We’re in your corner with advice, business support and after sales service. We stock a massive range of all the leading brands from reputable suppliers ensuring reliable supply and efficient service. Easy online access to ordering, means thousands of products are now at your fingertips, with delivery or express checkout in-store. By shopping with us you’ll earn MaxPoints on every purchase plus bonus MaxPoints on selected product offerings*.
Here’s why we do it – were 100% owned by Kiwi tradies like you. So when you need a helping hand, we’ll be totally there for you.
*Terms and conditions apply.
CEO Greg Wallace EDITOR Beverly Sellers 0272 923 923 bsellers@masterplumbers.org.nz
Blue Star
81 The Esplanade, Petone Wellington 6141
SCG Senior Designer – Julian Pettitt
SCG Senior Account Director – LauraGrace McFarland scg.net.nz
NZ Plumber is published six times a year by Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ. Members and Certifying tradespeople receive all six editions. If you wish to opt out, please email bsellers@masterplumbers.org.nz
To order an annual subscription, go to www.masterplumbers.org.nz
For enquiries, or to update your details: bsellers@masterplumbers.org.nz
Non-Master Plumbers’ members with address detail changes should notify the PGD Board direct, giving their registration number here: registration@pgdb.co.nz
NZ Plumber is the official magazine of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Inc. Contact details for the Master Plumbers board, staff, branches and associations are available at www.masterplumbers.org.nz
©NZ Plumber 2013. Registered as a Newspaper, GPO, Wellington, ISSN 0111-4379. NZ Plumber is subject to copyright in its entirety. The contents may not be reproduced in any form, either in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved in material accepted for publication, unless initially specified otherwise. All letters and other material forwarded to the magazine will be assumed intended for publication unless clearly labelled ‘Not for Publication’. Views expressed in articles in NZ Plumber magazine are not necessarily those of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Inc, or of the Editor. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information included in this publication, the publisher and the Editor take no responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences of reliance on this information. Publication of advertising material implies no endorsement of either a product or service.
Slowly but surely, our built landscape is changing.
The general talk may be of downturn and recession, but the New Zealand construction industry looks to have a solid pipeline of work for some time to come. With a projected decline from $50 billion worth of total construction activity to around $41.7 billion in 2027, there is still way more work than the industry can handle, given current skills shortages.
New housing intensification legislation has set medium density residential standards that will change the shape of housing development in Aotearoa. In this edition’s feature article starting on page 12, we look at the new standards and how they will impact the plumbing industry. When considered together with climate change adaptation plans, our industry can expect new technologies, compliance requirements, and ways of working in the years ahead.
All of which can put pressure on business owners and their teams, coping with heavy workloads, staff shortages, product supply issues and long building consent wait times. If you haven’t yet, jump on board with the wellbeing roadshow events running through Master Plumbers branches and associations. It’s great to see regional activities ramping up again now that the Covid traffic light system has been removed—turn to page 52 for a round-up of events.
Featured on our cover this issue is Sam Arundel and the team from The Drainage Department. Sam was awarded the 2022 New Zealand Plumber, Gasfitter or Drainlayer of the Year Award for his excellent trade and leadership skills. He is on a mission to change traditional perceptions of drainlaying and, with his wife Zennor, has created a business that both looks great and provides excellent service. Read more on page 48.
Sam, like many other employers, knows the benefit to his business and the industry in taking on apprentices. We talk to two others, including the 2022 Trainer of the Year, on p78. Enjoy the read!
Beverly Sellers Editor, NZ Plumber, bsellers@masterplumbers.org.nz
Kawea mai nga korero pono mai i nga tangata tuturu huri noa i Aotearoa
Bringing you real stories from real people around New Zealand
air-towater heat pumps to heat and cool the home
Spacesaving
StormSlab stormwater retention and detention system
Aquacomb® modular water storage system
It’s hard to go past the $20,000 Master Plumbers Guarantee
Activities and events at Master Plumbers—plus a new staff uniform resource
How this business is changing perceptions of drainlaying
& about Branch and Association events
A new General Manager for Masterlink
Day in the life New series: diary of an apprentice
How learning team sessions can help get health & safety conversations started
7 things you must do... In a recession
How different age groups in the workplace can help your business success
There’s nothing stopping women getting into a plumbing career, says this awardwinning apprentice
Go with your gut Tips for bowel cancer prevention and detection
Don’t let interest expenses overwhelm you
Small gestures can go a long way— and why trust is a precious commodity
Talking to two plumbers training the next generation
The challenges—and opportunities—for Te Pūkenga
Freestyle trampoline athlete Max McQuoid
Plumbing, gas and drainage no-nos
Sam Arundel, owner of The Drainage Department in Mount Maunganui, believes drainlaying is an under-appreciated trade—and he’s on a mission to change perceptions. The fact that drainage work gets covered up means it needs to be done right first time, and built to last. But the very fact that it’s unseen means it’s also the unsung hero of our trades. Turn to page 48 to find out how Sam and his wife Zennor are putting the wow factor into the drainage services they offer to the region.
As we start to enjoy the benefits of daylight saving—giving us more time to spend with family, exercise and make plans for the summer days ahead—I want to remind members of the importance of balancing work with the five pillars of wellbeing in the Master Plumbers Wellbeing on Tap programme: nourish, sleep, active, mind and connect.
We’ve now been able put back in place our branch Wellbeing on Tap Toolbox Talk roadshows with Wellbeing Guy Kereama Carmody and HR Manager Lisa Duston. I do want members to understand that we need to have robust and mature discussions around the deeply concerning statistics on suicide and mental health distress in the construction sector.
It is just as important to look after the wellbeing of your employees by offering support for good mental health as it is to look after their physical health and safety in terms of cuts, sprains and other injuries.
WorkSafe CEO Phil Parkes recently highlighted the fact that there are still major issues in the construction sector when it comes to worker wellbeing and a lack of commitment to addressing both injury prevention and mental health.
Master Plumbers is absolutely committed to providing resources, content and support to ensure that our Wellbeing on Tap programme can be easily adapted and accepted across all businesses. When there are presentations in your local
area, I strongly encourage you and your employees to attend.
Workplaces have a legal responsibility to manage risks to mental wellbeing and you will also be helping create a culture where the industry cares for the health and safety of all employees. As workforce shortages remain this industry’s biggest issue, showing that you provide a safe and welcoming team culture is something all businesses could improve on.
Showing that you provide a safe and welcoming team culture is something all businesses could improve on.
inspections can bring, including efficiencies, data collection and record keeping.
In 2023, it will be 20 years since gasfitters in Aotearoa transitioned to a self-certifying model. It is quite ludicrous that, 20 years later, we are still battling bureaucrats to get some recognition for the plumbing and drainlaying industry. Although pilots are encouraging, the slow uptake by MBIE officials has been quite frustrating as we continue to deal with record numbers of consents.
I mentioned this in a meeting with Minister Dr Megan Woods and, whilst a review of BCAs (ie, councils) is currently underway, it seems this could take up to three years to progess with any meaningful change.
On another note, I am pleased to see that Auckland City Council has started to engage with Master Plumbers on a selfverification model. We have been working closely with the BRANZ Artisan app to provide remote inspections in a pilot scheme for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Through Master Plumbers Auckland President Reuben Cutts and Auckland Council, we are expanding this pilot across the greater Auckland region. We also hope other councils will see the multiple benefits remote
Finally, I would like to thank Plumbing World for my recent Industry Recognition Award for supporting and campaigning for the plumbing industry. It was a huge honour to receive this and quite a surprise. I’d like to recognise the entire Master Plumbers team, who support me in this role. I was very proud to receive this award on behalf of the industry and particularly all at Master Plumbers. Thank you to Rob Kidd and the Plumbing World team.
Ina taurite nga mea katoa ka ora tatou When all things are in balance, we thrive
got all your hot water needs covered.
On average, at least two construction workers have died every month since January 2021—with one suicide a week— and one worker a day has been seriously injured.
These are shocking statistics and don’t compare well with other developed countries, including Australia, Canada and the UK.
Immediate change is needed, said CHASNZ Chief Executive Chris Alderson in September. “The construction workforce is currently under extreme pressure from internal and external factors, and this also increases the risk of a normal day’s work becoming one with a tragic outcome.
“We need the courage to challenge doing things in the name of health and safety that don’t actually improve safety on site and we need to put more time and resource back into our site supervisors and
workforce so they can focus on getting the job done right rather than fast, cheaply or without the things that make the work safer.”
The increasing number of people working in construction is also part of the reason for the high injury stats compared with other sectors. Construction is currently the second fastest growing workforce, making up 10% of all workers.
WorkSafe Chief Executive Phil Parkes is warning company owners and directors of “swift enforcement” action if they ignore their health and safety obligations. “The message is clear—those who can influence how work is done must do so.”
Plenty of plumbers in Aotearoa will have come across substandard tapware products that clients have bought and want fitted in their bathrooms.
The revised Australian tapware performance standard AS 3718: 2021 is a welcome update, bringing new requirements for surface mounting strength, a new specification on the hydraulic strength of spouts and more rigorous endurance testing requirements for rotating spout designs. These should make tapware available for sale in New Zealand less prone to failure.
Key additional requirements in AS 3718: 2021:
Requires a torque to be applied to the body of the tap rather than an axial force
Loading requirements are now applied 360° around the tap
Waterways after shut-off device (eg, spout) must be subjected to pressure test, as well as tap body and shut-off device
Spouts of rotating taps must be stress-tested under prolonged endurance test.
For plumbers installing tapware, these additional requirements will ensure tapware is tested to a more rigorous set of conditions and, more importantly, a more realistic set of scenarios that better reflect real-word usage conditions of in-service tapware.
Whilst the standard is no longer a joint standard with Australia and New Zealand, it is recognised and applied in New Zealand.
This news item is based on a longer article in Plumbing Connection magazine by Paul Oliveri, a Test Engineer at PROVE Standards and Engineering in Victoria, Australia.
Digital Boost is a government initiative to help small businesses develop their digital skills and capability. Launched in 2020, programme funding has now been extended through to June 2023. Digital Boost initiatives to date include video case studies of business owners, who share their experiences of adopting digital tools, and a free digital skills training platform, Digital Boost Educate.
