‘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 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!

‘Mackinley’ and his brother live in a neat little unit, hidden away from the main roads in Bentleigh, VIC. They had been living with no hot water since December since they figured that the temperature is hot enough to make a cold shower feel refreshing. It was late April when they finally got around to calling a plumber.   They did a bit of a Google search, looking for a company with good reviews. We were delighted that they found our friendly team at O’Shea Plumbing. We are based in Mt Waverley, VIC, but service all of Melbourne.     ‘Andrew’ (our O’Shea Plumbing team member) arrived the day after Mackinley’s initial phone call and providing him and his brother with some viable options. This included the choice of servicing or opting for a few brand new unit.   As the unit was well over 20 years old, Andrew advised them that there would never be any guarantee that it could be fixed properly. Also, its longevity would be limited (resulting in a waste of time and money). Mackinley agreed that servicing was probably not the best option and he and his brother explored the options in replacing the hot water unit, with Andrew’s advice.     Andrew put together a quote for four different hot water units, noting the pros and cons of each product. Mackinley and his brother engaged in a decision-making process for the next week or so. After making their selection, they called our main office and paid a deposit.   Andrew ordered the unit from the ‘Plumbers Supplies Coop’ in Mitcham VIC. Once the hot water unit arrived, Andrew arranged to visit the client’s home and started the installation. He followed the correct procedures on-site, ensuring that their gas supply and pipes were in good working order and that burner pressure was appropriate for the model of hot water unit in question.   Mackinley and his brother were very excited to once again have access to hot showers. They were very grateful for the advice and service that the O’Shea Plumbing team delivered.

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!

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’.

In December of 2018, ‘Lesley’ of St Kilda East VIC called our Mount Waverley Vic office and spoke to our owner (Lawrie O’Shea). Lesley had been experiencing issues with her stormwater drain. Most would recall the intense storms that blew in through the area during the latter months of last year. An influx of water had entered Lesley’s garage due to these heavy downpours.   Our Service Manager ‘Jarett’ attended Lesley’s property the very next day after her call – in order to discuss the job with her. Using our drain camera, we discovered that the stormwater drains were clear. So, we didn’t need to use our drain clearing equipment. A new drainage system was designed to help combat the flooding.   After the initial investigations, Lesley called the office to inform us that she wanted to proceed with the job. This progressed at the start of 2019. Our plumber ‘Richard’ and apprentice ‘Hamish’ were responsible for completion of works. With all ‘done and dusted’ (in the practical sense), they performed a final inspection with the drain camera to prove that everything was in good order.   The materials for the job were ordered from ‘The Plumbers Supply Co-Op’ in Cheltenham VIC.   Lesley was so happy with the service from our team at O’Shea Plumbing works that she left a 5-star review of our company on the website ‘Product Review’.

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.

You can trust the team at O’Shea Plumbing. As this case study goes to show, we offer reliable service on a repeat basis. When our new customer ‘Steve’ first called our office here at O’Shea Plumbing (in Mount Waverley, VIC) he had a problem with a very loud and annoying noise coming from both his cisterns. This was back in 2018.   Our trusty plumber  ‘Andrew’ visited Steve’s home to identify the issue. The cisterns were found to be very old and worn. Andrew suggested that Steve install  new ‘Caroma Slimline’ cisterns as a replacement for the old units. This would be sure to eliminate the noise problem entirely.. Being proactive, Andrew made sure that he ‘got the ball moving’ as soon as possible.   As Andrew could only carry one cistern on board his truck at a time. However, thanks to Andrew’s forward-thinking things fell into place smoothly.He sourced an extra cistern from ‘Reece’ in Burwood VIC. Steve and his family were soon able to have two new cisterns installed in their property. Happily, they were able to go about their lives as usual, without the horrendous noise of an old cistern waking them up at all hours. Steve was so happy with our quality of service here at O’Shea Plumbing that he left a five-star review on Google!   Also, he was so confident in relying on us to solve his plumbing problems that Steve became a very loyal and valued repeat customer. He called us again back in 2019 in order to request that Andrew come back to assess his ‘Aquamax’ hot water unit. Steve had noticed leaks that had been occurring for a couple of days.   Andrew arrived back on site and investigated the unit. He identified fairly quickly that the system was close to 30 years old and that the ‘PTR valve’ had failed and was stuck open. This is the reason why the unit was draining hot water non-stop. Andrew asked some very important questions and found out that the temperature of the water that was being delivered to the house was getting hotter and hotter.   Andrew gave options to replace the ‘PTR valve’ and also to service the complete hot water unit. Plus, he gave options on sourcing a new one entirely. Steve and his wife were looking to rent out their property so they decided to opt for replacing the system completely (they did not want to potentially deal with the stress of having it fail on their new tenants).   Andrew called the ‘Plumbers Co-op’ (in Mitcham, VIC) who delivered a new unit onsite in a very timely fashion. Andrew followed the correct procedures in installing and testing, as well as making the pipes look more professional than the previous hot water unit. We are happy to say that O’Shea Plumbing ‘did it again’. Within a few hours of Andrew arriving to assess the initial problem, Steve’s property was equipped with a brand new ‘Vulcan’ Freeloader’ hot water unit and everyone was happy!

