always. In some situations even replacing the heating element will not fix it, which means the entire hot water tank will need to be replaced. A gas heater service from O’Shea Plumbing will give you a good indication of the health of your water heater. Lots of Noise Coming from the Hot Water System Hot water tanks are supposed to be silent. They should not be making any banging or rattling sounds. Noises coming from the hot water system could be due to dirt and debris build up within the system or because of a broken heating element. Most of these problems with a hot water system can easily be avoided or prevented by scheduling a hot water maintenance check with a local Melbourne plumber. O’Shea Plumbing has the experience and knowledge needed to conduct these types of hot water maintenance checks. Keep your hot water system running properly and Schedule a hot water maintenance check with a non-emergency plumber today!  

While comparison price shopping for a plumber in Melbourne, you will notice that there is a difference in how the plumbers price out their jobs. Some plumbers provide services for a fixed rate, while others structure their pay on an hourly scale. The question that arises with this type of different payment systems is ‘which is better’. We will explore the differences between the two types of plumbers and help you determine which one is the best when you need help with a plumbing problem in the Melbourne area. Fixed Price Plumber The Hourly Rate Plumber Hourly rate plumbers will come to your home and perform whatever plumbing service you need at an hourly rate. The overall price for the specific job, which is billed at a rate that is predetermined before the plumber arrives, will vary depending upon how long the plumber spends on a particular task. For example, an hourly rate plumber will charge you for 2.5 hours of his time for fixing a blocked drain, as opposed to just charging a flat rate. The Fixed Rate Plumber The fixed rate plumber is the direct opposite of the hourly rate plumber. Instead of determining your final bill based on the amount of hours it took to perform a project, your bill is determined by the services the plumber performed. For example, if a plumber comes in and fixes your blocked drains in the kitchen, this is done for a predetermined flat rate. You, the client, will pay the same price regardless of if it takes the plumber 30 minutes or 4 hours. The only time the rate will vary with a fixed rate plumber is if something extra needs to be done. Sometimes a plumber may believe all that needs to be fixed is a blocked drain, but once he starts the work, he notices that the pipes need to be replaced. The price will increase if the pipe needs to be replaced, but this is only done with the permission of the client. O’Shea Plumbing only operates on a fixed price basis. We understand that nobody likes unpleasant surprises, especially in the wallet, which is why our core values of convenience, honesty and accountability are underlined by our fixed price guarantee. If you are not happy with our work, we’ll fix it for free. When Determining whom to Use Do You Use a Fixed Rate or an Hourly Plumber? The choice is ultimately up to you, but most individuals prefer to go with a fixed rate plumber. This is because they know exactly what they will be paying and not experience any surprises along the way. All additional charges are discussed and the client can prepare. Using a fixed rate plumber also allows you to comparison shop for prices. It is easier to compare fixed rates than it is to compare hourly rates. This is because you will know exactly what price you are paying, as opposed to having to guess how long a project will take to complete. Homeowners in the Melbourne area who are looking for a fixed rate plumber can trust the professionals at O’Shea Plumbing. We provide quality non-emergency and emergency plumbing services at fixed rates to all our customers. Call us today to schedule an appointment!

Water pressure is defined as the force that pushes water through the pipes. At the end of the day, it’s the same pressure that will determine the flow from your taps. If the pressure is low, the speed at which water flows from the taps reduces so it takes longer to fill a kettle. If the pressure is high, the speed of flow increases. Problems Leading High Water Pressure Causes of Variations In Water Pressure In the Home The amount of pressure at your tap basically depends on two things; how much other customers on the same line are using and the other is how high the tower or the service reservoir is. You will agree that when everyone in the neighborhood has their taps turned on then the pressure on each tap will significantly reduce because you’re sharing the same reservoir and the same delivery lines. That’s why pressure is normally higher late in the night when other people are sleeping and therefore their taps are closed. The early morning is usually marked with very low pressure because everyone is using it in one way or another. The height of your house may also affect the pressure – for example, properties at the top of a raised area (such as a hill)will may experience lower pressures compared to properties at the foot of the hill. High Water Pressure In the Home High water pressure is when water in your pipes is flowing at an abnormally high speed. The municipal water supply pressure for example sometimes runs quite high; in some cases even as high as 150-psi. This is dangerous and must be reported to the relevant authorities (in this case the municipal offices) as soon as possible. According to most national and local building codes, the maximum static pressure should not exceed 80psi which is equivalent to 5.5-bar. Was the high pressure offset by a past maintenance work? If you’ve had supply interruption in the recent past, particularly for maintenance reasons, there is a possibility that the high pressure could be caused by air trapped in your pipes. It may help to run your taps for several minutes as release the trapped air. Was the water supply network re-configured? Pressure changes can also be caused by a reconfiguration of the supply network. Re-configuration simply means moving the water around to places where it is needed and sometimes comes with a change in supply routes. This should be a temporary problem; all you have to do is call your supplier. Could it be that you’ve not adjusted to life in your new home? If you’ve just moved homes, it is possible that you’ve not adjusted to the pressure levels in the new home. Turn the internal stop tap down slowly as you check the pressure until you arrive at a level that you’re comfortable with. Is the pressure reducing valve set too high? One of the simplest ways of fixing high water pressure is to install a pressure reducing valve. The valve helps to bring the pressure to safe levels before it reaches pipes and other plumbing fixtures in your house. However, setting the pressure reducing valve can also cause high pressures in the home. For this reason, it is advisable to hire a professional plumber to fix the valve. Summary If the high pressure problem is persistent, don’t hesitate to call your supply company.