Digital Boost Checkable is the newest tool to be added. Checkable helps business owners to check the performance of their website, social media, marketing, cyber security and e-commerce, and to develop a customised digital action plan.
Try it out at digitalboost.business.govt.nz/s/checkable
Before the risks of asbestos were well understood, many plumbers and other construction workers unwittingly breathed in dangerous airborne particles. The fibres stay in the body, causing scarring and damage,
SiteSafe launched its new and improved Foundation Passport training courses in September, following a nationwide trial. Aimed at the building, construction and civil sectors, the courses cover on-site health and safety topics, such as understanding and controlling risk, basic hazards and legal requirements.
Changes in the updated training include an understanding of the top critical hazardous activities; newly introduced mental health information; and twice the number of Review of Understanding questions to be answered. The look and feel have also been altered to address the needs of those with learning difficulties.
The courses are available online or in a classroom setting.
Visit sitesafe.org.nz/training for details.
which can eventually lead to mesothelioma cancer or other related diseases.
Rule changes in 2016 saw our asbestos regulations brought into line with other countries, requiring anyone removing more than 10m2 of non-friable asbestos to hold a Class B licence. Those removing any amount of friable asbestos must have a Class A licence.
In the same year, it also became illegal to import products containing asbestos into New Zealand. At the time, around 170 people in New Zealand were dying each year from
asbestos-related diseases, according to WorkSafe—many of them in their 50s and 60s.
The 2016 regulations prompted the introduction of unit standards to cover the knowledge and skills needed by asbestos removal workers, supervisors and assessors.
Six asbestos removal unit standards are now undergoing a review to make sure they are still relevant to the industry’s needs. Public feedback received is being considered and the reviewed unit standards are due to be submitted to NZQA in early December.
Offsite building manufacturers that meet certain criteria will be able to become certified and registered to produce modular components through the government’s new BuiltReady voluntary certification scheme.
Under the scheme, the entire prefabricated construction process from design, manufacture, assembly, transportation and installation on-site will be assessed and certified—with the aim of reducing consent inspections.
An accredited and registered modular component manufacturer certification body will be responsible for third party inspections, audits and post-certification surveillance to make sure certified manufacturers are producing components that comply with the Building Code.
The BuiltReady voluntary certification scheme has been introduced by changes to the Building Act that came into effect in early September. It will be open for applications from manufacturers in 2023.
Sky Wallace recently raised $326 for World Vision by not saying a word for 40 hours! Eight-year-old Sky, who is the granddaughter of former RMC General Manager Kevin Healy, says her school in Auckland was helping raise money for people without water in third world countries and she was excited to be part of it. The fundraiser was a 40-Hour Famine, but Sky’s parents weren’t too keen on that idea. “So, I decided to do something even harder—no talking for 40 hours!” she says. The money she raised is enough to give three children long-term clean water from a pump close to their home—making her granddad and whole family very proud. “Now it’s your turn to get involved!” says Sky. www.worldvision.org.nz/connect/40-hour-famine
Dominic Holden, an 11-year-old student at Newlands Intermediate in Wellington, took out top prize at the 2022 NIWA Wellington Science and Technology Fair for his innovative building blocks that use waste materials, such as glass, polystyrene and rubber. With construction and demolition waste representing up to half of all waste, according to recent BRANZ research, Dominic wanted to look at ways of reducing construction industry carbon emissions. That boy will go far!
Four Otago Boys’ High School pupils have developed a plumbing device to prevent water wastage. Dan Hayman, the student leading the project, said he got the idea from when his family’s holiday home was flooded by a burst pipe. Hydretta, as the device is called, uses a timer and valve to stop the pump to a water tank if it runs longer than the time set—minimising property damage in the event of burst pipes or accidentally leaving a tap running. The students worked with the Otago University Computer Science Department to develop the prototype and have undertaken the project as part of the Lion Foundation’s Young Enterprise Scheme, a nationwide business startup competition. The boys have attracted an investor and a local electronics manufacturer has agreed to build the device. The next step is to secure a sales deal and they’d love to hear from anyone who is interested. Learn more at https://hydretta.mystorbie.com
Send us your good news stories! Email the Ed: bsellers@masterplumbers.org.nz
Proving that children really are our future...Benjamen Tucker, Abdul Obaidullah, Dan Hayman and Connor Feist with the Hydretta prototype.
New medium density residential standards bring specific challenges when building up not out. NZ Plumber investigates how the growing trend for multi-unit homes will impact the plumbing industry.
AUTHOR: MATTHEW LOWE
Plumbers can expect to feel the squeeze when it comes to trying to do work on new homes in urban areas, following the introduction of medium density residential standards.
The rules, which came into effect in August through an amendment to the Resource Management Act, allow developers to build three homes up to three storeys high on most sites without the need for a resource consent.
Territorial authorities in the greater urban areas of Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch and the Rotorua Lakes District must apply the standards, while other councils in areas experiencing acute housing shortages may also be required to include them in their plans.
Modelling shows the new rules could see more than 100,000 new dwellings built in the next eight years, with a substantial number being townhouses and terraced housing.
Plumbing businesses are concerned how it will affect access to worksites and warn there will also be limited space to store materials or tools while working on a project.
With more multi-storey homes set to be developed, extra efforts to minimise the noise from pipes will also need to be considered.
Gavin Chambers, Managing Director of Mander & Co Ltd in Johnsonville, Wellington,
PHOTOGRAPH: DALE LOVELLThe impacts of climate change are also set to change our building landscape in future. Plumbers expect increasingly larger pipes to be used on a number of projects as Aotearoa adapts.
The Government recently released New Zealand’s first adaptation plan to show its priorities for the next six years. These include reducing and managing the impacts of climate hazards on homes and buildings, and embedding climate resilience in all its strategies and policies.
Reforms of the Resource Management Act that are expected next year will be the primary driver in a number of areas, including planning tools to ensure homes and infrastructure are built away from high-risk zones. Some in the plumbing industry expect
the adaptation plan will lead to increased environmental controls and greater use of stormwater detention systems. It may also lead to water tanks being installed at more homes, “even if just for people’s gardens”.
Dale Lovell, Director of Heron Plumbing in Auckland, believes plumbers will need to think increasingly about climate issues when undertaking projects.
“You may have put a 100mm pipe in the ground 10 years ago but if we start having what have been considered one-in-100-year floods happening every couple of years then maybe putting bigger pipes in is the way to go,” he says. “Other actions would be installing bigger spouting on houses and bigger downpipes so water discharges faster when there are heavy downpours.”
Gavin Chambers, Managing Director of Mander & Co Ltd in Johnsonville, Wellington, says increasing the size of spouting and downpipes can help cope with more rainfall but drainage and infrastructure in many areas are not coping.
“This has led to flooding events that the client may incorrectly consider is the result of inadequate pipework installed by the plumber/drainlayer,” he says.
Dale adds that there is a lack of clarity for plumbers, because approaches to dealing with climate-related problems are disjointed across local authorities.
“If you had a set plan that applied no matter where you were in the country, that would solve a lot of issues because currently different areas have different rules,” he says.
says getting vehicle access close to jobs has become more difficult in some areas.
“We have noticed there are a lot more cars parked on the road outside new homes or rentals that have been built on existing sections in established suburbs,” he says.
“This makes it increasingly difficult to find close parking and sometimes necessitates a long carry of tools and fixtures. In situations like this, having apprentices makes the cost to clients more palatable and eases the workload for the tradesman. It does mean adding time to a quote to compensate.”
Dave Norriss, General Manager at JLP Plumbing in Wellington, says a major change for plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers under the standards may be more multi-level work and an extra focus on stormwater retention/detention.
He also notes that access in and around sites will be tighter and tradesmen will have to consider that they will be working much closer to neighbouring properties.
“There will be more issues with noise and acoustics, and routes for pipes from higher levels to lower levels,” says Dave.
“This will require more knowledge on multi-level plumbing systems such as vented modified and elevated drainage.”
Plumbers say housing intensification makes getting vehicle access close to jobs more difficult.
Growth in housing densification will likely require a number of plumbers to learn new skills as they shift from working mostly on single-storey homes to multi-storey properties.
Dale Lovell, Director of Heron Plumbing in Auckland, says plumbers will need knowledge of venting systems on stacks, how to put in joist hangers and the use of stud stiffeners when drilling through building elements.
“It always pays to upskill as your career goes along and it would be good to see more workshops being offered in this space for those moving on to working on buildings of three, four or more storeys.”
Dale would also like to see more emphasis put on plumbing design in the development of medium density houses.
“No one thinks about the plumber when they design some of these homes and developers often want you to run waste pipes through joists where there’s minimum space to do that,” he explains.
“If developers had to do a certain amount of design work before being able to go ahead with their project, with plumbing design being a part of that, then that would be a step forward.”
Peter Downey, of plumbing and hydraulic design specialists HSCNZ, says there are a number of factors plumbers and drainlayers should consider when
working on medium density homes. Among those is that the ownership title structure— whether fee simple, unit title, or leasehold— affects the type of drainage system needed.
Fee simple requires each lot to be serviced by a public drain. For a unit title with a body corporation in place, common private drainage can be extended to service each title, and leasehold is similar to unit title.
“In the case of fee simple ownership, ensure a separate public water meter for each lot. Unit title and leasehold can have
private water meters downstream of the public water meter,” says Peter.
He also recommends making sure all valves are easily accessible and all pipes internally are installed so they generate less sound.
“The pipes should be kept separated from the structure by rubber insulation, to reduce noise transmission.”
When it comes to sanitary plumbing, he explains sufficient vertical passage should be provided as every graded offset generates noise.
“Noise can be an issue but remember the plumbing noise generated in a threelevel home is the same as a two-level home. Same family, same noise. Noise is more of a consideration when a separate household unit sits over the household unit below. That’s really when noise deadening techniques must be considered in the water, sanitary and downpipe services.”
