Over the years, you may have noticed

an increase in DIY projects. This has

resulted in over 25,000 Australians

hospitalised from DIY related

injuries. Brought on in part by the

onslaught of home renovation

shows, the results are sometimes

humorous, and more often than

not, harmful. And just when you

thought DIY plumbing disasters

couldn’t get any worse, we announced

the winner and two finalists of our DIY

Disasters competition for 2014.

OutletThe Official Reece Customer Update We welcome your feedback so please send any comments by e-mail to outlet@reece.com.au or by fax to (03) 9274 0131.

In t

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THE CRACKThe Rolling Stones

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DIY disasters revealed

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ISSUE#155February 2015

Australia’s worst DIY plumbing disaster unveiled

DIY LICENSED

See the winning entry and runners up inside

2 | REECE.COM.AU/OUTLET

Australia’s worst DIY plumbing disaster unveiled

The winning entry The unexpected discovery of a contraption made from an

element connected to a plank of timber in the bath of a

98-year-old man, used to heat his bath water, secured South

Australian plumber Matthew Logmans the 2014 DIY Disasters

competition title and a $5,000 prize.

Matthew found his winning entry when his client’s daughter

called him in to install a hot water service in her father’s home.

Having had no access to hot water for 20 years, it was taking

the elderly man one hour and 45 minutes to warm up his

bath with his homemade heating device, not to mention the

imminent danger of electrocution.

2nd placeManuel Benkovic, Avalon, NSW

Q. What made you enter the DIY Disasters competition, and have you entered before?

A. I had never entered before and found out about the competition either by mail or email. I didn’t give it much thought, but then, I was looking through some of my photos and found this one, and decided to enter.

Q. The competition is about highlighting the dangers – and sometimes humour – of DIY plumbing. Why do you think this is an important message?

A. People have no concept of the dangers involved in DIY plumbing, and need to be made aware that a licensed plumber wouldn’t make such mistakes. Economics is a factor in people taking on DIY jobs, and although it is illegal, people aren’t trying to break the law, they’re trying to save money. I’m sympathetic to people playing this game.

Q. How often do you see DIY Disasters like this on the job, and what’s the worst one you’ve ever come across?

A. I probably see a DIY Disaster as bad as this one twice a year, but this takes the cake in terms of danger.

Q. What did you do with the prize money?

A. I split it amongst my family for Christmas.

3rd placeBrett Matthews, Willoughby, NSW

Q. What made you enter the DIY Disasters competition, and have you entered before?

A. I saw it advertised and as Reece were the ones who had prompted the guy to hire a licensed plumber and referred me to him, I thought it was a good example to showcase. This was my first time entering.

Q. The competition is about highlighting the dangers – and sometimes humour – of DIY plumbing. Why do you think this is an important message?

A. Plumbing is a licensed trade for a reason. DIY Disasters can cause death, so it’s important to hire someone who has the license to do the job right. Other plumbing suppliers don’t communicate this message as well as Reece.

Q. How often do you see DIY Disasters like this on the job, and what’s the worst one you’ve ever come across?

A. I tend to see DIY Disasters of this extent around once a month, but this is the worst one I’ve come across. Another bad one I saw was when an elderly couple hired someone to install a water service, and they used garden hose instead of pipe. Hiring a dodgy, unlicensed tradesman can be as bad as the person doing it themselves.

Q. What did you do with the prize money?

A. I split the prize pack amongst my two first year apprentices as a Christmas bonus.

We talked to the three winners about their entries

WinnerMatthew Logmans, Middleton, SA

Q. What made you enter the DIY Disasters competition, and have you entered before?

A. I got talked into it by my partner who works for Reece. This was my first time - I entered, didn’t expect anything and forgot about it. When I got the call, it made my day.

Q. The competition is about highlighting the dangers – and sometimes humour – of DIY plumbing. Why do you think this is an important message?

A. We see crazy things every day, but people don’t realise the risks involved in DIY. They try to save a dollar, but the safety implications are not worth the money saved.

Q. How often do you see DIY Disasters like this on the job, and what’s the worst one you’ve ever come across?

A. Easily once a month, on varying levels. I heard about a shower mixer that was connected with flexible hoses and tiled over – the hoses need to be accessible as they leak!