Potable, clean water is a necessity everywhere, and modern civilization is no exception. Residences and commercial buildings all need safe drinking water and that is not contaminated with sewage or other toxins for cleaning processes. Plumbers in Melbourne, such as experts in O’Shea Plumbing, know that there are several techniques and processes to prevent backflow, the term for flushing unclean water into the home or business supply. Backflow Prevention Services Prevention of Contamination The device required depends on the hazard level the facility is classified in the Hazard Code provided by the Melbourne governing body. The hazard level is determined by the industry itself and the property usage at the subject facility. As an example only, a ‘moderate hazard’ can require the installation of a Double Check Valve Assembly device, while a ‘severe hazard’ requires a Reduce Pressure Principle device. Since no discernible warning appears of a check valve failures the DCVA mentioned previously must be tested yearly or more often to guarantee proper operation. To prevent such contamination due to backflow the Melbourne health regulatory department requires an air gap or installation of a mechanical backflow assembly for prevention between the delivery point of water and the home or business storage unit or facility. Wherever submerged water main inflow is allowed by regulations, installation of a backflow prevention assembly is required. This prevention assembly protects the potable or safe lines from toxic contamination. Check valves are a common form of backflow prevention and have been in use many years; however more complex systems may be needed in a particular geographical area. Specialized backflow preventing valves can often be installed at important locations in the plumbing system wherever there is a risk chance of contamination of the pipes. Constant Contaminating Industries Some industrial equipment creates its own back pressure. Back pressure forces contaminants to flow into potable piping. Sources of back pressure may be: water distribution pumping system boilers heat exchanging machinery or power washing In this scenario a dangerous and constant risk of nullifying static existence of water pressure may occur in the pipes and causing a disastrous backflow. To reduce the risk of contamination, a backflow preventer should be installed by qualified plumbers in Melbourne. A backflow preventer is definitely needed when possibly toxins are used in industries such as descaling commercial boilers or when bleaches are used in residential power washing. Legal Requirements for Prevention In many countries around the globe the approved backflow prevention assemblies are required by enforceable law regulations. Plumbers in Melbourne are experienced in accordance with plumbing codes for that town, county or province or face enforcement penalties. The usual backflow assembly has test cocks and valves for shut-off and must be tested at time of installation or if relocated or repaired, and also on a scheduled systematic basis. Security cages protect these systems from theft or vandals. Expert plumbers in Melbourne are well aware that local governments require yearly testing of the individual water supply for each facility and any violations are met with penalties. The real penalty for having unclean water is definitely in the sickness and diseases that abound where it is not guaranteed clean and potable for use. The very idea of backflow of sewage and toxic materials into a drinking water supply should convince the populace of the importance of installing backflow prevention assemblies to protect home, business and anywhere piped. Lawry, Noelle and Greg at O’Shea Plumbing are waiting for a call to examine your individual needs and provide free estimate for any requirements.