Plumbers should also provide enough depth for the pipe diameter and its associated falls, says Peter. “Also, consider the terminus location of the main vent pipe, which must be three metres away from any openable window or trafficable deck.”
He says when working on roofs, balconies and deck drains, every downpipe in an internal gutter must have its own associated overflow pipe, which must be the same cross-sectional area as the downpipe it serves.
Besides what tradespeople need to consider, the Government’s push for more multi-storey houses has led to an architect and urban planning specialist to call for the reinstatement of a government agency to provide strategic design oversight.
The position of Government Architect, which headed the Ministry of Works and Development’s architectural division, was created in 1909 before being disestablished 20 years ago when the ministry was closed.
Patrick Sloan, founder of Sloan Architects in Auckland, says the role was to advise government on all aspects of architecture, building and the built environment.
“The ability to intensify vertically in suburban areas could see sites that may have been previously uneconomic to develop become viable to a developer,” he explains.
“At the same time, record costs for building materials and rising interest rates will incentivise developers to build at speed and to maximise profit.
“The risk is that we will see substandard developments proceed that make little or no contribution to the neighbourhoods and communities that we all live in.”
Sloan says visionary thinking and design leadership that looks decades into the future around housing intensification is required and this could come by reintroducing the Government Architect position.
The new medium density residential standards could see more than 100,000 new dwellings built in the next eight years. PHOTOGRAPH: DALE LOVELL Feature
For a whole range of reasons, it’s easier and quicker to rely on ‘tried and tested’ products when building residential homes in New Zealand—but this is holding back necessary innovation, according to the Commerce Commission’s recently released draft report on competition in the residential building supplies market. NZ Plumber takes a look.
The complexity of New Zealand’s building regulatory system makes builders, designers and councils favour ‘tried and tested’ building products— and this is hampering innovation.
This is one of the key findings in the Commerce Commission’s draft report on its study into residential building supplies, released in August. The study focused on competition for building supplies for the major components of a home: foundations, flooring, roof, walls and insulation.
It was commissioned in November 2021 by the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hon Dr David Clark, who said it was critical that Kiwis have access to fairly priced building materials.
At the time of the report’s release, the average cost to build a residential home in New Zealand was $2,696 per square metre. Building materials are estimated to comprise 16%-24% of the total cost of residential housing development—or 23%33% if you exclude land and infrastructure costs. Labour, GST and professional services make up the bulk of the rest.
Consents for new residential homes have reached record highs in 2022, and residential building activity has also increased on the previous year. The value of alterations and additions to residential buildings was $2.4 billion in the year ended Dec 2021, up from $1.2 billion in the year ended Dec 2012.
The regulatory system is complex to navigate and makes it difficult for competing suppliers to enter the market
Designers and builders generally use ‘tried and tested’ products because they’re proven to perform and there is a clear compliance pathway
Certain key building supplies are often specified by brand in building plans and consent applications—and builders generally don’t use other options because of the administrative effort, uncertainty and potential delays when seeking a variation to the consent
Suppliers of new products must establish compliance with multiple Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) and not all decisions are consistent
It’s difficult to find useful information about new or innovative products to help product suppliers and designers assess if they would comply with the Building Code
New Zealand’s small size and demand uncertainties (eg, boom-bust construction cycle) make it challenging for domestic manufacturers to achieve efficient scale, and less attractive for entrepreneurs to import products
Some major building supply merchants are using exclusive leases and restrictive covenants on land to limit other merchants from being able to access suitable sites to open stores
Rebate arrangements between suppliers and merchants can make it harder for alternative suppliers to compete effectively.
Introducing the Rinnai INFINITY® A28i. This is the first A Series unit for internal applications, and has an output of 28 L/min.
The Rinnai INFINITY® EF26 provides a condensing hot water solution for residential applications, using 11% less energy* and weighing 30% less**.
When compared to the A26 ** When compared to the EF24
Are you keeping the team safe from carcinogens and airborne risks?
Hazardous dust caused by cutting or grinding work is a very real risk in the plumbing industry. Breathing in hazardous dust can cause diseases such as lung or upper respiratory tract cancers; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); asbestos-related diseases; and silicosis.
WorkSafe has published a new quick guide to using industrial vacuums and portable extractors. The guide discusses the selection of the filter and vacuum, appliance maintenance and worker information and training. It joins existing WorkSafe guidance on using local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems and on-tool extraction.
Find WorkSafe’s new quick guide to industrial vacuums and portable extractors among the guidance at www.worksafe.govt.nz/topic-and-industry/dust
If you live in Christchurch or Dunedin, there’s still time to get along to a WorkSafe carcinogens and airborne risks roadshow. The sessions focus on asbestos, silica, welding fumes and wood dust. Visit www.worksafe.govt.nz for dates and times and to register (enter roadshow in the search bar).
Rinnai say they are finding more and more customers selecting high-efficiency condensing water heaters for both residential and commercial applications. For example, the recently opened Britomart 5-green-star hotel uses Rinnai INFINITY N56 boilers for its water heating system.
The effect of condensate needs to be understood when installing both condensing and standard-efficiency appliances.
When gas is burned, carbon dioxide and water is produced. In a standard-efficiency appliance, all the water exits the flue terminal as a vapour. In a condensing appliance, sufficient energy is removed from the products of combustion for some water to condense and drain as a liquid from the appliance.
Condensed water from a boiler will generally have a pH between 3 and 4 (lower pH = more acidic). By way of comparison, vinegar has a pH of approximately 3.
This mildly acidic water can impact installations with both condensing and non-condensing appliances in the following ways.
Where the exhaust hits cooler surfaces, water will condense. This will corrode many metals over time. Galvanising, in particular, will be removed, exposing steel substrate to rust. Marine-grade stainless steel offers reasonable protection. Some epoxy powdercoat may offer protection (refer to the coating manufacturer to confirm suitability). Some anodized aluminium may be affected.
Rinnai have seen installations where boilers have been installed in car parks. “While these boilers are open on the sides and may meet the outdoor area definitions in Appendix I of AS/NZS 5601.1, in these installations we often see corroded metal building elements in the areas above and in front of the units,” say the Rinnai Commercial Hot Water team. “The best solution for an application of this kind is to use internal water heaters, such as the Rinnai INFINITY N56. This can be fitted with an economical exhaust-only horizontal flue.”
The mildly acidic condensate will dissolve cement over time. You can see the result of this in the photograph on this page. The cement is gone, leaving the aggregate exposed. If the flue will terminate horizontally over concrete or other material that won’t tolerate the condensate, make sure the flue is pitched well back to the boiler and drain the condensate to waste.
There are other considerations that particularly apply to condensing boiler installations.
Some of the water vapour in the flue exhaust will condense as it passes into cold surrounding air. This means the flue products may be particularly noticeable in a condensing appliance as a visible plume around the flue terminal. Consideration of this phenomenon should be given when locating flue terminals, particularly where neighbours may raise concerns.
A condensate drain line must be fitted—normally to a gully. Drain lines must not be in copper. Copper will corrode away very quickly. Rinnai have seen some instances of copper condensate drain lines above copper gas supply pipes. PVC is the preferred material, or 316L stainless steel is acceptable.
Condensate is mildly acidic and will dissolve cement over time if it drips onto concrete.
With high-efficiency condensing water heaters growing in popularity, Rinnai has installation advice on dealing with gas boiler condensate.
To ensure the drain line empties and will not be subject to freezing, an air-break should be provided, and the line pitched preferably 50mm/m.
Condensate will normally be drained by gravity. Where this is not possible, a condensate pump can be fitted. Condensate pumps are commonly available for heat pumps. Ensure the system selected is specified as suitable for gas boilers. Condensate pumps usually incorporate a small reservoir. There is normally a float that will trip an upper limit switch if the pump fails and the reservoir is close to overflowing.
“Most modern condensing boilers such as the Rinnai INFINITY N56 have the facility to connect to this upper limit switch,” say the Rinnai team. “When the boiler detects the switch closing, it will cease operation to avoid condensate overflow and prevent damage. An error code identifying the issue is then displayed.”
Where the exhaust hits cooler surfaces, water will condense, corroding many metals over time.
Boiler condensate can be treated by passing it through a container of lime flakes. “While treatment is not normally necessary, some water heaters, such as the Rinnai INFINITY EF26, incorporate condensate treatment inside the appliance,” say the team. “The lime flakes will need to be replenished over time and the container flushed with water to remove accumulated sludge. Treated condensate should still be drained to a sanitary sewer rather than the customer’s prized begonias!”
Condensing gas appliances offer significant running cost and emission reduction benefits to consumers. Many are futureproofed for the introduction of hydrogen blends. Once the industry is fully converted to hydrogen, all appliances will likely be condensing. Take the simple steps outlined above when planning installations to ensure reliable, long-lasting performance.
About the author: The Rinnai Commercial Hot Water team are available to assist with specifying residential or commercial condensing water heaters. Please contact the team on 0800 RINNAI; 0800 746624
be detected by a few copper windings positioned in the magnetic field.
Of course, things have been refined since those early days, but the basic techniques are the same, in that the signal strength from a radiating source is detected and shown on a display, traditionally in two dimensions.
The classic screen shows a peak signal when directly over the cable and left/right arrows to keep the cable directly below the locator.
However, the space around us is 3D, as are the signals. Latest technology allows us to analyse the signal with new and exciting 3D views of the environment, making it much easier and faster for the operator to locate and trace underground services.
Using latest technology, the vector screen shows a 3D image of the underground service in relation to the locator. Horizontal distance and depth information to the service is displayed and the operator no longer needs to be directly over the service.
The 2017 Marsden Point Oil Pipeline accident in Northland demonstrates just how valuable it is to know where buried services are located before soil is turned.
The potential costs of repair to damaged pipes and cables, along with the delays caused whilst waiting for repairs—and the potential injury or loss of life from striking underground utilities—make it a necessity for tradespeople and businesses across the construction and maintenance industries to pre-emptively do a sweep of the site with approved underground location equipment.
Locating buried utilities has stayed essentially the same since it was discovered that conductors carrying a current radiate an electromagnetic field, which can
If you have ever tried to locate non-metallic pipes using devices called sondes, you will know the process is complicated and can lead to mislocates. The use of newgeneration locators takes the complexity out of locating sondes. Now it is as simple as following the arrow until the sonde icon is centralised.
