All Posts By

Chris Malcolmson

Commercial Water-Saving Tips

Did you know that Melbourne has enough water and sewerage pipes to encircle the entire globe? That’s 52,343 km at the last count, according to Living Victoria, a $50-million initiative supported by the state Government. Their point? Nearly all the water we use in the city is pumped from out of town – and we need to do something about it. While the cost of importing water goes up every year, we continue to waste more water than we use – nearly 900 billion litres annually, or enough to fill Sydney Harbour twice over. That’s water we could use for…

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Seven Seconds to Save Your Sight

You have seven seconds to save your sight. But you’re not thinking about that … You stumble blindly across the room, trying to ignore the searing pain burrowing deeper into your eye-sockets with every step you take. Then you’re there … head down, you hit the release bar and let the jets of cool, clear water begin to flush the acid from your eyes. You were lucky –and only meters from a safety eyewash station when the accident occurred. Your doctor confirmed that there’s no permanent damage to your sight. But it might have been another story … When was…

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Watch your temper

The tempering of hot water was introduced to the heated water services installation standard to ensure the safety of consumers and the community, and reduce risks, such as skin burns, to users. As the cooler months approach it is vital practitioners ensure hot water standards are met. Without the use of set temperature controls, personal hygiene fixtures such as showers and basins have the potential to expose users to extreme water temperatures. This risk can be easily eliminated by the use
of an appropriately marked temperature control device, such as a tempering valve, thermostatic mixing valve or a water heater complying…

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The Haunted Hospital

It was eerily quiet. The building had been abandoned some 6 years earlier. Entire wards, which once would have once been a busy epicentre, full of patients and medical professionals, now lay completely empty. The only sound that could be heard was the second hand ticking on the clock hanging high on the wall. And then all of a sudden the second stopped, and never moved again… Rumours that the building was haunted were well known. As we arrived to start work we we’re first briefed by the long time security guard, some 8 years. His instructions were simple: Do…

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The Plumbing Detective

The Forensic Plumber Being a top service technician in commercial plumbing maintenance is, in essence, being great at problem solving. You are presented with a problem for which you must provide a solution. Simple, right? So, what distinguishes a good maintenance plumber from a great one? I believe it’s in their heads. What distinguishes them isn’t technical knowledge or years of industry experience, although these do play a major part. What distinguishes them is they approach problems with a passionate state-of-mind and attitude. From the moment the service technician arrives onsite, they follow a strict set of procedural and highly-tuned…

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What is Backflow and Why is it Important?

When you’re running a business, it’s difficult to focus on anything that isn’t at the top of your priority list. That doesn’t leave much time for making sure you don’t unknowingly break one of the hundreds of laws that apply to businesses in Australia. So, if you’re unfamiliar with the Victoria Water Industry Regulations 2006 and what they say about backflow prevention, you’re not alone. Here’s what you need to know: What is Backflow? Put simply, backflow occurs when water in a system of pipework flows the opposite way to its correct direction – into the main reticulation system, and…

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Relentless Determination

The task set out was relatively simple, in theory. Remove the existing back flow prevention device from the access hole in the roof and re-direct the pipes to the new device on the wall, a much easier point to test the device. As a 1st year apprentice now at the end of my third week, I was already unsurprised that the instructions from the work order would prove more difficult that that. The sheer size of the back flow device, combined with the vice like grip the hemp around the thread had created, meant that the biggest ‘Stilsons’ pipe wrenches…

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Water-Saving Technology

In many ways, the role of technology in our 21st-century lives doesn’t even register. Today, when even an average smartphone packs more computing punch than the last Apollo space mission, only truly exceptional tech is newsworthy. That may explain why many industries are still not adopting new technologies that improve water efficiency – that’s according to extensive research carried out by Australia’s Nursery and Garden Industry Association. The NGIA report concluded that increased use of technology could save more than 115 billion litres of water every year in commercial nurseries across Australia. Business owners expect to see a healthy financial…

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Gas Safety and Carbon Monoxide

It kills silently, taking lives without pity or remorse. Young children and the elderly make easy targets, yet many Australians have no idea how to protect themselves and their families. This year, unless the trend of the past decade is reversed, at least one person in Victoria will die needlessly – the victim of carbon monoxide poisoning. Next year will be the same … Do you own or manage rented accommodation or multi-residential premises? Do you know what to do? If not, you need help … or your property could become a death trap and you could end up with…

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Irrigation and Water Management

If water-wasting was a competitive sport, Australia would be up there with the best. Few nations come close to us in pouring precious resources down the drain, and in Victoria, we’re no slouches either. Every year, agricultural businesses in Victoria use more than 1,500 trillion litres of water for irrigation – almost one-quarter of all irrigation water in Australia. If this sounds like a lot, consider that up to 30 per cent is wasted before it reaches the farm gate … It gets worse – another 20 per cent can be lost in local distribution and a further 15 per…

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