Electricity is arguably the biggest source of power in the home. However, gas is becoming an increasingly popular choice when energizing common indoor and outdoor appliances. Gas is efficient, reliable, environmentally friendly, and above all very pocket friendly. Indeed, natural gas is considered the cleanest natural fuel emitting 45% less carbon than coal and at least 27% less carbon than oil. Gas is also said to be much cheaper than electricity; according to the U.S. Department of Energy, natural gas is 68% cheaper than electricity per British thermal unit (Btu). Gas Safety Plumbing In Melbourne Of course the initial costs for gas are higher compared to electricity for example, but in the long run the former has proved to be the more cost-effective of the two options. Safety tips for gas plumbing As already mentioned, gas plumbing is a little more demanding compared to electricity installation. And when compared to other plumbing projects such as installation of the water system, gas plumbing is also far more complicated. Gas is inflammable so it must be handled with great care. Even the pipes used must be of the highest quality possible. Listed below are safety tips for gas plumbing. Protect your eyes Gas is very poisonous so it’s advisable to protect your eyes when working. Always wear safety glasses even when you’re just checking the pressure. The risk of small objects falling into your eyes increases when you have to look up in order to attend to the pipes. Apart from that, gas under pressure or flying objects can easily enter your eyes if you don’t have protective glasses on. Be informed Before you start on the project, revisit the building and plumbing codes of the locality to inform yourself on practices that are acceptable and what is not acceptable. See what the laws allow and what is not allowed and ensure to get a permit for practices that require so. It may also help to inform yourself about projects that you can do on your own and those that can only be done by professionals. Protecting your lungs One way of protecting your lungs is to wear a face mask which protects you from inhaling harmful gases. A disposable gas should be used when the project involves sanding and sawing. Protecting your hands Your hands will be coming into contact with different materials and chemicals so it’s important to protect them as well. Wearing gloves should help. Read labels carefully Carefully check all the chemicals and materials you’ll be using, read labels carefully, and follow instructions to the letter. If there are any recommendations, ensure to follow them as well. Be cautious Gas is very dangerous so even the greatest experts need to be cautious with it. You should also be cautions with power tools; if and when you’re required to have two hands on a power tool, ensure to do just that. Be extra careful with soldiering and heating pipes particularly in walls and insulated areas. Never ignore the smell of gas If you smell gas, or suspect that there is a gas leak, stop whatever you’re doing immediately. If you can turn off the gas, do so right away then call the gas company. Never try to establish the cause of the leak on your own. Summary Following these tips doesn’t guarantee complete safety but at least you’ll be doing all you can to protect yourself and the home.

If your pipes are leaking, the next thing is that you won’t have enough water from your taps. It makes everything difficult because you can’t fill your tub as quickly as necessary and even washing can’t be completed in time. Moreover, leaks are very costly. The bill continues to swell even for water that you never used. Surely, everyone would want to bring to an end such problems. Top Household Leak to Save Water From Listed below are 5 of the most common household leaks complete with tips on how to prevent or correct them. 1. Washing Machine Leaks Most people prefer to place the washing machine either on the main floor or close to the living room which is very risky because these are areas where valuable furnishings and most other electronic equipments also reside. Moreover, few laundry rooms have drainage systems that could cause a leak. Consider replacing plastic and rubber hoses with steel braided ones; tighten hose connections whenever you feel that they’re too loose; turn off the supply to your washing machine whenever you leave the house; and if possible replace screw-type valves with dual-ball valves. 2. Water Heater Leaks Water heater leaks, just like washing machine leaks, are very common. The risk becomes even higher if the heater resides on the main floor instead of the basement. Beware that heaters also have a life span – typically about ten years – after which they begin to rust, corrode and eventually leak. To stay safe, consider purchasing a heater with an extended warranty – up to 15 years; occasionally hire a professional to check the system; and flush the hot water tank periodically especially if you use hard water. 3. Plumbing System Leaks Frozen pipes that eventually burst and high water pressure are the two main causes of plumbing leaks. Burst pipes are particularly very costly with repairs often costing in excess of $8,000. The most important thing is to watch out for signs of freezing. Look out for water spots on floors and ceilings; watch out for abnormal bills; and be keen when turning off the faucets – a “banging” sound may signal a breakage. It also helps to check on the pressure and insulating pipes that are prone to freezing. 4. Leaks In Sinks, Bathtubs, and Showers Overflows, clogs, broken plumbing, and faulty pipes are the main sources of leaks in sinks, bathtubs, and showers. To stay safe, regularly inspect you drainage systems and replace deteriorated grout and caulk around sinks, bathtubs, and showers. Look out for soft areas around floors, walls, and bathroom and kitchen plumbing. Finally, fix leaking faucets quickly and call a Melbourne professional plumber for problems that you feel are beyond your capacity. 5. Leaking Roofs, Windows, and Sidings Old roofs, broken windows, and insufficient siding may also cause leaking in the home. When it rains, the rain from outside will easily find way into your house causing several problems. Start by clearing the roof and gutters of branches, leaves, and other debris. The gutters should be cleaned at least twice every year. An inspection of the roof once a year is also recommended. For the windows and doors, repair any damaged caulk and repaint their frames accordingly. Summary There are several other sources of leaks in the home that are not covered here. You are free to find out more about them as it helps you to stay alert and avoid costly repairs necessitated by preventable leaks.