Receiver has passive and radio modes. This allows the detection of energised power cables and metallic pipes without the need to connect the transmitter
Receiver and transmitter have multiple frequency selections to allow for detection and tracing of different types, lengths and depths of service
Transmitter has provision for both conductive and inductive methods for connecting to the service.
If the user primary function is for locating and tracing as opposed to avoidance before digging, the locator should have the advanced features above to simplify and increase productivity.
About the author: Michael Snook has been in the electrical industry for 20 years. For the past 10 years, he has specialised in test and measurement as a Sales Engineer at Pro-Test Instruments Ltd in Auckland, who supply, support and service products from a wide range of leading brands. Find out more at www.pro-test.co.nz and on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
New 3D technologies make underground service locating quicker and easier, as Michael Snook explains.A
Air-to-water heat pumps expand the capability of waterbased underfloor systems to allow for both heating and cooling.
Water-based underfloor heating systems have been in widespread use in New Zealand for many years. Their advantage in terms of comfort over air-based heating systems is well known in the market. It’s very hard to beat the luxurious comfort of an actively heated slab warming the house silently, using radiant technology.
As the market transitions to renewable heat sources, gas and diesel boilers are being replaced with air-to-water heat pumps. These appliances have advantages both in environmental footprint and in running cost savings.
This new technology expands the capability of the floor-based system by also allowing a cooling effect by supplying cool water. The basic structure of the system is identical whether it is a heating-only system or a heating and cooling system—the only significant difference is reducing the temperature difference across the system from 10°C to 5°C. All the advantages of radiant floor heating also apply to radiant floor cooling: comfortable, silent and hygienic, with low running costs.
The critical component for radiant cooling is the control system, and the biggest challenge is avoiding condensation on the radiant surface. To maximise the performance of the system, it is best to have dynamic dew point management that electronically changes the temperature of the water sent to the system. The system calculates a theoretical dew point considering the indoor temperature and humidity. This changes the set point inside the appliance, giving a system wide dew point management.
Within each zone, a heating and cooling thermostat can be used to activate and deactivate each area on demand like a traditional underfloor heating system. This type of control system allows you to use the
coolest possible water without creating condensation, dynamically adjusting as the environment changes in temperature or humidity.
Older control systems, which operate with fixed water temperature and rely on on/off zone control only, are much less effective because they stop working when you need them most rather than dynamically adjusting the power while avoiding condensation.
The water temperature used in the system when in heating mode is between 25°C and 45°C, which will produce a concrete temperature of between 23-28°C. This level of power will heat most buildings to between 20-23°C. When in cooling mode, water temperature will vary between 12°C and 18°C depending on the indoor temperature and humidity. This will produce a concrete temperature between 18°C to 22°C. In optimal conditions, the expected performance of a floor-based cooling system is between 3-4°C reduction in indoor temperature.
While floor-based heating systems are effective under most floor coverings, a radiant cooling system needs to have the radiant surface exposed directly to the environment to have a significant cooling performance. For this reason, only polished concrete, tiled or vinyl are recommended. For areas where other floor coverings are used or higher cooling performance is required, radiant ceiling-based systems can be used either as a standalone solution or in combination with floor systems.
About the author: Waterware are innovators, setting the pace in New Zealand since 1989 with hydraulic radiant heating and cooling technology. If you have a project suitable for radiant cooling and would like to explore your options, contact the Waterware team for cost estimation, design and sales support.
As well as being a renewable heat source with low running costs, air-to-water heat pump technology enables both heating and cooling for underfloor systems, as Waterware explains.
StormSlab is a new addition to APD’s urban stormwater system range, and is designed for restrictive sites, as APD outlines here.
With tanks installed under the concrete slab of a house or driveway, StormSlab’s stormwater detention and retention system is designed to manage rainwater and stormwater when there are site restrictions due to a lack of space and/or insufficient fall to the public stormwater system on the site.
StormSlab is compatible with APD’s range of urban stormwater systems and can be coupled with the company’s RainWorx rain harvesting application for water reuse, while utilising an above ground pump.
StormSlab tanks are available in multiple sizes. The tanks are 1100mm wide to match standard pod configurations, 300mm deep for extra storage, and have no connections under the slab. A vent pipe is passed
through the concrete slab and up into the wall space, vented out through the cladding as per the Building Code for DWV pipe, passing through the waterproof membrane— allowing the tank to fill up completely.
APD provide a detailed concrete slab design along with a PS1 to give peace of mind that installing StormSlab will manage stormwater securely in a leak free system. Full consent slab drawings, including producer statements, are available from www.apd.co.nz
Designed and made in New Zealand, StormSlab is manufactured from fully recyclable water tank grade PE material, suitable for below ground installation. Products are rotomoulded and fabricated at APD’s Auckland location, meaning the
company can supply products to the required specifications for the individual project.
APD’s StormSlab system received the 2022 Product of the Year Award at the New Zealand Plumbing Awards in recognition of significant contribution to product development in the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry in the past year.
“We’re very proud of the accolade for our StormSlab system and believe the product is a significant benefit to the industry, specifically for projects that are working with restrictive or limiting sites,” says APD Product Manager Darien Warburton.
About the author: Designed and made in New Zealand, APD’s product range provides above and below ground tank and system solutions. APD’s team can scope out your specific needs and provide tailored solutions. To discuss your project’s stormwater or rainwater system requirements, including the APD StormSlab system, contact APD on 09 263 7741, or visit www.apd.co.nz to find out more.
This diagram shows Aquacomb installed in the foundation slab of the house. The tanks are fed by downpipes (with leaf diverters to prevent leaves from entering the system) as well as a cesspit to catch any other sediment before it enters the system.
Inground tanks are perfect for challenging builds or projects where space is limited. Aquacomb® from Stormwater Systems collects and retains rainwater and stormwater in a series of hidden, interconnected pods. The pods can be installed within concrete slabs or under decks, patios, pathways, driveways or lawns to provide an invisible water storage solution.
Nine 350L Aquacomb pods being installed across 12 house lots in Long Bay, Auckland, to give each homeowner 3,000L of water storage for detention and reuse purposes. The installers were in and out in a day.
Each pod is the same size as a polystyrene void former, meaning they can be easily integrated into the existing design of a concrete slab with no structural engineering changes required. Alternatively, the flexible, modular pods can be stacked under soffits, behind retaining walls, or even under stairs.
As a truly modular water storage system, it can be designed around slab penetrations to create a custom solution—whether you need storage for 250 or 250,000 litres. Pods come in two sizes offering 250-litre or 350-litre storage capacity. They are the same length and width as traditional polystyrene blocks and 225mm or 300mm high.
Aquacomb is incorporated into the building or landscape design, giving more more usable space for the homeowner. The simple, modular design also means low excavation costs, with installation usually complete within a few hours.
All Aquacomb products are designed and manufactured in New Zealand to strict quality standards and can withstand earthquakes. Pods are rotomolded, which means there are no seams or joints, and systems are thoroughly pressure tested throughout production and installation to ensure optimum performance.
About the author: Stormwater Systems is a Kiwi-owned and familyoperated business with a reputation for being at the forefront of sustainable water solutions. As New Zealand’s exclusive Aquacomb® distributor, Stormwater Systems offers proactive support at all stages of the project lifecycle. Send in your plans and the experienced team will develop a custom stormwater solution that integrates into your project, free of charge. Get in touch on 0800 11 08 08 or visit www.stormwatersystems.co.nz
The Aquacomb® inground water tank captures and stores water without taking up space and with minimal excavations, as Stormwater Systems explains.This rendering shows how the Aquacomb modular water retention and detention system can be customised to suit the individual property.
Building elements that are difficult to access or replace must be installed to last for 50 years—and that includes pipework under the slab, as the Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers Board explains.
Often in building work, the person installing the piping may be the last to touch it for a very long time, as it’s hidden away in walls and ceilings, or buried in the ground or under floors. For this reason, it pays to consider the requirements around installing those pipes that may never be seen again.
The Building Code specifies how long our buildings and parts of them need to last, and these are specified in NZBC clause
B2 Durability.
B2 requires that building elements that are difficult to access or replace, or that would go undetected if they failed during normal use and maintenance of the building, must continue to satisfy the performance requirements of the Building Code for the specified intended life of the building.
A building element is any structural or non-structural component or assembly incorporated into or associated with a
building—including fixtures, services, and drains. The specified intended life means the period of time stated in the building consent for which the building is proposed to be used for its intended life—which for most new building work is 50 years.
What this means is some of the parts of a building must be guaranteed to last that full 50 years if they cannot be easily replaced.
For plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers, this raises a couple of questions:
What types of building elements are difficult to access or replace?
What building elements, if they did fail, would go undetected during normal use?
The obvious answer is any hard to get at pipework that is difficult to access or replace. This can be pipes cast into concrete, under slabs, or installed in a masonry cavity that is not a duct. It also includes any septic tanks built under the structure of a building.
It doesn’t include pipes and fittings behind wall linings, or valves that are
concealed or moderately difficult to replace, but these elements must satisfy the performance requirements of the Building Code to last for not less than 15 years.
Plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers all install pipes in buildings where the access to replace is difficult, or if they fail, they won’t be detected. For that reason, the pipes need to be installed so they won’t fail.
Acceptable Solutions in the Building Code provide a means of ensuring the pipework installed beneath buildings meets the 50-year requirement in B2.
The legislation can give slightly differing requirements, depending on whether the pipe is for water supplies, foul water or gas, but there are some common themes.
One of the most important is that the pipes are sleeved or wrapped when passing through, or embedded in, concrete. This is to protect the pipe against damage, and to provide for thermal movement.
Another is that any jointing is kept to a minimum or, in the case of multilayer gas pipe systems, with no joints at all.
The angle the pipe passes through a slab or foundation is another consideration. As an example, both G13/AS2 and AS/NZS 3500.2 require that pipes passing through a concrete slab must rise at right angles, and a drain passing through a footing the angle in the horizontal plane shall be not less than 45°.
