VLOGS

🐶 “Can You Move Your Van?” — The Tradie Question That Haunts Us All 🚐🤣

Richard’s Rant from the Driver’s Seat… Literally.

Let’s set the scene.

It’s 40 degrees. You’ve just rolled up to the customer’s property. You haven’t even popped the bonnet on your tool bag. You’re mid-sip of your servo coffee…

And they say:

“Umm, can you move your van? I need to get my car out.”

💥 Enter: The Worst Part of the Job™ (as declared by Richard).

🤦‍♂️ What You’ll See in This Vlog:

• Richard trying to reverse a VW Crafter (a.k.a. a yacht on wheels)
• A long, narrow driveway with zero forgiveness
• A slightly emotional rant — the kind only tradies truly understand
• And a message for all customers everywhere:

“Check the text message we sent you… we did warn you!”

📱 Yes, We Actually Warn You in Advance!

At Plumbdog, we try to make life easier:

• Every job gets an automated SMS on the way
• It includes your ETA and a friendly reminder:

“If you need access to your vehicle, please move it out of the driveway prior to arrival.”

It’s polite, professional, and totally ignored 73% of the time. 😅

🎥 Watch the Chaos Unfold

🚐 A Message to Our Fellow Tradies

We see you.
We feel your gearbox grinding.
We too have stood in a stranger’s driveway whispering, “Why… like this?”

Drop a comment if this has ever happened to you — or if you’ve ever rage-Googled “how to reverse a van without breaking your soul.”

🐾 Plumbdog — Perth’s real plumbers, real vans, and real bruised egos from reversing in driveways.

It’s not uncommon for us to receive a call shortly after a hot water system installation — especially when a customer notices water around the unit. At Plumbdog, we always take those calls seriously and act quickly to investigate.

In this case, James returned to a Perth home where our team had recently installed a heat pump hot water system. The customer had reported:

• Concerns that the system may not have been installed level
• Water pooling around the base of the unit

🔧 Step 1: Inspecting the Hot Water System Installation

The heat pump system was originally quoted by James and installed by Chris, one of our Plumbdog pups, under supervision. On reinspection, James found that:

• The unit was firmly secured and correctly positioned
• It was level and neatly installed
• The installation followed all manufacturer and plumbing code requirements

💬 “It’s important to check the install with fresh eyes — and it’s just as important to reassure the customer when everything looks spot on.”

💧 Step 2: Investigating the Source of the Water

Next, James turned his attention to the reported leak. What initially looked like water escaping from the system turned out to be:

• A below-ground leak from a deteriorated copper pipe
• Located just beside the hot water system, inside the customer’s reticulation box

These types of leaks are often mistaken for an issue with a newly installed system — especially when they show up in the same area.

📞 Communicating with the Customer

James made every effort to explain the findings to the customer, including:

• The difference between the system’s installation and the unrelated underground leak
• Offering a quote for a proper repair of the copper pipe
• Providing clarity around how these things can happen, especially in older homes or with ageing plumbing

While the customer chose not to proceed with the repair through us, our approach stayed the same: assess thoroughly, explain clearly, and offer a solution.

🧠 What You Can Learn from This Job

• Not all water around your system means a faulty install — it could be an existing issue nearby
• Heat pump systems are highly efficient and reliable when installed correctly
• Professional inspections include checking all surrounding plumbing, not just the unit
• Customer presence during install can be helpful, but clear post-install communication is just as important

📺 Watch the Video

Join James on site as he walks through the system check, investigates the nearby leak, and explains the entire situation clearly and professionally:

🐾 Need Help With a Hot Water System or Suspected Leak?

Whether it’s a new install, a leaking pipe, or just something that doesn’t feel quite right — we’re here to help.

📞 Call Perth’s real plumbers with all the gear and every idea.
🐶 No callout fee | ✅ Upfront pricing | 🔎 Leak Detection Experts | 🔥 Heat Pump Installers

What do you get when extreme heat, high mains pressure, and a tired old valve meet?

Apparently… the sound of a very unhappy pig crossed with distant church bells. And that’s exactly what Darius walked into on this 40+ degree day in Perth.