Q. What did you do with the prize money?

A. I’m going to take a holiday.

What the judges said

The finalist entriesMany entries in this year’s competition highlighted the dangers of amateur plumbing attempts. Coming in at second place with a $1000 prize was a hot water system with electrical connections in direct contact with a leaking tap and splashing bath water, submitted by NSW-based Manuel Benkovic. Winning a Bigdog prize pack at third place, a cooktop regulator installed back to front, with a plastic bag used in place of a sealant, entered by Brett Matthews from NSW. That DIYer wondered why his gas wasn’t coming through.

The competitionThe popular DIY Disasters competition has been seeking out Australia’s worst DIY plumbing gaffes for six years as part of our ongoing efforts to highlight the risks of ‘giving it a go’ without enlisting a licensed plumber.

A panel of five esteemed industry experts judged this year’s competition, including Connection Magazines Publisher Jeff Patchell, Energy Australia Type A Gas Appliance Safety Manager Enzo Alfonsetti, CEO of the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC) Shayne La Combre and Shinners Plumbing Director Kevin Shinners. Narrowing down the choice from 15 finalists, the judges deemed Matthew’s example Australia’s most disastrous.

Reece Plumbing’s Business Development Manager and judge Adam Watson has seen hundreds of entries over the years, with this year’s competition bringing in the most submissions to date. He says that plumbers play a really important role in the preventative side of keeping the community safe and healthy, and would-be amateur plumbers need to be educated on the frightening implications of going it alone.

“We see the growth of DIY with DIY home improvement shows, and a lot of people think it’s quite easy for them to have a go themselves. Having these types of competitions brings it back to highlighting the importance of using licensed people to do the job,” he said.

Fellow judge Shayne La Combre from PICAC further illustrates why using a licensed plumber is vital.

“One of the big issues for plumbing is that most people take it for granted…there’s a lot of plumbing work and knowledge that has gone into making sure that we can enjoy something as seemingly simple as a glass of fresh water.” he said.

“Competitions like this, though often presented in a humourous way, can really highlight the importance of plumbers doing their job right, and should be a warning to those who aren’t appropriately trained and qualified, to stay away from plumbing systems and stop exposing themselves and their families to risk.”

With so much to lose and little to gain when it comes to DIY, this year’s entries are a loud and clear reminder why our ‘Don’t risk it, use a licensed plumber’ message is more important to communicate to customers than ever.

Visit www.reece.com.au/diydisasters to see this year’s entries and check out our video of the judges’ digest.

REECE.COM.AU/OUTLET | 3

On a (von)Roll

The availability of water is a primary human need, and today, the importance of the security of our water, sewage and gas supply goes without saying.For the operation of piping systems in the water, sewage and gas supply area, reliable systems solutions with a long service life are vital to ensure the highest level of dependability and investment security.

That’s where vonRoll comes in.

With a 200-year history of Swiss quality, vonRoll leads the way in complete piping systems in ductile castiron.

With its foundry being opened in 1843, vonRoll first started producing pipes in grey iron – their main focus throughout the first two decades of production. In 1925, they pioneered centrifugation in Europe. Over the next six decades, vonRoll continued to innovate in piping, with the help of a cupola furnace melting device installed in 1984 and a polyurethane coating ecopur in 1990.

Certificates in Quality Management and Environment Management in 1995 and 1998 further cemented vonRoll as a leader in its field, with the next decade seeing new developments in double-chamber pipes, restrained joint, hydrant hytec and electric mobility.

A rich history of quality has brought with it technological advancements for vonRoll. They have industrially produced polyurethane lined ductile iron pipes since 1972, which have been introduced as a modern material to meet advanced requirements of international customer demand. Its advantages make it a versatile conduct material fit for use in drinking water mains, sewage systems and low-pressure gas distribution networks.

Today, with production plants in multiple locations across Switzerland, vonRoll hydro (suisse) ltd are a credible and well-known global brand, developing, manufacturing and selling a modular, perfectly matched system of components that meets all the needs of municipal water and gas suppliers.

Innovative, safe, hygienic and high performing water supply systems with an extremely long service life mean you’ll never have to revisit a pipe for a lifetime. Now that’s worth the investment.

Reece is now the exclusive Australian distributor of vonRoll ecopur, ducpur and geopur pipes & fittings. For further product information, visit http://www.reece.com.au/civil

In The Pipeline Products for smarter plumbingPlumbing is changing and there’s a lot more to it than pipes, trenches and taps. In The Pipeline keeps you up-to-date on a wide range of products.