Some solutions require the pipework is tested prior to being concealed, but it is good trade practice to do this for all pipework, whether required or not.
So, if you are going to be the last person able to get at something you are installing, make sure you follow the requirements to make it last.
Move over steel and concrete… This $18 million project on the edge of a Rotorua forest is built of engineered timber and set to inspire future construction work after becoming the first building in New Zealand to achieve net-zero embodied carbon emissions.
AUTHOR: MATTHEW LOWE
Scion’s new innovation hub, Te Whare Nui o Tuteata, boasts a special three-storey seismicresistant diagrid design and was created through the innovative use of engineered timber products and manufacturing techniques.
The 2,000-square-metre building in Rotorua achieves its status as embodied carbon zero due to the use of 454 cubic metres of wood, according to The Crown Research Institute.
The structure’s extensive volume of timber stores 418 tonnes of carbon dioxideequivalent over its whole life, which Scion says is about the same amount as one person taking 160 return flights from Auckland to London.
A Life Cycle assessment was conducted to calculate the environmental impact of the construction project when it was completed. When including sequestered carbon, it was found the amount of timber used cancelled out the amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced during the build.
Scion—which specialises in research, science and technology development for the forestry, wood product, wood-derived materials and other biomaterial sectors— says its vision for a new home only came to fruition through the work of a team of engineers, designers and builders who weren’t afraid of a challenge.
Among those rising to the test were staff from Fluid, a Tauranga engineering consultancy, and Master Plumbers’ member business Tauranga Hardware & Plumbing, after the two companies worked together on the hydraulic shop drawings and during the construction phase of the project.
Other key businesses involved included architects RTA Studio and Irving Smith Architects, structural engineers Dunning Thornton, Watts & Hughes Construction and project managers RDT Pacific. Meanwhile, TimberLab and XLam were behind the engineered wood fabrication.
The most striking feature of the completed building, which has won 19 domestic and international design awards, is its diagrid walls made with laminated veneer lumber (LVL) technology.
Diagrids are an efficient way to provide strength and stiffness and require less material than traditional structures, with Te Whare Nui o Tuteata believed to be a world first for a wooden diagrid structure of its size.
The floor beams and roof trusses have also been manufactured from LVL, while the floors, lift shaft panels, suspended staircases and meeting room bracing are all made from cross laminated timber (CLT). The triangular entry structure that greets visitors uses a mix of LVL and glued laminated timber (Glulam) products.
Scion put the strength of the diagrid components to the test, with an apex portion subjected to 45 tonnes of downward pressure then pulled upward by a 31.5-tonne force.
A node section, where diagrid components are integrated with a horizontal member, was subjected to 20 tonnes of compression to try to twist the horizontal component.
Scion principal technologist Doug Gaunt notes all the pieces tested passed with flying colours and the open frame diagrid structure is also designed to result in low damage from seismic activity.
Adam Dwen, associate director of RTA Studio, says the three-level LVL structure was prefabricated in diamonds and triangles as it “provides the gravity and lateral framework for the building”.
He adds that extensive prototyping and testing led to the creation of laminated nodes to transfer loads and hold a seismic fuse that yields and can be replaced after an earthquake.
“With this simple shift in thinking, the structural size of the timber has reduced by around a quarter,” he explains.
“The lightweight timber structure reduces load onto the foundations also providing benefit to the geotechnical approach, which otherwise would have been much more intensive with a conventional steel and concrete structure.
“However, Scion and the design team were careful in selecting timber, as the material of choice, only when it made sense to.
Whether it be for structural efficiency, material availability or workability for example.”
Dwen says the challenge to achieving low embodied carbon buildings comes down to material selection, with wood being favoured due to being “carbon negative” and therefore offsetting the “carbon positive” materials.
“There are some technical challenges associated with an engineered timber structure regarding shrinkage and swelling of wood but they are relatively easy to mitigate, as long as the cause is well understood and appropriate measures are put in place,” he says.
“Only recently is engineered timber becoming more prominent, with growing industry suppliers and industry-wide knowledge increasing to a point where it is becoming a more refined and therefore more popular material of choice for buildings of this scale.”
The environmental credentials of Te Whare Nui o Tuteata are further enhanced by a motorised double-skin facade that provides heat recovery in winter, with the coloured glazing panels and
internal building cavity regulating thermal gains in summer.
Other energy-saving features of the site, which will be carbon neutral over its expected life, include natural ventilation and LED lighting.
Scion’s sustainability architect and portfolio leader for ‘trees to high-value wood products’ Andrea Stocchero says the hub helps illustrate the capacity of New Zealand forests to provide the timber needed for future developments.
“Many people don’t realise New Zealand’s built environment is responsible for about 20 per cent of the country’s carbon footprint,” he
explains. “Trees sequester carbon from the atmosphere while they’re growing, and as long as the wood is in use that carbon is stored, so it’s not going back into the atmosphere. If the timber is sustainably certified it means that the forests are re-growing after each harvest, and the carbon sequestration cycle continues.
“We calculated that the timber in the Te Whare Nui o Tuteata structure has been regrown in 35 minutes by New Zealand planted forests.”
The ground floor of Te Whare Nui o Tuteata is open to the public and showcases the
innovative structure and Scion’s research across the forest and biomass value chains.
Stocchero adds: “This building is radically different compared with the others in our campus. It is an open plan office for collaborative work and we are opening Scion to the public and our industry partners.”
The building was officially opened in March 2021 by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in front of about 500 guests.
“Traditionally in New Zealand we have built large commercial buildings out of steel and concrete but this showcases what can be done with trees in the right place with the right purpose,” Ardern said at the opening.
Makita has delivered a cordless tying solution for rebar and steel rod with the 18V LXT Brushless Rebar Tying Tool (model DTR181, tool only). The DTR181 has a tying capacity of up to 5,000 ties per charge with D16 (#5) x 2, combination of 2 rebars on 6Ah. The DTR181 can tie up to 2 x (D22 x D25) 4 x D16 and tying speed of 1.3 seconds per tie.
The 18V LXT Brushless Cordless Rebar Tying Tool features 6 stages to match various tension strengths, and a brushless motor that runs cooler and more efficiently for a longer life than standard motors. Digitally adjust the tying strength to match various tension strength requirements. Features a wire reel design with an automatic locking mechanism built into the protective cover.
HeatPro Rapid is a price estimation tool designed by Waterware that creates heating, cooling and hot water solutions for a home or commercial build. It is able to design a range of configurations with combinations of gas, diesel or heat pump powered systems driving Active Ceiling, underfloor, and radiator based solutions with integrated hot water production.
The output provides estimated capital, running, and servicing costs to allow the client to make informed decisions about the best solution for their needs.
With typically a 24-hour turnaround time, you can use this service to provide a rapid
response to your customers’ enquiries with little demand on your time.
Send Waterware a floor plan and what the client is trying to achieve, and you will receive the HeatPro Rapid document with all the details.
With the soaring costs of energy, the demand for underfloor heating (UFH) is increasing in popularity. UFH is low maintenance, energyefficient and compatible with most floor coverings.
From new builds to retrofits and extensions, John Guest offer a wide range of energyefficient push-fit underfloor heating systems for any project or floor construction. The systems are fast and simple to install using JG Speedfit push-fit connections and JG Aura heating controls. Plus, you get a system guarantee and free technical support for extra peace of mind.
Discover John Guest’s full range of energyefficient underfloor pipe fixing systems, manifolds and control packs, and heating controls. Whether your job is big or small, John
Guest has everything you need for any type of project or floor construction.
Contact Reliance Worldwide Corporation for more information on 0800 800 523; sales.nz@rwc.com or www.johnguest.com
The next generation piping system from Forza with a 50-year warranty. No O-ring design for water and gas applications from DN15 to 32mm
Eliminates the requirement to ream Simple, fast and secure crimp High-quality stainless steel ring with DZR brass body
Failsafe leak detection as fitting is guaranteed to leak under initial pressure test
Dual system for gas and water applications
Excellent flexibility and durability 50-year warranty
No solvent adhesives, soldering, welding or brazing required.
Contact your local merchant for orders. Or visit www.aqualine.co.nz
The macerator pump unlocks design possibilities for commercial layouts. Bathrooms are a critical element in any design, and the ability for businesses to relocate or add a bathroom offers opportunities to improve or repurpose today’s office spaces.
Conventional plumbing systems rely on the force of gravity to do their job and need to be connected to the property’s main drain line. Using innovative technology, many of the latest plumbing products on the market target space and time constraints specifically, allowing plumbing to be connected in locations where it was previously thought unfeasible.
The macerator pump gives designers ultimate freedom to create new, dynamic spaces by allowing plumbing facilities to be installed in locations below or too far from the main drain line.
Macerating toilets do not produce water pressure within the conventional plumbing system, but depend on their own powerful motors or pumps to pump liquefied sewage either vertically or horizontally to the external waste pipe.
Not all macerators are designed the same. Some are fitted behind the toilet, while others can be installed into a sump
chamber below the floor. Installation can be performed quickly and economically, with minimal disturbance to room layout or building structure.
The SaniMulti macerator from Saniflo SFA is the answer to a streamlined, versatile plumbing solution for commercial spaces— combining functionality and performance with today’s desire for visual cohesion and seamless finishes.
a need to be hidden from view for a range of toilet models, whether standard or wall-hung.
• slim discharge pipework of 25mm
• 560-watt motor
• factory pre-mounted non-return valve ability to accept wastewater up to 40°C capability to connect to a shower with a tray height of 17cm
• IP rating IP44
• removable motor cassette for ease of service.
The unit’s maximum horizontal discharge capability of 70m and vertical discharge of 8m give building owners multiple options when designing and building new bathroom facilities.
SaniMulti is compatible with the ‘plug and play’ SaniAlarm Interlock, developed in response to the increased specification of pumps for commercial office spaces, and the need to safeguard against flooding in the event of a power failure.
