Browse Forums Bathrooms and Laundry 1 Sep 08, 2008 5:07 pm Um.....I am just getting around to installing my 'you beaut' tapware that I bought, er, 18 months ago. I've opened the boxes and...no instructions! Interesting!
Here's the stupid question: is changing over tapware (basins, baths, washing machine etc) strictly a job for a plumber? Anyone able to advise, based on personal experience or know how, what sort of cash am I looking at for this sort of job? I assume this shouldn't take more than half a day or, at most, one day? Cheers. kelly Re: Warning: *really* stupid question about taps. 2Sep 08, 2008 7:14 pm kelly if you aren't sure what you are doing I would get a plumber. Sorry not sure of the cost but after my OH did a little home job on our taps I know it can get very messy if you don't know Re: Warning: *really* stupid question about taps. 3Sep 08, 2008 7:20 pm Legally its a job for a licensed plumber. That being said you may have trouble getting one to do it and if they do wil probably charge a fortune for something that shouldn't take more than 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Its quite an easy job. You really only need some thread tape, a a set of multi-grips or stilsens and a bit of care - wrap the taps etc. with cloth before putting a tool around them. Obviously turn the water off first and de-pressurize the lines first by opening the tap next to the water meter. Re: Warning: *really* stupid question about taps. 4Sep 08, 2008 8:48 pm On the other hand. . . . I thought I might be able to do these sort of jobs myself but got nervous so hired a "renovation expert" to change a washer in the bathroom, he charged me $150 then, as he left, casually mentioned that in the process he had cracked and split the tap handles but it would be a "simple job" for me to just to pick up some more and slip them on.
No, I could not just pick up some more because they no longer make the ones to match the bath and shower taps and I could either change the lot at considerable expense or get some universal fit taps which are NOT simple to fix on, which look glaringly different to the existing tap handles and which cost about $40 on top of the "renovation expert's" fee. I now have a basin with no tap handles, a set of unused universal tap handles and now I am going to have to buy a set of tap covers for all the bathroom taps and this time I will either get a book and do it myself or stand and watch whomever I get to make sure that the expert is as expert as he professes. I wish I had had a crack at it (excuse the pun) myself. I could well have managed it and if not I wouldn't have been any worse off than I am now - and $150 ahead in fact. In WA apparently you don't need to have a plumber to do such jobs as changing taps over, washers , covers etc. What's wrong with acting like an ostrich and burying your head in the sand sometimes? Some days it can stop you from having to look at the lemmings! Re: Warning: *really* stupid question about taps. 5Sep 08, 2008 10:03 pm Sorry I should have mentioned that apllied to NSW.
I would have asked for a refund of some sorts, it was his incompetence that caused the breakage after all Re: Warning: *really* stupid question about taps. 6Sep 08, 2008 10:17 pm Well, he came out the loser in the end because my original intention was to not only have him change over the bathroom taps but also give me quotes on a whole pile of other work I am planning on having done. He came here knowing that and yet he still did a c*** job so needless to say he is NOT on my list of people to do the work!
He left in such a hurry (wonder why) that he left behind a big bucket of some sort of joint adhesive and several tools. It took me four calls to him over the next two weeks to get through to him and tell him and he said he would come by to pick it all up within a couple of days. That was six weeks ago and have seen neither hide nor hair of him so I sent him one last message (no response) and then put it all out on the verge for our six monthly council rubbish pick up and it was snapped up by passers by within minutes! I have since had to have a plumber come and replace completely two outside taps - he came within 3 hours of the call, took less than 20 minutes all up and charged only $110. Quite a contrast! I am new to all of this business but so far at least it strikes me that tradespeople come in two distinct "breeds" - the incredibly good and the incredibly awful. So far, three of the former type and just one of the latter so I suppose that's pretty good going! What's wrong with acting like an ostrich and burying your head in the sand sometimes? Some days it can stop you from having to look at the lemmings! Re: Warning: *really* stupid question about taps. 7Sep 09, 2008 2:11 pm Thanks for your replies.
Dukekamaya Legally its a job for a licensed plumber. That being said you may have trouble getting one to do it and if they do wil probably charge a fortune for something that shouldn't take more than 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Its quite an easy job. You really only need some thread tape, a a set of multi-grips or stilsens and a bit of care - wrap the taps etc. with cloth before putting a tool around them. Obviously turn the water off first and de-pressurize the lines first by opening the tap next to the water meter. Ssshh I know a plumber who will do it for $100; my only handy friend (the rest are admin slaves like me) But, having said, that I really did think I could do it myself...and even though he's a mate he still has more important jobs to do than this one. Looks like I have some sucking up to do to get him around here on the weekend during the footy finals Re: Warning: *really* stupid question about taps. 8Sep 09, 2008 3:00 pm Who did you use Lilian?
