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FEATURE
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1 . Costing and efficiency are major risks for the plumbing industry .
2 . Sewers contain toxic gases such as methane .
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KNOW YOUR STUFF This may sound obvious , but not all plumbing professionals see the value in knowing — and adhering to — the industry standards and obtaining proper certification . Industry regulators — like the Plumbing Industry Regulation Board ( PIRB ) and IOPSA — guide , monitor , and regulate nationwide standards of operation and service delivery to protect both plumbing service providers and customers .
“ The national building regulations are clear that you must be a trained [ qualified ] plumber to work on plumbing installations , or ensure the people working on the installations are adequately controlled by the trained plumber . In the case of SANS 10254 , 10106 , and 1352 , it is required that a plumbing certificate be issued ,” says PIRB chairman , Lea Smith . The latest changes to these standards can be found on the IOPSA website at www . iopsa . org .
COMEBACKS Comebacks remain a financial risk to any plumbing business . But , notes Preston , they can be an opportunity too . “ We train our guys to avoid comebacks , but obviously it happens . When it does , we try to turn them into a positive . It all depends on how you respond . If you respond in the right way , then customers are often very happy with you — more so than if the comeback never happened in the first place .”
According to Bruch , the increase of cheaper , low-quality fittings from China can also contribute to comebacks . “ You can give the customer a choice of fitting , but sometimes the cheapest one is what they want ,” he explains .
Preston has a different take and says his company ’ s policy is to use SABS-approved fittings and only deviate from that when there is no approved product available . However , he points out that there are difficulties with the SABS testing procedures , which means that finding approved product is becoming increasingly difficult .
If a customer ’ s drains and sewer have a history of problems , which can be an upfront discussion , it is best to have these cleaned annually , or as often as necessary to prevent backups . Bruch says that “ when dealing with a difficult-to-resolve problem like tree roots in pipes , sometimes the client will call you back to the job and it ’ s obviously not your fault , but either you fight with the customer and lose them , or you fix it and keep the client .”
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INVESTING IN THE RIGHT TOOLS Along with relevant accreditation , to enable plumbing professionals to deliver the best maintenance plumbing service , they need to be equipped with the best , most reliable tools and parts within their budgets . If a tool or part proves itself , buy more of it and keep a backup in stock . Cheap tools and parts tend to have a way of failing at the most inconvenient times , resulting in more work or callbacks . Shop around , talk to other companies about the tools they carry , and read reviews .
Correct tooling is also critical to efficiency . “ The right tools help to get the job done that much quicker ,” notes Brown . “ It ’ s not necessary to buy top of the range , but have the testers ; have the drills . It will help you to minimise and optimise the time you spend on site as well as add to the professionalism of the company .”
Bruch agrees and also notes that the price of some previously high-cost machinery has tended to come down in recent years , and investing in the correct tools has definitely helped their business .
As for the ‘ Holy Grail of plumbing tools ’, Smith wraps it up in one , powerful word : knowledge . Know your standards , know your tools , know your limitations .
March 2018 Volume 24 I Number 1 www . plumbingafrica . co . za