Featuring an 8m vertical lift capability and a robust stainless steel macerator blade, the SaniMulti is a compact unit measuring 505mm x 361mm x 205mm. Easily fitting inside a bathroom wall cavity, it is ideal when there is
For more information on Saniflo SFA products, go to www.saniflo.co.nz
“Using innovative technology, many of the latest plumbing products on the market target space and time constraints specifically, allowing plumbing to be connected in locations where it was previously thought unfeasible.”
Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ thanks the following Partners for their support:
When choosing a plumber for a job, it’s hard to go past the $20,000 Master Plumbers Guarantee.
With the Master Plumbers Guarantee, residential clients have the comfort of knowing that their plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying work is covered for up to $20k inc GST* for:
Advance payment—If the customer has paid for work that can’t be completed due to the Master Plumbers going into liquidation or bankruptcy, Master Plumbers will ensure the work paid for is completed Substandard workmanship—If Master Plumbers accepts a customer’s claim that work done for them is not up to the standard expected by a Master Plumber, Master Plumbers will arrange for the work to be remedied.
Given the value to consumers of the Master Plumbers Guarantee, it’s not surprising that the Find a Plumber search tool on the Master Plumbers website has generated more than 10,000 leads for member businesses in the past 18 months.
*Claims must be lodged within 12 months of the date of the invoice and are subject to terms and conditions.
Give all your residential customers a copy of the Master Plumbers Guarantee fact sheet, available in the member log-in at www.masterplumbers.org.nz
As part of its wider building system reform programme, MBIE recently sought feedback on its review of the current building consent system.
Master Plumbers made its views known by the 4 September closing date. The primary focus of the consent system should be to ensure building work is safe, free from defects and meets minimum quality standards, said CEO Greg Wallace, whilst adding that the system also needs to be efficient to ensure building work is not unduly hindered.
“Master Plumbers does not consider that the current consent system is achieving either set of objectives,” he says. “This is because of the heavy responsibility on BCAs and especially inspectors. We believe this could be reduced by expanding self-certification to plumbing and drainlaying work.”
In its written feedback to MBIE, Master Plumbers said the key elements of self-certification for plumbers and drainlayers would be:
Clear rules setting out tradesperson responsibilities and requirements
A training and registration regime to ensure tradespeople are competent (already largely in place and coordinated by the industry)
An enforceable obligation on the certifier to remediate over a suitable period.
“Master Plumbers also sees the use of technology as essential in providing an accessible, centralised record of work.”
The significant variances in requirements across New Zealand’s 69 building consent authorities is a major hindrance, according to Master Plumbers. This, along with the lack of innovation for the system, the time-consuming, bureaucratic nature of the consent process, and the reliance on a small number of BCA inspectors, who often don’t have the same level of specialist knowledge and experience as registered plumbers and drainlayers, means the current consent system does not deliver the right outcomes in terms of quality, cost and timeliness.
Master Plumbers provided feedback on MBIE’s recent consultation on its review of the building consent system.
Read the Master Plumbers submission in full in the member area at www.masterplumbers.org.nz
Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace was awarded at the 2022 Plumbing World Excellence Awards in September with an Industry Recognition Award to acknowledge his outstanding service, loyalty and commitment to the success of the New Zealand plumbing industry.
“This is a special one-off award to recognise someone who has gone way beyond the extra mile over the past couple of very challenging Covid impacted years in outstanding support of and campaigning for the plumbing industry,” said Plumbing World CEO Rob Kidd.
Among other awards presented on the night was another one-off, the NZPM Recognition Award, going to NZPM co-operative Chair John DeBernardo. “As I reflect on the past 11 years that I have been with the company, and more specifically the past few months with the news about John’s health, it is more than fitting that we recognise and acknowledge John for his tremendous contribution to our NZPM co-operative,” said Rob Kidd.
It was John’s father, Ido DeBernardo who, along with a group of like-minded plumbers, put their hands in their pockets to establish the NZPM co-operative back in 1964, he said. “It is you who have been instrumental in transforming it into the modern, professional and great co-operative business it is today,” Rob told John, who attended the awards night via Zoom, with wife Michele.
From this year, the annual Plumbing World contribution award is renamed the DeBernardo Contribution Award in recognition of both Ido and John DeBernardo. All the 2022 finalists had contributed between 10 and 25 years to Plumbing World, with the award going to Lower Central Regional Manager Mark Fox.
The Taurus Branch of the Year Award, presented by Plumbing World since 1985 for achievement across all areas of branch operations, went to Plumbing World Lower Hutt.
Master Plumbers and Dux have teamed to get behind Movember— and we need your help! Join our Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers Industry Challenge and, together, let’s get behind this great cause, supporting men’s health.
All the money your team raises will go towards funding groundbreaking projects that help save men’s lives—so have fun, get creative and get into it! We’ll shout the team with the highest Movember fundraiser a team event worth up to $500.
Plus, we’re giving away a $159 Chuffed Gift Box for each mo style category: Trucker/Handlebar, Connoisseur and Slug. Upload a before and after photo in line with the official Movember rules and you could win!
AND our Mo Sisters can get involved too. The guy or girl with the highest number of kms run or walked on our 60km Challenge also wins a $159 Chuffed Gift Box.
Just scan the QR code here or go to https://nz.movember.com/ mospace/network/view/id/52203
I look after booking and organising all the training courses that Master Plumbers runs, as well as investigating new facilitators and training courses for us to hold in the future.
I studied Interior Architecture, finishing up my Masters at the start of this year. I worked as a waitress during my undergrad summers in Christchurch, and then at the Building Officials Institute of New Zealand during my post-grad. These jobs have allowed me to expand my customer relations skills as well as network with others in the wider building industry, which
I am enjoying getting involved in.
when I was 18. I’ve been in Welly for over five years now and consider it to be home. When not in Welly, where’s your favourite holiday spot?
Portugal—the architecture and culture are so vibrant. I went just before the Covid lockdowns, and I will definitely be going back as soon as I can. I also went to Fiji earlier this year and it was incredible. We stayed at an eco-resort, so we were completely disconnected from the world and met the loveliest people.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of work?
NAME: Victoria Young ROLE: Training Administrator
To save our members time and energy, Master Plumbers and Always Made Special (AMS) have put together a top-quality workwear range, already branded with the Master Plumbers logo.
Just get your own business logo added— and you’re ready to go!
You can either work with AMS to have your logo included on your orders, or use your own branding company to add your business logo.
The range includes overalls, jackets, singlets, thermals and more. If you would like to see other workwear added to the catalogue, please let Master Plumbers know at any time.
Master Plumbers members can make online orders by signing in to the AMS portal at www.ams.wip.co.nz/masterplumbers
For any order queries, please contact AMS. info@uniformsmadeeasy.co.nz
Freephone 0800 365 4585
The range of Master Plumbers branded items available to members through AMS.
I was born and raised in Christchurch and moved to Wellington to pursue architecture
I have always been a creative person, so I have been doing pottery and painting in my spare time at my local art workshop. I have found it is a great creative outlet now that I have finished university and have more free time.
Bookings will open soon for the 2023 New Zealand Plumbing Conference. Next year’s event is being held at the vibrant and contemporary Te Pae convention centre in Ōtautahi Christchurch from 3-5 May—save the date now!
We’ve listened to your feedback and updated the programme format for the 2023 event. To give attendees plenty of time to browse the trade expo and engage with suppliers, the expo will open on the afternoon of Wednesday 3 May.
We’ve secured accommodation at a range of price points at the Crowne Plaza and Fable Hotel—both just a few minutes’ walk from Te Pae.
Watch this space for more details on a packed programme of activities, guest speakers, business sessions and evening social events. Plus, of course, the 2023 New Zealand Plumbing Awards. We look forward to welcoming all member businesses to Ōtautahi Christchurch for a conference that’s even bigger and better than before!
Opened in Ōtautahi Christchurch in December 2021, Te Pae is the fabulous, worldclass venue for the New Zealand Plumbing Conference from 3-5 May 2023.
Master Plumbers is here to support all businesses in the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry. Members are Quality Assured and backed by the Master Plumbers Guarantee. We offer a wide range of business resources, health and safety, HR & technical support, plus training and member discounts— and we advocate for our members as a collective industry voice. Get in touch to discuss our two-year membership deal!
Congratulations to the three winners of our Father’s Day Prize Draw, who each win a Rheem Fishing Prize Bundle of a Penn rod and reel set, chilly bag, fleece T and camo light cap with bottle opener!
Wayne Service of Hurunui
Drainage & Plumbing
Lindsey Robbins of Spargo Plumbing
Brett Verner of BD Verner
Thanks to Rheem and Masterlink, who teamed up with Master Plumbers for this fantastic giveaway.
Alana Fourie 021 985 894 afourie@masterplumbers.org.nz
Or contact 0800 502 102 membership@masterplumbers.org.nz
Sam Arundel believes drainlaying is an under-appreciated trade, both within the plumbing industry and for clients.
“We can put all this time and effort into the drainage and the clients or builders may not even see it because it all gets covered up,” says Sam. “In fact, the sign of a job well done is that it looks exactly like it did at the start.”
As Sam explains, people can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on new homes, and in that home’s lifetime, it’ll
AUTHOR: NICK WALKERprobably have the kitchen remodelled two to three times and have all sorts of renovations—but the drainage will largely remain untouched. “It’s so important it’s done to a high standard because it’s only going to be done once,” he says.
Sam, who was recently awarded 2022 New Zealand Plumber, Gasfitter or Drainlayer of the Year, has run The Drainage Department in Mount Maunganui since 2018. He’s grown the business from a ‘one man band’ to now employing six staff, doing all kinds of residential and industrial drainage
services, advanced wastewater systems, drain clearing, septic tanks and larger scale earthworks across the Bay of Plenty.
He trained as a plumber and gasfitter before becoming a specialised drainlayer, and says in his early days, drainlayers were seen as “a bit of a joke”.
“All the plumbers and gasfitters thought they were way more important than the lowly old drainlayer. It was like, if you ended up doing drainlaying then you must have made some mistakes. I kind of steered away from it, even though I thought it was interesting… It
Sam Arundel of The Drainage Department in Mount Maunganui is on a mission to change traditional perceptions of drainlaying, as he explains to NZ Plumber.
wasn’t until I went overseas and still wanted to do it that I followed that path.”