I've got a plumber coming out tomorrow after giving me a quote and he did that within 24 hours of me emailing some pictures (as he is 1 hour away) and to supply & replace my cistern & remove and install my new trough plus travel is going to be $810. The cistern alone is $150 of it Trying to make it mine! Re: Warning: *really* stupid question about taps. 10Sep 09, 2008 7:54 pm lilian I have since had to have a plumber come and replace completely two outside taps - he came within 3 hours of the call, took less than 20 minutes all up and charged only $110. Quite a contrast! I should have been a plumber. I love the way you said 'only' in relation to $110 for 20 minutes work!!! Re: Warning: *really* stupid question about taps. 11Sep 09, 2008 9:50 pm Having done a very fair share of plumbing both air and water, I can tell you that most of the time working on something 10 years old or older, that most of the time something unexpected happens or breaks during the repair.
Expecially old taps, handles, etc. By trying it yourself, you certainly can get yourself worse off than if you call a plumber if you don't know how to do certain things. For example, you could cause damage to a copper pipe that might need a splice while removing the lines to the tap. If you don't have certain skills and knowledge you could be out of water service while you wait for someone to fix. Not that it's a certainty or anything, but if trying a new thing like plumbing for the first time I would at least make sure there's a local supply shop open that can help you. Better yet, do it doing a weekday during normal business hours so you don't get any surcharge for weekend work if something goes wrong. I would certainly suggest you try anything at least once:) Even though I know what I'm doing, I usually never start plumbing work unless I know a store is open I can get supplies if something goes wrong, or I know for certain I've got the supplies on hand for anything I might need. Someone inexperienced usually won't know what to have on hand. Sadly broken tap handles happen. I'm new to Australia, and recently had to replace the mini-tap on the toilet. Even though I have a lot of experience, things are a little different here size wise, so I still did it during hours when a Reece was open just in case. That said, that bloody reno expert should NOT have just left it like that. Crap service for sure:) Greg Re: Warning: *really* stupid question about taps. 12Sep 09, 2008 11:50 pm The plumbers I used were Tap Doctors. (sheer stab in the dark plus a sneaking sense of pity for their workers having to drive around in those silly looking vans!!)
This was a more pressing job and a smallish one but it gave me a chance to suss out who to approach for quotes on more extensive plumbing work I will be needing in the near future. One thing that perhaps some tradesmen don't get is that there are no "small" jobs. Small jobs can lead to big jobs if done well - either for the same client or their friends, neighbours etc. Having just started this renovations stuff ( well, that is a bit grand for it - I call it more my "tarting up the place" project!) I am just starting to discover what you all probably know already - it can be incredibly frustrating. One guy came to give a quote on some plastering and promised to be here last Friday "arvo" . Not turn up, no call, no answer phone. Got onto him, well his wife, that evening to be told that he had probably forgotten but she would get him to ring me first thing Saturday. No call, no answer to my calls until Saturday afternoon then he promised to be here today, Tuesday. Rang him last night to confirm, and yes he would be here around ten. Rang him at ten, well tried but again no answer to my calls then he rang me half an hour later to say he would now be here at 2.30pm. At 4.30pm I gave up, sent him a somewhat terse text message and told him the job was cancelled as I had forgone two day's work now for nothing. My hourly rate is not quite on a par with his but it IS my time and it does have a value and I am blowed if I am going to beg and pray of someone to come and do some work. I think that here in Perth, the tradies are riding a real boom at present and getting away with murder - just my opinion of course! So... when you finally get someone such as this plumber or the window tint guy who turns up on time, does a decent job and actually has some manners then I think we treat them like demi gods because it is just such a relief, when of course it is really only what we should be expecting of them all. What's wrong with acting like an ostrich and burying your head in the sand sometimes? Some days it can stop you from having to look at the lemmings! Re: Warning: *really* stupid question about taps. 13Sep 10, 2008 10:13 am Ah, yes, Lilian, I can so relate to this - not plumbing in particular, but renovations and home projects in general - we have spent last 22 years doing things to our 50 yr old house and lack of response from tradespeople is the most frustrating thing.
If they have too much work on, I would so much prefer they just tell me so and let me know they are not taking on any more at present, instead of stuffing around not returning calls, not turning up, not getting quotes done etc. And, sure, you might be in a boom now but booms don't last forever and a few years down the track when you want something else done, you will remember whose service was good and go back to them. I remember a couple of jobs, one a carport and one a larger job, a home extension, in which the guy who got the job told me upfront that he wouldn't be able to start for about 8 weeks, got so much work on, but would give a quote anyway if I wanted. Hadn't had a carport for 3 years so few more weeks wasn't going to matter, we agreed and 8 weeks later, there he was. A few years later, work has slowed down but guess who we rang first to do a pergola?? The extension builder was the same, very reliable, turned up when he said he would, got quote back when he said, and turned up to do job 8 weeks later with no prompting or reminders whatsoever. That fellow was a pleasure to work with and prices very reasonable too, would reccommend him to anyone and in a relatively small country area, word of mouth is crucial. Anyway, good luck with rest of your "tarting up" project and I hope there are no more frustrations like this! do not pay until you are satisfied with workmanship windows require flashing over the head archithrave and up under weatherboards 3 28281 Bathroom renovation will likely include a back-to-corner bath and we’re considering a freestanding tap with hand-held shower such as the picture included. My hesitation… 0 24692 You can really use anything you want the main consideration would be how it looks once painted/finished - or the look you want. Cabinetmakers use MDF because its cheap… 2 9959 |