18 June 2019

The rise of proactive plumbing - why tending to your pipes can prevent disaster

| Tim Gavel
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O'Neill and Brown Plumbing

An O’Neill and Brown plumber on site. Regular plumbing maintenance for a property is as sensible as having a regular service for a car. Photos: Supplied.

Forward thinking about preventing plumbing problems isn’t high on most people’s list of maintenance priorities, according to O’Neill and Brown Plumbing, one of the region’s biggest and best-credentialled plumbers. But the advocates for proactive plumbing maintenance say that it should be, before disasters wreak havoc on buildings.

That’s because the result of ignoring potential plumbing issues until they go wrong can be messy and very expensive to resolve. Think costly repairs due to water damage, blocked sewer and stormwater pipes, hot water system failures and burst water pipes – nuisances at best, or a domestic disaster at worst.

Regular plumbing maintenance for a property is as sensible as having a regular service for a car and O’Neill and Brown believe there are significant cost benefits to being proactive.

Plumbing Service Manager Damien Holder says preventative maintenance in the unit management sector is starting to take hold. “We support a number of real estate agents who manage various building complexes. Implementing preventative maintenance plumbing services for these clients is realising cost benefits and improving running efficiencies.”

Damien recommends that multiple bank hot water systems in an apartment, townhouse and commercial complexes should be serviced every three, six or 12 months. “We make sure we don’t over-service systems but assess them on a case by case basis by collecting flow, usage and demand data to increase asset life cycles and reduce running costs.”

Some domestic issues can cause big headaches if they are ignored, including the movement of water away from a property during storms. Changes to our weather patterns and recent experiences indicate that there is a greater likelihood of water damage occurring during major storms. Given the potential for major damage during these events, proactive maintenance for properties makes more and more sense.

O’Neill and Brown provide alternative solutions to prevent water damage created by ineffective downpipes, and partial or fully blocked stormwater pipes that cause property damage.

Tree roots invading sewer and stormwater pipes is also a major issue for properties in our region, especially during spring and autumn. Damien notes that any ongoing problem requires a long-term solution. He believes that the solution should suit the property but be cost effective for the client too.

O’Neill and Brown have evolved from a two-man business over 50 years ago into a national operation with 317 employees in plumbing, fire, electrical and hydraulic design services. They have also worked on some of the biggest projects in Canberra including Parliament House, the Museum of Australia, Calvary Hospital, Infinity Towers and the Canberra Airport precinct.

A regular visit from a plumber can save homeowners big money in potential property damage and repairs.

O’Neill and Brown believe that by providing superior customer service they strengthen their relationship with the local community. They endeavour to lead the market in trade services.

This is a sponsored article, though all opinions are the author’s own. For more information on paid content, see our sponsored content policy.

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