In Melbourne we all like to try doing our plumbing ourselves even if just occasionally. We know that there are a few things that we can accomplish without calling the professional plumber and by doing so often save a few dollars. Because plumbing can be complicated, we have discusses 5 best DIY tips for 2014. Plumbing Tips 1. Stop bathroom clogging The bathroom is one place that must remain clean always. First you need to clean your bathroom regularly and using high quality detergent. Your plumber should help you identify the best picks for your case. Bathrooms and tubs drainages are sometimes clogged with hair so you also need to put in place measures to eliminate this problem. For example, you can install strainers in the shower and tub. Remember to clean the strainers regularly as well. Another great tip is to upgrade your faucets to the washer-less variety. These types of washers are far easier to maintain and guarantee higher performance. 2. Toilet maintenance Start by cleaning your toilets regularly. Again there are is a wide variety of toilet cleaning detergents so you may need the advice of your plumber when shopping for them. Never flush Kleenex in the toilet. Unlike toilet paper, Kleenex doesn’t disintegrate quickly which may cause clogging. Maintain the toilet tanks and consider replacing the flapper or ball once a year to prevent water wastage. Actually, if you can upgrade to modern tank fill systems, the better. In the unfortunate event that a hard object such as a toothbrush falls into the toilet, don’t use the plunger; instead, get your wet/dry shop vacuum to suck out the water and the object. 3. Caring for your pipes Frozen pipes are very dangerous. Apart from the fact that you’ll not get enough water from your taps, if left unchecked for an extended period of time, these pipes can burst resulting in even bigger problems. Disconnect outside hose pipes and ensure that outside faucets aren’t leaking or dripping. 4. Ensure that the water heater is in perfect working condition You can test the water heaters relief valve by lifting up the liver and allowing it to snap back. If the valve doesn’t allow hot water into the drainpipe, call a professional. In the cold weather when the heater works even harder, consider flushing it and removing sediments. 5. Care for sinks Don’t pour grease on the kitchen sink – it is a major cause of blockages. When unblocking the sinks, use cup-style plunger – they are mostly dark red in color, somewhat flat with a wide rim. The plungers come in different sizes so you should be able to pick the right one. Summary Remember that in plumbing, prevention is always better than repair. So instead of waiting until your pipes are corroded and the shower head is falling, try identify these problems early and attend to them appropriately. Corrosion for example starts slowly and may go unnoticed for a long time. Meanwhile, the particles falling off the inner linings of your pipes will get into and contaminate the water you drink often resulting in a range of health problems. Unless you’re very keen, by the time you’re repairing or replacing the pipes you may have already visited your doctor complaining about strange stomach problems.

