Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Mar 28, 2014 5:51 pm My builder has just come to tell me that they need to do a variation due to a non valve fitting added to the shower fittings that we supplied to them. We bought the shower fitting from tradelink and had supplied them specs of it before the build started and now this happens. - this is what we bought http://www.flexispray.com.au/index.php/component/content/article/23-shower-item/178-krome-100-3f-exposure-rail-shower.html This is what they said: We have had the plumbing inspection done today , unfortunately it has failed due to the shower fittings that you supplied .Due to the fact that the hand shower can lay on the shower floor a non return valve has to be fitted , this valve would have been supplied by us if we had have supplied the shower fitting . Is this normal ? How much does this costs? Re: Plumbing inspection failed 2Mar 28, 2014 6:01 pm Hi snandan, Our shower fittings can lay on the shower floor as well. We don't have the same brand as you but I'm pretty sure we have nothing called a non-return valve. Do they mean a reflux valve? A reflux valve is put in when you can't have an overflow relief gully and has nothing to do with your shower fittings IMO. Hopefully somebody on here can give you more information but I would be questioning them very closely over this one. Re: Plumbing inspection failed 4Mar 28, 2014 6:29 pm This thread should have been posted in the Building Standards sub forum. snandan My builder has just come to tell me that they need to do a variation due to a non valve fitting added to the shower fittings that we supplied to them. THEIR plumber has plumbed a non compliant installation. Who supplied the product is irrelevant. I hope that they don't intend charging $500 for a variation! snandan Due to the fact that the hand shower can lay on the shower floor a non return valve has to be fitted , this valve would have been supplied by us if we had have supplied the shower fitting. It appears that they are labouring the point. The reason for non compliance is correct but that is only because their plumber did not install it with the necessary check valve. I actually doubt that a plumber would have installed it as a plumber would be well aware of back flow regulations and would not have fitted it. snandan Is this normal ? How much does this costs? It will be interesting as to what they say here as you are at their mercy. Can't you swap it for one a bit shorter or just give them a standard cheap fitting and attend to it after you move in? 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Re: Plumbing inspection failed 5Mar 28, 2014 6:54 pm Thank you SaveH2O for your advise. We did give the builder more then 4 months to look at the specs and also asked the plumber to check the items for fitting and compliance before giving it to him. Re: Plumbing inspection failed 7Mar 28, 2014 7:44 pm Hi snandan, I am worried about your post given that they are being so officious and have mentioned a variation. The alarm bells are ringing. I would not give them carte-blanche on this. I would be very specific about asking what they intend doing and also ask what exactly do they mean by "they need to do a variation". I would be putting everything in writing and taking the easiest way out. Don't let them price gouge you, it could end up costing you heaps. Be careful. 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Re: Plumbing inspection failed 8Mar 28, 2014 7:55 pm Check valve, one way valve, all the same. http://www.duralirrigation.com.au/Categ ... alves.html Back flow prevention regulations are to prevent a device from syphoning contaminated water into the mains water supply should the mains water be down and there is negative mains pressure. For a hand held shower rose, the prime example is for its length to not be long enough to somehow drop into a toilet or basin (or put there by a child) but if the shower base drain is blocked or back flows, it can also retain contaminated water. 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Re: Plumbing inspection failed 9Mar 29, 2014 7:58 am Thanks for that explanation SaveH20. That's really interesting. In Snandan's case I think I would be asking Tradelink how much such a valve would cost and asking the builder if they can supply it themselves, or just changing shower roses as you say. Snandan certainly needs to know how much the valve will cost before agreeing to it. Do some shower roses have such a valve built in? Or is it always supplied by the plumber at the time of installation? And where does it go? Inside the shower wall? Re: Plumbing inspection failed 11Mar 29, 2014 8:47 am Just a few more questions if anyone knows the answers. In our municipality it seems we have backflow prevention at the meter (see below): https://www.citywestwater.com.au/docume ... dition.pdf (I notice that once again the onus seems to be on the homeowner!!) Does this mean you don't need it for individual fittings? Does Queensland do the opposite? Re: Plumbing inspection failed 12Mar 29, 2014 8:55 am Liliana Do some shower roses have such a valve built in? Or is it always supplied by the plumber at the time of installation? And where does it go? Inside the shower wall? The valve is usually fitted to the hose but the last thing a person would want is to have the builder raise a variation and have the plumber rip some tiles off to fit a valve to the pipe work. I would be extremely surprised if you couldn't simply buy and fit a shorter optional hose for the model depicted. Knocking it back because it reaches the shower floor is picky (although technically correct) but if the shower was over a bath, it would be justified. Things can get damaged if they are dropped and it isn't good to have the hose long enough to reach the floor in any case. The plumber probably hasn't fitted the connecting pipes high enough. 