Promotion through pictures One of the ways he’s changing the perception is by embracing social media to showcase exactly what goes into drainlaying jobs. Sam’s wife Zennor has been instrumental in running this side of the business as an experienced marketer and graphic designer.
“I worked for years before we had kids and started The Drainage Department, so now I’m applying those skills to our business,” she says. “I created our website and work on our graphic design, photography and social media, and do the accounts.”
Having Zennor’s skills to help grow the business has been a significant advantage. Pictures speak a thousand words, and by taking photographs before, during and after jobs, Sam can essentially put his team’s work on display.
“If you take a photo of the site before you start and a few during the work, it’s almost a competition to see how neat and tidy it can be at the end. With all the mess you make in between, it’s quite impressive if you can return a site to how it looked beforehand.”
Social media is just one of the technologies Sam uses to run The
Drainage Department efficiently. In work terms, he uses tools like laser grade control technology with his excavators to improve productivity and profitability, as well as Kiwi software tool Fergus for quoting and job management.
“I don’t know how all the old boys would have done it, having to spend all their weekends and nights quoting. You can load all your price books and materials in there, and just save so much time. Being a business owner, your time gets taken away from you in so many ways, so the more things you can use to give you time back, the better.”
Time has become a precious commodity for Sam and Zennor, who are raising fouryear-old Rafferty and two-year-old Winnie Plum while also growing their business. Zennor says it’s been a real juggle.
kids will know, their needs are huge so it’s often a matter of working late into the night and on the weekends. We enjoy working together and make a great team—we bounce ideas off each other and our skills complement one another.”
Sam believes technology not only helps with running the business, but it feeds back into the culture as well. In a way, it also plays a role in modernising the way people see and understand drainlaying in general.
“It’s part of what makes for a really cool business that I hope people want to be involved in. It’s not just rough and tumble, wearing oily shirts and rags. Drainlaying is about so much more than standing around on a spade, and that’s what I want to promote.
“It’s a really viable option for people with a bit of intelligence—you’re not just slogging your guts out. There are definitely positions and opportunities for people to utilise their brains as well as practical skills.”
“There’s a lot of tagging in and out to get things done. As most people with small “Drainlaying is about so much more than standing around on a spade, and that’s what I want to promote.”Sam and Zennor Arundel at the 2022 New Zealand Plumbing Awards in June with Sam’s New Zealand Plumber, Gasfitter or Drainlayer of the Year Award.
Offering exceptional levels of performance without compromising on efficiency, the new Hitachi Mini ZW-5B wheel loaders are designed to satisfy the requirements throughout a range of industries in New Zealand.
Hitachi ZX17U-5, is the essence of agile, efficient production and phenomenal power. The innovative design, compact size, and operator comfort ensure Hitachi lives up to it’s reputation of providing industry-leading mini excavators to suit any job or project
It’s great to see events and activities firmly back on the calendar for Master Plumbers branches and associations, as Covid restrictions ease.
This August, Master Plumbers branch and association presidents, secretaries, and executive committee members came together with Master Plumbers staff members for a Leadership Meeting in Wellington. With great engagement and informative presentations, attendees came away with insights, strategies and initiatives to continue to build and grow the Master Plumbers community.
“Thanks everyone, was a great time, I learned heaps and it was great to network once again,” said Scott McBeth of the Volcanic Plateau Master Plumbers. “Some great discussions and some good laughs too.”
Participant Colleen Upton also came away feeling keen to implement new ideas at the Hutt Valley/Wairarapa Master Plumbers. “I always feel like an apprentice that has come off a good block course when I have been to one of these sessions,” she said. “A huge thank you to Master Plumbers... It has been wonderful being able to get face to face with other branches/associations.”
The Hutt Valley-Wairarapa Master Plumbers held their branch meeting in mid-August.
Roger Adlam of WaterSmart spoke on the future of tanks and water preservation and some new and innovative ways of dealing with them.
Food and beverages were provided, and the audience went home knowing that bit more!
The meeting included presentations, brainstorming and discussion.
When an opportunity came up to become President of the Master Plumbers Queenstown Lakes Branch, Brad Winkel thought he would give it a go and continue the great work that Mark Galbraith did to create the new branch before stepping down.
“The Queenstown Lakes Branch is relatively new, after many years of being associated with the Southland Association,” says Brad. “My intentions with this role are to have engaging events with our members and perhaps an annual golf day for some fun.
“It would be ideal to grow our member base as much as possible and to promote the Master Plumbers ethos throughout our local plumbing community. I look forward to my role and I hope I can continue Mark’s great work.”
A shotgroup of the Leadership Meeting participants.Roger Adlam of WaterSmartpresenting to the Hutt Valley/Wairarapa Master Plumbers. Brad Winkel of PlumbingQueenstown & Gas.
The Wellington Master Plumbers got together in late July for a go kart event, kicking off with a BBQ dinner. Ten randomly picked teams of three completed a 90-lap endurance race, with each team member doing 15 laps before a pit stop and driver change.
“Some competitive racing had by all,” said Dave Norriss of JLP Plumbing. “Team 7 came first, Team 9 second and Team 1 third.”
The first, second and third place winners on the night.
Time for a pit stop and driver change.
The Southland Master Plumbers Awards Evening in early September was attended by 109 guests, including National Master Plumbers President Jon Lewis. Mac McKenzie Award winners Gregor Wood, Dominic Salandino, Phonex Apa and Nadthakit ‘Nut’ Seekaew were acknowledged on the night, and Ray Galt was presented with Southland Association Life Membership for his enormous contribution over many years to his local Association.
Ray Galt with his Master Plumbers Southland Association Life certificate.Membership
With its whisper quiet outdoor operation,
technology and smart LED display, the
energy efficient Rheem AmbiheatTM
the latest in heat pump water heating technology - suitable for Kiwi
sizes, throughout Aotearoa.
Master Plumbers Waikato Branch hosted a joint coffee/BBQ morning at Mico Matamata in mid-September. It was a great start to the day and an opportunity to connect with Master Plumbers members, the Waikato executive team and Business Partners. The next Master Plumbers Coffee Catchup will be in Auckland on 3 November.Morning coffee and BBQ at Mico Matamata.
Alex and Kelly Hyland took on the Master Plumbers Gisborne Branch President and Secretary roles this August. “We have only been in business for one year, but right from the start we have found our Master Plumbers’ membership of utmost value,” says Kelly. “The support has been fantastic. From resources, HR support, training opportunities, and just having a platform to network with like-minded plumbers. I love being able to ring up with questions and know that help is on the other end.”
The main motivation for taking on the roles is to help re-connect the Gisborne Master Plumbers members and encourage other firms to step up and come on board. “Our goals are to boost membership and create a supportive environment through training and networking opportunities,” adds Kelly. “We are proud to be Master Plumbers members and are looking forward to this new and exciting role.”
See what’s coming up on the branch & association events calendar.
3 NOVEMBER, 6AM-8AM
Free event at Plumbing World Kumeu. Grab a free coffee and enjoy a casual catch up before you head to work. No need to book.
8 NOVEMBER, 4.45-6.45PM
Free event at Plumbing World Kumeu. Master Plumbers Auckland invites you to get together in your region. No need to book.
9 NOVEMBER, 6-9PM
Member fee: $20
Come along to gain wellbeing tools and strategies for you and your team from Master Plumbers Wellbeing Guy Kereama Carmody.
11 NOVEMBER, 6-10PM
$150 inc GST
This August, the Auckland Master Plumbers hosted an Artisan presentation for members in the region, to get everyone on board with a new digital building inspection and consent pilot programme. “One small step for Auckland Master Plumbers…one giant leap towards self-certification!” said Branch President Reuben Cutts.
Artisan project director Grant Ford and Auckland Council building inspector Adrian King discussed the roll out of the initiative, being spearheaded by Master Plumbers.
Digital technology would speed up current wait times for inspections and consent approvals by enabling plumbers and drainlayers to take photos of their work as they go, submit these to the Building Consent Authority, and complete any remediation work required.
Further events were held in Auckland’s North Shore and East Tamaki in September, as well as heading north to Whangarei and Kerikeri. Two more were held in Pukekohe and Albany in October, and another is planned for Kumeu in November. The eventual goal is to extend the initiative to plumbers and drainlayers throughout Aotearoa.
Wellington and Hutt/Valley Wairarapa Master Plumbers invite you to a Wellbeing Charity Dinner. Enjoy a 2-course dinner with guest speakers and live auctions. All proceeds will go to Mates in Construction.
25 NOVEMBER, 6.15-11PM
$80+GST
You are invited to the Volcanic Plateau Master Plumbers Awards Dinner at the Wairakei Resort Taupo to recognise excellence in the industry in the region.
Members of Auckland Master Plumbers learning more about the Artisan initiative to speed up inspections and consents.
Stand
Masterlink is pleased to welcome Rhys Nimmo as new General Manager.
Rhys took up the role in mid-September, replacing Steve Strawbridge, who has left Masterlink for new ventures. Steve showed huge commitment and dedication to Masterlink during his time with us, particularly in his efforts to ensure minimal disruption for hosts and apprentices during the Covid pandemic, and the Masterlink team wish him all the best for the future.
Rhys brings with him a wealth of business and leadership experience. The majority of his managerial career has been in the media industry, having worked for Radio NZ, The Radio Network, NZ Media and Entertainment, and MediaWorks NZ. He has held several senior executive roles, most recently as Head of Commercial Training and Leadership Development at MediaWorks.
Rhys has been travelling around the motu with our regional teams, giving him a valuable opportunity to meet with many Masterlink hosts and apprentices. A real people person, he looks forward enormously to working with all our hosts and building strong relationships in his new role.
There have been a few changes to the Masterlink admin team in recent months. It is great to have Izzy Johnson back from maternity leave in the Administrator role, and Masterlink thanks Shoshannah Samson, who ably filled the role over the past year. “Shoshannah has taken up a position with the Institute of Directors in Wellington and we thank her for her hard work and wish her well,” says Masterlink Operations Manager Lisa Thomason.