Rehau PE-X fittings have been complemented by the introduction of the Rehau Universal Brass Fittings. Together with a polymer sleeve they form the Rautitan One Universal System - one fitting for both gas and water applications. Now available at Reece Plumbing, all you need is one sleeve, one fitting and one tool to complete the job.

Benefits of the Rautitan One Universal System:

• Onefittingforusewithwaterandgas

• Onesleeveforeaseofuse (no need to align)

• Betterstockingoptions and availability

• Betterpricecomparedtogassets

To find out more visit reece.com.au/plumbing

Rautitan One Universal System

DID YOU KNOW...Gough Whitlam flushed for AustraliaDid you know one of the first achievements of Australia’s 21st Prime Minister (serving from 1972 to 1975), Gough Whitlam, was bringing indoor plumbing to Sydney’s outer suburbs? Just prior to his tenure, under half of Australian’s lived in homes not connected to sewerage systems, reported news.com.au recently.

Legend has it Whitlam made it his mission to bring the toilet inside, ensuring equality for all Australians to have access to everyday requirements such as efficient plumbing.

Recalling the late Neville Wran, news.com.au quoted, “It was said of Caesar Augustus that he found Rome brick, and left it marble. It will be said of Gough Whitlam that he found the outer suburbs of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane unsewered, and left them fully flushed.”

LIFETIME WARRANTYLIGHTWEIGHTPERFECT FITCORROSION FREE

HVAC matchmaker calculates coolEver wondered which HVAC solution is the most cost efficient and effective for your project? Well now there’s a tool for that.Calculating Cool helps you measure and benchmark the performance of HVAC systems in Australia. It’s designed to help you identify which HVAC systems are right for you and your clients, based on the units’ energy use and cost effectiveness.

It’s a world first developed by a number of industry bodies and is another great tool to keep in your back pocket. The tool balances quantitative and qualitative measures across all phases of the HVAC lifecycle to provide a reliable reading of efficiency use.

Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Airconditioning and Heating (AIRAH) Chief Executive Phil Wilkinson says Calculating Cool could potentially reduce HVAC energy use in Australia, assisting with reducing overall carbon emissions. “Calculating Cool is practical, effective and cost-beneficial,” he told The Fifth Estate in an interview about the product. “We know that 22 per cent of all electricity used in Australia is in operating air conditioning and refrigeration systems, and that HVAC systems can be responsible for more than 40 per cent of the energy used in our commercial buildings. Given this, Calculating Cool can be expected to deliver considerable cost savings.”

The Fifth Estate also reported that the project forms part of the Council of Australian Government’s HVAC High Efficiency Systems Strategy, expected to save the industry about $320 million a year in energy costs.

Check out www.calculatingcool.com.au for more info.

Main Price Changes For the full list of price changes or if you have any queries, please see your Reece Branch Manager or visit www.reece.com.au/outlet for further updates.

The Crack

4 | REECE.COM.AU/OUTLET

Supplier Products % Increase Date Effective

3M Purification Water filters Various % 1 February 2015

Ampelite Australia Fibreglass sheet products Up to 14% 1 February 2015

ASI JD MacDonald Commercial washroom accessories Various % 1 February 2015

Brasshards Plumbing miscellaneous Up to 10% 1 February 2015

Cibo Design Vanity units Various % 1 February 2015

CSR Building - Bradford Insulation Roofing products & insulation 3-7.5% 1 February 2015