Our customer called us out after noticing their external plumbing valve was making a loud screeching sound — an unbearable high-pitched noise that echoed through the property.

🔍 Diagnosing the Problem

The first step was to determine what was causing the noise. After some investigation, Darius confirmed:

• The incoming water pressure was extremely high — over 1000kPa
• The existing valve technically could handle it (as confirmed by RMC), but it was clearly struggling
• The sound was being caused by vibrations under pressure — a common issue with high-pressure mains and older or undersized valves

🔧 The Solution: Install a Pressure Limiting Valve

To protect the system and eliminate the noise, Darius installed a 500kPa pressure limiting valve at the property’s water meter. This:

• Significantly reduced stress on the valve and fixtures
• Brought the system within safe pressure limits
• Immediately stopped the screeching noise

💬 “As soon as we dropped the pressure, the noise was gone — no more squealing.”

⚡ Safety First: Earthing the Copper Pipes

Because the water meter had to be temporarily removed during the installation, Darius followed standard safety procedures:

• Attached a jumper lead to safely bridge the copper pipework
• Prevented potential electric shock risk, as copper plumbing is often earthed in residential properties

✅ Final Result: Quiet Pipes and a Safer Plumbing Setup

After installing the pressure limiting valve and testing the system, the result was:

• A perfectly functioning valve
• No more strange noises
• Long-term protection for the home’s plumbing

Another satisfied Perth homeowner — and another case of Plumbdog solving the cause, not just the symptom.

🐾 Think Your Water Pressure Might Be Too High?

If you’re hearing strange pipe noises, valve screeching, or noticing excess wear on taps and fixtures — your property could be receiving excessive mains pressure.

👨‍🔧 Call the real plumbers with all the gear and every idea.
🐶 No callout fee | ✅ Upfront pricing | 🚿 Pressure Limiting Valve Specialists

Modern Concealed Cistern Installed in External Wall — Diagnosed and Repaired

It’s becoming more common to find toilet cisterns hidden away in wall cavities or behind sleek tiled features. They look neat — but when something goes wrong, access can be a nightmare.

Our Plumbdog plumber Darius was called out to a Perth home where the customer reported a leaking toilet. What he found was a concealed cistern hidden behind an external duct panel in the wall cavity.

💬 “These modern setups look clean, but they’re prone to failure — and getting them apart is a bit of a trick.”

🛠 Step-by-Step: How We Fixed the Leak

Here’s how Darius tackled this hidden cistern repair like a pro:

1. Located the cistern inside the external wall cavity behind a duct sheet
2. Removed the cold water feed to stop supply to the cistern
3. Carefully disassembled internal parts, including:
   • The inlet valve
   • The outlet mechanism
4. Assessed space — thankfully, there was just enough room to remove the full cistern
   • If the cutout had been smaller, removal would have been impossible without cutting walls or tiles
5. Identified the need for replacement parts — including specialty air hoses
6. Ordered and installed new parts
7. Reinstalled the cistern, sealed it up, and tested thoroughly at the toilet

✅ Final Result: Leak Fixed, Customer Happy

After reinstalling and pressure testing the new setup, the toilet was back in working order — with no more leak, no damage to the wall, and a very happy homeowner.

👨‍🔧 “These kinds of installs can go sideways if not handled carefully — especially when you don’t have access. Luckily, we’ve been around the block a few times with these.”

🧱 Why Hidden Toilet Cisterns Can Be a Problem

While concealed cisterns offer a modern look, they come with risks:

• Poor access makes repairs time-consuming
• Air hoses and internal fittings are often fragile and fail over time
• Tile or wall removal may be needed if the original builder didn’t allow room for servicing

At Plumbdog, we have a nose for leak detection and we’re equipped to handle these trickier repairs without the drama.

🐾 Need Help With a Concealed Cistern?

Whether it’s leaking, not flushing, or just acting strange — we’ve seen it all.

📞 Call Perth’s real plumbers with all the gear and every idea.
🐶 No callout fee | ✅ Upfront pricing | 🚽 Concealed cistern specialists