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!

This next case study involves one of our loyal clients by the name of ‘Dorothy’. Dorothy hails from Malvern, VIC. When she has a plumbing issue she is sure to always reach out to our team at O’Shea Plumbing. Recently she called our office in Mt Waverley, Vic and spoke with ‘Lawrie’ (our friendly owner/operator).   Dorothy was needing assistance with a water leakage on her property, as it was flowing across the footpath. After ‘Yarra Valley Water’ in Mitcham, VIC visited on site, it was confirmed that the leak was, in fact, arising from the pipes inside in her property. Both Lawrie and ‘Sam’ (one of our apprentices) visited Dorothy at her property.   Further investigations by our team (using pipe and leak detection equipment) proved that there was a leak on an old galvanised iron pipe (that lead to a garden tap near the front gate). The pipe was found to be in the extremely poor condition and it was disconnected. Quotes were prepared, submitted and accepted by Dorothy for the replacement of the pipe in heavy duty copper. All of the material was sourced from (and delivered by) the ‘Reece’ store in Burwood, VIC.   To start the work, a trench was dug through the garden and across the lawn. Due care was taken to avoid cutting any large tree roots, thereby eliminating any potential damage to any nearby root systems and the large tree in the garden. The lawn was taken out in sections and placed aside (so it could be replaced neatly in position upon completion of works). The pipeline was thoroughly flushed to prevent any debris from damaging any fixtures on or in the property, such as taps, toilets etc.   The entire area was left clean and tidy. Of course, we provided a Certificate of Compliance to Dorothy to ratify our plumbing work. We are pleased to say that Dorothy was (once again) very satisfied with our services at O’Shea Plumbing. She emailed us to say “thank you very much for doing the work so promptly, much appreciated”. That’s exactly the kind of feedback we love to here at the O’Shea office!

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!

Sometimes the crew at O’Shea plumbing can achieve results in next to no time at all. Here we have a case study that is short and snappy, but no less successful. It involves ‘Beverley’ who is one of our valued longtime clients (who exclusively use O’Shea Plumbing for all her plumbing needs).   Beverley is an elderly woman who resides by herself in Port Melbourne, VIC. Given her somewhat vulnerable personal circumstances, it really means a lot that she consistently puts her trust in our team. She knows we will treat her and her home with the utmost respect and care.   Beverley had a small leak in the plumbing near her kitchen cupboard. Our handy plumber ‘Andrew’ was quick to identify the issue and to effectively fix the problem within a few minutes. In little more than the time it takes to bat an eyelid, Beverley had her water running and was back to watering her garden. You can be sure that any water-supply related grievances are promptly put to bed here at O’Shea Plumbing.   Even on the second day of the New Year, we are on hand to deliver services to anyone based in the city of Melbourne and the greater Melbourne region. That’s come rain, hail or shine! We are available 7 days a week, including all public holidays. And no, we don’t shut down over the Christmas/New Years break (like a lot of other companies do). That’s the O’Shea Plumbing difference!