Homeowners go to many lengths to keep the cost of their monthly water bill low. This can be such common measures as reducing personal usage or installing efficient appliances. Plumbing Issues Causing High Water Bills One of the most common causes of high water bills that plumbers in Melbourne see is a leak that has developed somewhere in the plumbing. This can be a leak the home owner can see quite obviously such as a dripping faucet. This may be as simple a fix as a seal replacement. It can also be a pipe leak that isn’t as apparent such as a slow leak behind cabinets or outdoors. In this case it is important to look for signs of a leak. Water spots, staining or standing water can all indicate a leak has developed and may be the cause of an increased bill. It is important to try and catch these types of leaks early as they can and will only progress to more serious leaks. Worse problems from an unfixed leak may develop as well and will contribute to an increasing bill as well as a more expensive plumbing visit. One way to avoid this is to have all taps in the house serviced every two years at the very least. This can include cleaning, lubricating and replacing various parts of the tap. Homeowners may feel uncomfortable doing this and opt instead to contact our plumber. Running toilets are another possible place to look for this issue. in most cases it is a simple fix like reattaching the lift chain or closing the flush valve. If these kinds of fixes aren’t helping then a leak might be the culprit and a call to the plumber may be in order. Other appliances to check are washing machines and dishwashers for potential leaks. If there are no leaks and you are experiencing consistently high or rising bills, water pressure could be the problem. Most plumbers in Melbourne would recommend that the homeowner install a controlled pressure system. Besides the advantage of helping conserve water and thereby reducing monthly bills this system can help dishwasher and washing machine hoses last longer. It can also minimize the potential for water hammer to occur. Water hammer is the banging noise that can happen when the tap is turned on. Left unchecked water hammer could result in a burst pipe costing you lots of money for a plumbing emergency call. There are many more advantages to investing in this system which does eventually pay for itself making it a worthwhile purchase. Having several older appliances in the house might be costing lots of money and be the cause of high bills. Water saving appliances like washing machines and dishwashers can help with this. Other options include efficient shower heads. Over the course of a year a water saving shower head could save over 14, 000 litres. Old toilets are horrible consumers. An old toilet in the house could use around 12 litres every time it is flushed. A efficient toilet uses about four litres every time it is flushed. With just five flushes that is a savings of 40 litres and that is an approximate amount for one day and one person. If you are looking for plumbers in Melbourne to help you save money on your monthly bill or diagnose a leak, our family owned company would love to come to your house and help you and also talk to you about some options that might fit your home.

Regardless of the type of water heating systems that you own, it is important to have it inspected and cleaned by an expert at least twice a year. Since this is a machine like any other, its parts are bound to malfunction if they are not taken care of. Regular maintenance checks and repairs will ensure that the unit keeps running for many years to come and operates with the fewest issues possible. Maintaining Hot Water System Much as many people might think that having the hot water system cleaned on a yearly basis might be costly, it will actually save you lots of money in the long run. A dirty boiler causes power consumption to go up thereby increasing your monthly power bills significantly. Additionally, when one gets an expert to check on their heating system on a regular basis, it is possible to find small repairs that ought to be done before they can transform into large problems that might seriously compromise the operations of the entire system. Why is the need for hot water system maintenance vital? The need for hot water services is of great essence in the modern day. These systems require some bit of maintenance like venting radiators and drainage of the boiler just to make sure that everything is working as desired. In order to properly maintain your hot water system in Melbourne and other parts of Australia, it is vital to lubricate the motor of your system’s circulating pump regularly. In maintaining this system, you will be able to get the best out if its use in the long run. How to go about this maintenance process There are many options, which you can go for whenever you want to properly maintain your hot water heating system. Here are directions that will help you. First of all, you need to open all valves and radiators and any convectors in order to let air out. Excess air in these passages might be the reason why it is not working as desired. Secondly, you can close the valve. Just make sure you drain the boiler so as to get rid of mineral deposits and rust. The manual from the product manufacturer will help you to understand how to do this. Thirdly, turn off the water and power. Instead of using old cast-iron radiators, modern units have free-standing or rather baseboard convectors. These ones are less bulky, more efficient and even look nicer than the previous types. Fourth, to drain any unwanted mineral deposits and water, stick one end of the garden-hose into the boiler drain cock. Fifth, you can open the vent valves on the radiator that is located on the topmost floor of your house. This allows water to flow back into the system and do so in an effective manner. Six, turn on the supply and then flush through the system. This helps to clean out any sort of debris from the system and the pipes. Last but not least, when the supply stops, you can close the drain cock and the vents. At this end, the hot water system is clean and good to use again. If you have a hot water system in Melbourne, it is important to have it inspected on a regular basis in order to make sure it is working as desired. The experts at O’shea Plumbing will most definitely offer you the high quality services that you desire. We have the skills and competence to do a good job in this regard.