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Re: Plumbing inspection failed 13Mar 29, 2014 9:03 am SaveH2O Things can get damaged if they are dropped and it isn't good to have the hose long enough to reach the floor in any case. Yes, this has already happened. The neck that holds the shower rose up started to droop within weeks of taking possession of the house and when it finally broke the shower rose hit the shower base and has gouged it. So Snandan you are better off with a shower rose that doesn't lie on the floor. Re: Plumbing inspection failed 14Mar 29, 2014 9:16 am Just thinkng about what SaveH20 said about the height of the pipes, the following picture shows how our shower is attached to the wall:
Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ So it looks like the pipes are set fairly low and the problem could have been prevented. Snandan - you may want to see how your shower rose was fitted to the wall. Re: Plumbing inspection failed 15Mar 29, 2014 9:27 am Liliana In our municipality it seems we have backflow prevention at the meter (see below): https://www.citywestwater.com.au/docume ... dition.pdf (I notice that once again the onus seems to be on the homeowner!!) Does this mean you don't need it for individual fittings? Does Queensland do the opposite? Back flow prevention is covered in AS/NZS 3500.1:2003 Section 4. You will be aware that when plumbers connect water tank pumps to the house mains water pipe, check valves have to be fitted to prevent the possibility of back flow contamination to the mains water supply. Some utility operators also fit back flow devices at the meter due to the increased popularity of water tanks in suburbia. EDIT 30/07/2014 The most serious situation would arise if there was sewage backflow into the shower base. This could, for example, happen during localised flooding if other plumbing safeguards were faulty. Sorry to hear about your shower base and the shower rose. You must be due to win the lottery! 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Re: Plumbing inspection failed 16Mar 29, 2014 9:52 am SaveH2O Sorry to hear about your shower base and the shower rose. You must be due to win the lottery! When I tell you that I woke at 4am this morning having nightmares about our plumbing -( I can't get it out of my head that there is some pipe somewhere leaking into the foundations) - you won't be surprised. Re: Plumbing inspection failed 17Mar 29, 2014 11:50 am I'm worried too!! Last night I dreamt that I was eating a huge marshmallow but when I woke up...my pillow was gone. 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Re: Plumbing inspection failed 19Mar 29, 2014 5:25 pm Great to see some great questions from everyone. We did go to Tradelink and the guy there was surprised to hear what we told him. He said he has not seen any issues with the Flexispray we fitting in unless the plumber has fitted the unit too low or if it was fitted on top of a bath then and only then would it create an issue. We also asked about the valve and what it would costs to get them. The one he showed us was about $15 - $20. So would be less than $50 for the 2 we need fitted. We had another look at the hose in the shower; it does not lay on floor unless you physically put it on the shower floor. The other thing is that the shower is not on top of a bath so not sure what it will back flow unless the shower drainage is totally blocked which will mean the house will start to get flooded it.. I am very worried that they trying to cover their costs by charging us; knowing that we are a week away from handover. I had a look online about this so called valve they have talked about and yes, there are some fittings that come with it where it is necessary. I have no clue who did the inspection as I have not received any report; I will be asking for it before signing off on anything. I wish I do win lottery....LOL Re: Plumbing inspection failed 20Mar 29, 2014 6:55 pm We'll be all ears to hear the details snandan. Good luck with handover. Have you seen Bashworth's little ebook on what to look out for at PCI? might still be useful. http://www.anewhouse.com.au/sample-page/pci-guide/ In my experience roof is essential element of the building envelope and hence a common property and should be covered by owners corporation however a detailed review of… 3 6169 For anyone that comes across this issue in the future - Just did what aussieta said and found a plumber to inspect it and sign off on it. Was difficult to find someone to… 3 7035 5 3776 |