In this next case study, ‘Liz’ from Mitcham, VIC was having a cup of tea with her neighbour ‘Barbara’, when she told her that she was looking for a plumber to install a new toilet suite. Barbara recommended that Liz call ‘Lawrie’ (our owner at O’Shea Plumbing) at our office (based in Mount Waverley, VIC).   Luckily for us, positive word-of-mouth is so powerful and the value of a stellar reputation equals repeat business. Liz did indeed go ahead in speaking with Lawrie, explaining that she planned to have family stay over for Christmas and really would like her toilet fixed.   With only one working day left before Christmas, it was important to act quickly. So, ‘Andrew’ (one of our trusty plumbers) was promptly dispatched to Liz’s home to get the ball rolling.   After measuring the set out of the inlet pipes, outlet pipes and similar (and following discussions with Liz as to the brand and model of toilet she wanted), several phone calls were made to plumbing suppliers in the local area (along with ‘The Plumbing Supplies Coop’ in Mitcham, VIC).   The imperative was to check if they had the ‘Caroma Luna’ back-to-wall toilet suite (as desired by Liz). Unfortunately, due to the time constraints of the season, it was impossible to get this particular item at such short notice.   The outcome was that Liz decided that she would order the new toilet suite herself, and get O’Shea Plumbing back to install it first thing after Christmas. Of course, we are more than happy to be of assistance as Liz’s preferred local plumbing provider, now and into the future!

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!

In this next case study, we have the story of when ‘Richard’ (our plumber here at O’Shea Plumbing) visited a residence in Brighton, Vic to attend to a blocked sewer drain. He met with ‘Astrid’ who was experiencing several inconveniences due to the state of her property’s plumbing.   Richard was on hand to provide fixed prices on the work involved in clearing sections of the drain. When it comes to sewer drain clearing, our ‘capped-price-guarantee’ is what really sets us apart as a plumbing service. This means no hidden costs, awkward surprises or apprehension about your final bill! Plus, we also issue a 12-month warranty should the blockage ever reoccur in the same section of drain in the future.   When it came to the task at hand, Richard used a ‘Ridgid 1500’ drain clearing machine (supplied and serviced by ‘Dieset Manning’ in Blackburn, VIC). As he always does, Richard then attempted to clear the drain completely with a 100mm attachment. The drain was found to be in poor condition, so Richard gave the recommendation that the drain should be replaced.   We are so thrilled to report that Astrid was very pleased with the work and the service provided by Richard and the team at O’Shea Plumbing. In fact, she was so relieved and happy that she took time out of her day to directly call and speak to our friendly owner/operator ‘Lawrie’ to give a glowing verbal testimonial.   Also, Astrid left a review on ‘Product Review’ to say that Richard was very polite and friendly, that he had left everything clean and tidy and that she would definitely recommend the entire team to both her personal circle and the greater community. That’s certainly what we like to hear here 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!

What follows is another great result for the O’Shea Plumbing group. In this case, ‘Keiran’ from Hawthorn East, VIC rang our office and spoke to our friendly company owner himself, who we all know as ‘Lawrie’. Kieran’s gas company had already issued a quote to relocate his gas meter, but now he needed an additional quote to relocate the gas pipes on his property.   He turned to our business as a top service provider in the local community. Our plumber ‘Grant’ was dispatched to site without delay. As Grant discovered, due to the fact that the existing pipes were composed of old galvanised metals, they would require a much more suitable and safe replacement in heavy duty copper pipes and fittings.   In addition, a new ‘Rinnai Infinity 26’ hot water system from ‘The Plumbers Supplies’ (in Mitcham, VIC) and a new ‘Brivis’ ducted heater from ‘Metalflex’ (in Boronia, VIC) were fitted.   All the pipes were secured with extra strong metal clips and stainless steel screws. The entire gas installation was completed and pressure tested to comply with gas regulation AS/NZS3500.   The work was completed with a thorough clean up of site, with all rubbish removed. We are pleased to say that Kieran is feeling reassured in the knowledge that he now has a first- class, safe and sound gas installation, alongside a highly-efficient hot water system and ducted heater. That’s definitely something to feel relieved about, especially when it comes to having peace-of-mind in your own home!

Here’s another fantastic outcome for the team at O’Shea Plumbing. When Wendy of Burwood East VIC rang O’Shea Plumbing it was in response to some bad news from her gas company. They had recently informed her she had water in her gas pipes. ‘Jarett’ (our Service Manager) promptly dispatched ‘Richard’ (our plumber) to investigate the situation.   Richard pressure-tested the gas pipes on site, with the results affirming that there were indeed leaking and in a very poor condition overall. Quotes were issued to replace the old galvanised iron pipes with heavy duty copper alternatives, alongside press fittings (sourced from the Plumbers Supplies Co-op, Mitcham VIC).   The pipes were ‘dug in’ underground. Where they were visible above the ground in a location that ran along a wall, they were securely clipped in place using strong metal clips and stainless steel screws (at a maximum interval of one metre).   The new gas pipes were separately pressure-tested to a higher level. The pipes were connected with the appliances in Wendy’s home and were pressure-tested for a final time (as per AS/NZS5601 regulations).   We are very pleased to find out that Wendy is back to enjoying cooking with her now safe-to-operate gas stove. She was also able to once again take hot showers thanks to her gas heating working 100 percent efficiently. It was obvious that Wendy felt relieved to have the peace-of-mind that comes from effective plumbing solutions, which is exactly the kind of result is what we like to see here at O’Shea Plumbing.