Elster Metering Water meters & fittings Various % 1 February 2015

Gemini Industries Toilets & basins 4% 1 February 2015

Holman Distributors Irrigation products Up to 10% 1 February 2015

Hygrade Water Covers, grates & universal couplings 7.50% 1 February 2015

LWG Zurn Australia Plumbing miscellaneous Various % 1 February 2015

Neta - Div of Husqvarna Irrigation products Various % 1 February 2015

Netafim Irrigation products Various % 1 February 2015

Novelli (Award Brands) Tapware & bathroomware Various % 1 February 2015

Polymaster Rainwater tank range Various % 1 February 2015

PR Kitchen & Washroom Systems Sinks & troughs Various % 1 February 2015

RBA Group Commercial washroom accessories 3-5% 1 February 2015

Repelec Hardware products Various % 1 February 2015

Thermogroup Mirrors & heated towel rails Various % 1 February 2015

Vulkan Australia Lokring products 4% 1 February 2015

Astralpool Australia Pool products 2.8-3.0% 1 March 2015

Ausplastics Plastic pipe & fittings Various % 1 March 2015

Bremick Fasteners Bolts, nuts & fasteners 7.50% 1 March 2015

Caroma Dorf Tapware & bathroomware Various % 1 March 2015

Decina Bathroomware Baths & spas 4.5-8.5% 1 March 2015

Dixon Asia Pacific Fire products Various % 1 March 2015

Dy-Mark Spray paint 2.50% 1 March 2015

Galvin Engineering Commercial tapware & brassware Various % 1 March 2015

Hydroflow (Aust) Distributors Backflow valves Various % 1 March 2015

Johnson Controls Refrigeration controls Various % 1 March 2015

Macsim Fastenings Hardware products 6% 1 March 2015

Stormtech Drainage products Various % 1 March 2015

Sussex Taps Tapware 5% 1 March 2015

Rolling Stones inspire loo designA urinal inspired by the Rolling Stones’ iconic lips logo won a Sydney restaurant and bar the title of ‘Best Bathroom’ at the Australian Hotel Awards recently.

The iconic design was created by Dutch artist Meike van Schijndel and has been featured in trendy restaurants and bars all over the world. In fact, the urinal is so famous, it even has a Facebook page with over 26,000 fans dedicated to the big red lips!

The red lips are just one of the wild and wacky toilet designs out there. China Daily reports an artist in the Guangdong province, South China, used 10,000 recycled toilets, sinks and urinals to create a piece of public art: a fountain and waterfall. This unique artwork is 100 metres long and almost five metres tall!

The installation can be found in Foshan, in the Guangdong province, which has caused mixed reactions from locals. Originally designed for the 2009 Foshan Pottery and Porcelain Festival, China Daily reports the piece has been installed as a permanent piece of public art. All of the toilets and urinals are connected to a tap – should you wish to flush. Now that would be a waterfall of epic proportions!

Expanding the networkRELOCATION

Reece Plumbing Footscray440 Geelong Road, West Footscray, VIC 3012

Ph (03) 9314 5544Fax (03) 9314 3281Email Footscray.Plumbing.VIC@reece.com.au

NEW STORE

Reece Civil Wingfield162 Francis Rd, Wingfield, SA 5000

Ph (08) 8349 1840Fax (08) 8349 1849Email Wingfield.Civil.SA@reece.com.au

Working on a bathroom you think people have to see? Promote your projects through the Reece Bathroom Photography Program (BPP).Every day we’re looking for new bathrooms to showcase and send to magazines and share on our website. The Bathroom Photography Program is a free service which promotes the best bathrooms in the country to the media and on our website which receives hundreds of thousands of visitors every month.

Here’s how it works. With the owner’s permission, you submit their bathroom for consideration by filling out a form, which will be provided by your Reece consultant. Whether you’ve worked on a new build or a renovation, our selection team will determine the most standout bathrooms to feature, no matter the size of the job. Bathrooms that are accepted into the program will then be pitched out to media and/or pushed through our website and social media channels.

It’s a great way to get the word out there about you and your business, and we give full credit to our account customers, because we’re as proud of your work as you are. The exposure BPP will give your project is invaluable, with some bathrooms having been featured in magazines like Home Beautiful and newspapers such as the Herald Sun, as well as local papers. It’s the ultimate exposure for the businesses and people involved.

Every day we’re astounded by the bathroom projects we receive showcasing amazing design and products that have been put together with care and professionalism.

Here are two examples:

Australian Home Beautiful featured James Dawson’s St Lucia bathroom in a double page spread after finding out about the project through the Bathroom Photography Program. Over 600,000 Aussies read the magazine each month so it was great exposure for the people involved and products used (top left).

Over 700,000 Australians read about Gary Windiate’s Elsternwick bathroom in Victoria after being submitted to the Bathroom Photography Program. Glossy magazine Australian House and Garden decided to run a four page spread about the bathroom, the process behind the build and the materials used. Over 700,000 Aussies read Australian House and Garden each month. Over 15, 000 people then checked it out on our Reece website after the magazine came out to see the floor plan and to get a closer look at the products featured (top right).

If you’re working on a bathroom you’re proud of, flick it through to the BPP team by emailing bpp@trout.com.au or have a chat to your local Reece showroom consultant.

Check out our gallery of bathroom projects submitted for the BPP by visiting http://www.reece.com.au/bathrooms/inspiration/gallery.

Calling all brilliant bathrooms!