Blocked drains is a frustrating, time consuming and even expensive experience. If the block cannot be fixed or removed by the owner, a plumber must be called. The result is the inability to use the drain, possible emergency costs for a plumber and lost time waiting for a plumber to come and the fix completed. There are some common causes of blocked drains which means there are some ways these kinds of blockages can be avoided. Causes For Blocked Drains Some of the most common causes of blocked drains include Trees and Leaves Grease and Fat Hair Foreign objects Usually the cause is a mixture of a couple of these. There are a few ways to help prevent blocked drains but regular maintenance of pipes is very important. If you are attempting to clear the blockage yourself, it is important not to make these mistakes when unblocking a drain. If one of the pipes is cracked, broken, rusted etc. it will need to be replaced. If the fittings between pipes are loose or damaged they will need to be tightened or replaced. These fixes can help prevent blockages from occurring and foreign materials working into the pipes and clogging them. Materials in cracked or loose pipes is particularly an issue for outdoor drains where soil and other materials surround the pipe in the ground. Outdoors it is important to note where pipes run in the ground and make sure to keep trees clear of them. It is also important if there is a place outside where the drain is open at the ground to have a grate on top to keep debris out and also clean off debris regularly. Don’t put grease and fat from cooking down drains even if it isn’t solidified. Liquid fat and grease can solidify inside the pipes eventually building up and causing problems. These items may also collect other objects such as hair and plug pipes. Make sure not to brush hair over sinks where it can get washed into pipes. Hair can also be washed down tub drains, so it is important to have a strainer cover of some kind to prevent a majority of hair getting into pipes. Blocked drains may also be caused by foreign objects such as: Excessive toilet paper Feminine sanitary products Child toys The pathway for most of these items begins with the toilet. It is helpful to close the lid on the toilet to prevent objects from accidentally falling into it. Remember not to flush items down the toilet that do not break down or are very large and may block pipes. Be cognizant of toilet paper usage as large amounts can immediately cause blocked drains or may block drains further down the pipes as the diameter decreases or in bends of the plumbing. It is a good idea to find an experienced and reliable plumber that can be used regularly and can become familiar with the plumbing in your house. That way when there is a maintenance issue with the pipes we will already have some idea where to look so the repair time is shorter. It also means pipes are less likely to have the damages long enough to create a blockage because the repairs are being made early. If you have a blockage or have a pipe that needs to be repaired, contact us for an experienced plumber in the Melbourne area. We are available seven days a week and have super fast response times for emergencies such as blocked drains. Servicing both commercial and residential places. We want to help keep your drains running smoothly.

In a world where more people are rolling up their sleeves and doing their own home repairs, there are more frequent and higher chances of accidents and the costs of plumbing repairs for the homeowner after a do it yourself job has been botched, are through the roof. That is why the professional plumbers in Melbourne Australia are urging their local homeowners to call for an emergency plumbing service instead of trying to repair the plumbing issues themselves. Far too often emergencies happen from homeowners trying to fix things on their own and either they, or a small child that lives in the home, is seriously burned or scalded from hot water, in a shower or bath because there is not a thermostatic mixing valve or tempering valve fitted to control the temperature of the hot water. Prevent Expensive Repairs When this happens, burns are the result in every case. No one wants to be burnt and the plumbers in Melbourne Australia are included in the number of people who don’t want to see others get burnt. That’s why knowing what valves need to be fitted and taking the necessary precautions, are things that the average homeowner has no knowledge in. What many people don’t know, but plumbers do, is that the hot water heater installed in the average home is set to a temperature that is high enough to kill off any bacteria. By turning down the temperature of the hot water unit can result in legionella breeding in the hot water unit. This is why the temperature needs to be set hotter in the hot water unit and then broken down by valves before it goes to the bathroom. When a pipe bursts in an area such as the kitchen or bathroom, shutting off the main water switch located either in the basement or outside of the home, is the best way to stop the water from pooling everywhere, and it ensures that the homeowner is kept safe from possible water burns or flooding from a hot water pipe causing plumbing issues. Afterwards, instead of the members of the house rolling up the sleeves and trying to repair the plumbing themselves, a professional plumber needs to be contacted, especially in an emergency case. Plumbers in Melbourne are not the only ones that have emergency services available, there are emergency plumbers located all over Australia. Calling a professional plumber ensures that not only is the job completed correctly, but also that the homeowner is not paying a lot of money for the repairs. The first thing every homeowner thinks when there is a plumbing issue is “Oh, I’ll just go down to the local hardware store, pick up some pipes, and fix it myself. Easy.” The truth is, a repair of the plumbing is far from a simple pipe replacement. There has to be an inspection of all the pipes along the line to see if there are any other weak spots that could lead to another water bursting later on. The pipes have to be fitted, which means that a plumber will have the correct sized pipes with them for nearly all piping needs and can ensure that the pipes fit properly. The work is always guaranteed so that if something happens the next repair is free. Plumbers in Melbourne Australia wants everyone to know that hiring a professional plumber is the safest, and best way to repair any plumbing issue within the home. A repair by professionals keeps the household safe from accidental burning and scalding as well as ensures your plumbing is correct.