Here’s another ‘feel good story’ from the team at O’Shea Plumbing. Our office received a phone call late on a Saturday from the owner of a childcare centre in Doncaster VIC. This was from one of our highly valued, long-term clients (and owner of a series of childcare centres with locations in Mitcham and Springvale VIC).   The client had been performing some renovations – replacing the benchtop in the kitchen. He had stumbled upon a gas leak coming from the cooktop. He called O’Shea Plumbing in a bit of a panic, so we instructed him to ‘stay calm and turn the gas supply off at the gas meter’. We also let him know we would be on site in due course to work on the issue.   Even though the very next morning was a Sunday, we were more than happy to have one of our emergency plumbers ‘Richard’ – attend on premises at the early hour of 8am. Our plumber found there was a leak on the gas fitting line – he fixed this leak and was able to get the gas turned back on. This meant that the childcare centre could once again have hot water and heating, which was a massive relief for our client!   During the works, Richard found that gas cooktop was old and potentially dangerous, so from here the team at O’Shea researched a number of new cooktops available on the market to find one that would fit the ‘cut-out’ of the new bench top.   We ordered a new cooktop from the ‘Good Guys’ (Nunawading store) – they were extremely helpful! Within the space of a few days we have the new cooktop arrive, collected and installed in the childcare centre and the kitchen fully operational again.   It was the case that not only were the owners happy but the kitchen staff were thrilled to have things back to normal again. Most importantly, the kids enrolled at the childcare centre were warm, had hot water and cooked meals.   Due to the public aspect of the job, we lodged a complex gas fitting notice via the Online Gas Installation Acceptance System ‘Gas Trac’ at Energy Safe Victoria. ‘Jarett’, the Service Manager here at O’Shea Plumbing then met with the Energy Safe Victoria inspector on site to review the works – the inspector was very happy with everything.

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  

At O’Shea Plumbing we are always happy to step in to investigate and solve plumbing problems, no matter their scope. We recently received a call from ‘Krin’ from Blackburn North (who had previously contacted her gas company about a smell emanating from her property on a site located near her gas meter). In this case, the gas company representative had confirmed that a gas leak was coming from the pipes.   After conducting a quick Google search, Krin had located O’Shea Plumbing as a top business listing in her local area and made the wise move to contact us. After a reassuring chat with ‘Kelly-Anne’ in our front office, Kris was relieved to have help at hand – in the form of our reputable plumber ‘Grant’.   Grant was promptly dispatched to investigate the leak further and provided quotes and solutions to repair and/or replace the gas pipes at Krin’s property. Krin chose to go ahead with the option to replace all of the gas pipes with heavy-duty copper tube and fittings. This seemed to be the most logical solution – given the revelation that the existing hot water system and the ducted heater were never installed correctly and were in incredibly bad repair. Krin also went ahead with the recommendation to replace these at the same time as the gas pipes.   When the new installation was complete, all gas pipes and appliances were thoroughly pressure-tested for gas leaks. The tests proved the entire installation was structurally sound – the pipes were secured with strong metal clips and stainless steel screws. A new ‘Rinnai Infinity 26’ hot water system and a ‘Brivis’ ducted heated were commissioned to ensure operation to meet the manufacturer’s specifications.    The job was completed without a hitch. O’Shea Plumbing then issued a ‘Victorian Building Authority Certificate of Compliance’ (that certifies that the work was done to comply with AS/NZS 3500 and AS/NZS5601 regulations) and this way promptly emailed to Krin to ratify all work.   Our friendly business owner ‘Lawrie’ himself contacted Krin to check that she was satisfied with the solutions that the team had provided. She attested that all was ‘very well-done’. O’Shea Plumbing is looking forward to receiving another very positive review on Google!

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 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!

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 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 storm water 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”.   Spiro 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 at 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!

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.