Plumbing services can be expensive. No-one wants to hear that it’s going to cost $6000 to replace the crumbling, tree-infested clay pipes buried in the backyard.
While people are content to spend money getting their car serviced, teeth whitened or dog groomed, when it comes to paying a plumber’s call-out fee and an hourly rate of $75 to $150 people are astounded.
Despite popular misconceptions, plumbers aren't out to rip off the public, says General manager of the Master Plumbers Association of NSW, Paul Naylor
Plumbers provide a public health service ensuring that sewage is safely transported away from our homes, that we have a clean water supply and sanitary living conditions.
Prior to the invention of contemporary sewerage systems, human excrement and waste used to flow freely through the streets. Illnesses caused by poor sanitation were common and many people died from from cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery, which spread from drinking sewage-contaminated water.
Thankfully we now have licensed plumbers who spend on average six years earning their qualifications. And they don’t just fix leaking taps. Australia's licensed plumbers are trained as water plumbers, gas fitters, roofers and drainers.
"My furniture removalist charges $120 an hour, and they didn't have to do six years of training . . ." Naylor told the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH). "When you go to the doctor you incur huge costs but you never see the bill, so you don't think about it. When you pay a plumber, it gets you right in the wallet."
When plumbers get called to a job, it’s not uncommon for customers to ask for a price reduction or to object to paying the callout fee - particularly when a job only takes thirty minutes. It may appear costly for half an hours work, but it took a long time for the plumber to learn those skills.
In addition to years of training, plumbers also invest heavily in the tools and equipment required to perform the work.
Take the example of blocked drains.
Drainage plumbers carry plumbing cameras and jet blasters. This technology enables plumbers to diagnose and clear all sorts of clogged drains quickly and effectively. Even stubborn drain blockage can often be removed in around an hour.
Plumbing cameras are small, purpose built cameras attached to a long reaching cable. Live footage is transmitted to a monitor where the plumber can assess the condition of pipes and determine the location and cause of the clog. If the pipes aren’t damaged, the plumber will send down the jet blaster, which uses pressurised streams of water to blast through clogs and remove sediment from the line.
Getting your pipes inspected and cleaned costs around $300 + GST for the first hour and around $150 for every hour after that.
This is a tiny fraction of the cost plumbers pay to acquire these tools. Jet blasters can cost upwards of $10,000 to purchase while some drain cameras can set you back $20,000. These tools also require regular maintenance and repairs, presenting an ongoing cost to plumbing companies.
Before the invention of CCTV drain cameras and jet blasters, plumbers had to excavate blocked plumbing pipes to detect and repair the issue. This often involved extensive digging and damage to property, especially if the sewer pipes were located underneath a house or driveway. It was also more labour intensive and thus more expensive.
"Old pipes in Sydney are pretty bad. Tree roots get in, or the terracotta pipes just crumble," Naylor told the SMH.
Old pipes with concrete joins no longer meet the codes regulating Australian plumbing. These strict codes often force plumbers to replace old pipes.
"Most people don't factor that in and replacing the line back to the sewer can cost between $3000 and $8000," Naylor says.
"There are plenty of people in Sydney on regular three-monthly clearing that are trying to avoid having to replace their pipes."
Plumbing can also be dangerous and carries a number of health risks. On a daily basis plumbers are exposed to raw sewage, dangerous gases, asbestos, mould and harmful chemicals. They work in confined spaces, crawling underneath spider infested houses. They operate heavy machinery, power tools, working on roofs and other in dangerous places.
When you look at the service they provide from this perspective, our local Sydney plumbers are worth every penny.
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