Due to excellent growth in apprentice and host numbers, Masterlink created an Administrator Assistant position in May.
“We’d like to thank Georgia Butterfield who initially took up the role but had to resign due to health reasons,” says Lisa. “We now welcome Evie Allen, who started in early September and comes with great experience in customer service, admin and hospitality.”
Women of all ages visited the Masterlink stand at the Auckland Women in Trades NZ event at the end of August to discover the opportunities available to them through a trades apprenticeship. “Huge thanks to fourth-year Masterlink plumbing apprentice Hera Eruera, hosted by Auckland Plumbers Group, for helping us on the stand before presenting her keynote speech,” says Masterlink Marketing and Communications Executive Jo Caine.
Hera’s speech was incredible—honest, confronting and inspirational, says Jo. “We thank Hera for sharing her apprenticeship journey. Ka rawe wahine toa!”
A year into her role as Masterlink Operations Manager, Lisa Thomason says there’s still always something to learn, which she enjoys. Lisa makes sure all Masterlink apprentices and hosts are looked after from the start of the apprenticeship through to completion. “Each day brings different challenges and lots of questions from apprentices, hosts and our own Regional Managers, which I need to find solutions for,” she says.
“I also oversee the administration team, who do an amazing job, and I am always looking at ways to refine processes and procedures to make it seamless for everyone. Working in a company that genuinely cares and looks after their staff makes coming to work effortless and enjoyable.”
Lisa started her career in travel and spent 15 years in the corporate travel industry and was fortunate enough to travel around the world to many fabulous destinations for business and holidays. She moved into office management roles in the construction industry when her daughter Lily was born.
She lives in Lower Hutt with Lily, who is now 17 and attends boarding school in Masterton during the week. “I also have two Lower Hutt high school students living with me—one from Christchurch and one from Brazil—so it is a pretty busy household when I have all three at home.”
Lisa says Lily is an inspiration to her. “Being brought up as an only child and with just me, she has had to show her determination and overcome anxiety to get where she is right now—and in her last year of school is flourishing and has her career aspirations mapped out.”
When not at work, Lisa enjoys walking, playing the piano and catching up with her close group of friends.
Master Plumbers’ member Jason Sorenson was the lucky prize draw winner at the Masterlink and Master Plumbers CPD stand in September. Jason selected the Makita Cordless Coffee Maker as his prize and RM Bob McCoy was pleased to drop by his business, Direct Gas and Plumbing in Lower Hutt, to present him with his coffee maker, along with some fine coffee from Coffee Supreme and other goodies. The CPD roadshow continues until early November, with more great prizes to be given away at the Masterlink/ Master Plumbers stand.
Trainees on the latest LSV course at Burnham Military Camp in Christchurch got to discover the wide range of employment opportunities available to them during an Employer Expo in week four of their course.
Masterlink Upper South Island RM Sam Timlin and HR Advisor Holly Timms were at the expo to talk about where a career in plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying can lead.
LSV courses provide life and job skills, motivation and confidence to create a pathway to employment for 18 to 24 year olds who are not working or in education or training. The free, six-week courses are run by the New Zealand Defence Force and supported by people wanting to work with the trainees.
“It’s opened my eyes up to different opportunities—and I didn’t realise there were this many opportunities out there, so I’m glad I came,” said Trainee Teinakore of her LSV Employer Expo experience.
Watch a video of the LSV course at www.facebook.com/ LSVCanterbury/videos/594044045747418
A warm welcome to the Masterlink whanau to our new apprentices and huge thanks to their host companies:
Cutts Plumbing and Drainage, Auckland Curtis Marsh
Watco Plumbing, Whangarei
Hi Flo Plumbing 1992 Ltd, Oamaru Anaru Amundsen Bay Drainage and Earthworx, Te Puke Virginia Cundall
Whitehead Plumbing & Gas, Christchurch Flynn Lucas Flint’s Plumbing & Drainage, Queenstown Kieran Higgins Hanlon Maintenance Solutions, Christchurch
Universal Plumbing Southern Lakes, Queenstown Declan Weal
Armstrong Plumbing & Drainage, Papamoa Albert Snep
Advantage Plumbing, Queenstown Cael Brown
Hamilton Plumbing, Hamilton Daniel Thompson No Pressure Plumbing & Gasfitting Ltd, Wellington
Plumbing & Gas Works in Hamilton held a small ceremony to celebrate Quintin Trott successfully completing his Plumbing and Drainlaying qualification. Quintin is shown here (right), exchanging a hongi with Contracts Manager Jacob Smith. YD Li with just some of his Masterlink starter toolkit. YD is hosted by Cutts Plumbing and Drainage in Auckland. Leasa and Mike Williamson of Watco Plumbing in Whangarei with new apprentice Curtis Marsh.
54 Stonedon DR, East Tamaki, Auckland 2013, New Zealand Call: +64 9-273 9191 or visit www.waterware.co.nz
MyGrantNZThis boiler house diesel boiler features the award-winning unique grant Vortex heat exchanger and has some of the highest efficiencies available on the market today.
Floor standing indoor diesel condensing boiler with dual set point for central heating and or an indirect domestic hot water system.
Floor standing outdoor diesel condensing boiler with dual set point for central heating and / or an indirect domestic hot water system.
High efficiency air to water heat pump for underfloor heating and / or an indirect domestic hot water system.
What’s it like being an apprentice? In this new series, third year apprentice Sebastian Sekene gives us a glimpse into his working day.
For the past two years I’ve been doing remedial and renovation site work on a 36 apartment project. I learn best by repetition, so I really enjoy commercial work where you do the same task over and over. We’re remilling waste and water pipes from the ground up, as we’ve changed out the whole pipe system from plastic to copper.
In my first year, I was at a different company that only did maintenance work. No two days were the same, so I had to take notes to remember how to do tasks. You might install a wall hung basin and then not do another for three months.
For the past week, I’ve been installing hot water cylinders every day. Whoever said the third time is the charm has obviously never bent copper before. There’s not much play— you have to work within a few millimetres.
If it’s over or under, it won’t work. It’s a headache if you have multiple bends in one piece and some are not standard 90° or 45° bends. You really have to go by eye.
I had to try my best to further my learning and skills to get put in a van—and it finally happened last month. I’m now helping other plumbers learn and also working in with other trades and the site foreman. Some apprentices get put in a van in their first year but I need to do a lot of study to understand things. Now I’m in a van, I can go out on my own jobs and figure things out myself. I can always call up if I’m not sure but it’s best to give it a go first.
What if you make a mistake?
I love to learn from mistakes. Everyone makes them. I learn by watching someone do the work. If I still don’t get it, I ask them to explain it to me in simple terms. I used to be scared of PVC work but I was put with the best tradesman at it and watched how he did things. I added my own way to his and now it’s my favourite. There are 100 ways to skin a cat and you need to try different methods and pick what works for you. You gain confidence by figuring things out on your own, doing them right and getting acknowledged for a good job.
I’m one of 26 apprentices in a new Masterlink initiative to help boost our block course
theory learning by assessing our skills on site. It’s an amazing process that I hadn’t experienced in my apprenticeship before. I was also picked for a Masterlink Outward Bound Scholarship and went on the course in July. I put myself out of my comfort zone to learn leadership skills. You spend three days hiking in the bush and sailing in cramped conditions with people you’ve only just met. You’re thrown together in a new environment and you have to get along so you don’t ruin it for everyone. It was one of the most enjoyable but also challenging times I’ve experienced.
Sebastian Sekene is a 21-year-old Masterlink plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting apprentice, hosted by Heron Plumbing in Auckland.
Sebastian (right) is shown here with first-year apprentice Noah (left) and Masterlink Business Development Manager Pete Shields.
Monitors and protects your home from leaks and water damage with a single smart water valve.
The smart water valve detects issues such as high pressure, freezing water or a small leak. The system will alert you via the app, allowing you to shut the water off if required - no matter where you are.
For more information on this product visit hydroflow.co.nz or scan the qr code.
Before businesses can try and resolve workplace health and safety issues, everyone needs to understand—and discuss—how the actual work is done. Learning teams are a valuable tool to get the conversation started.
AUTHOR: GREG DEARSLY, FIRST 4 SAFETYIt’s fair to say that most PCBUs are committed to ensuring the health and safety of all those exposed to the work done as part of the organisation’s activities—but what knowledge do they have about how work happens?
We all look at work through a different lens. If you’re in a management role, you’re viewing work from the perspective of business success, contractual obligations and logistics. If you’re a frontline worker, the business is the place where you perform your duties to enable you to make a living. And if you’re, say, an industry association or territorial authority—you will see work in the context of representing the interests of your community or members.
These different perspectives change what you look at in the actual work environment and what you do to make problems go away.
As part of the development of its approach to health and safety, the Masterlink group apprentice training company was keen to know more about health and safety issues experienced by its apprentices and by the host companies who manage the apprentice’s day-to-day.
The organisation undertook a series of ‘learning teams’ during the early part of 2022. A learning team is a facilitated conversation between those who do the work and those who design the work, to enable the
sharing of operational intelligence between the two groups and improve system design.
The learning team process recognises that team-based learning is the best way to understand a particular problem—and that a significant contributor to such a team must include the workers who are involved in the actual work.
For learning teams to deliver the best results, the process should be unstructured and organic. It is also important to understand the following:
‘Work as done’ is a dynamic activity, not a linear process, and the best way to understand the complexities of work is to have open discussions about those complexities
Before we try and resolve issues, we first need to understand work as done.
While learning teams achieve best outcomes when they are unstructured, there are some key components to consider, starting with having a clear understanding and agreement about the goals for the process.
The most beneficial phase of a learning team is when the group is in discovery mode—when the focus is solely on learning. It is not an environment to edit or argue about what is right or wrong; the group is simply in a situation of discovery. If the group jumps from learning mode to problem solving mode, learning stops.
The intent of this process is to help the organisation get wiser. Not knowing about aspects of how work happens is a powerful position to be in. It means the business has the potential to find out more and knowledge is powerful—making learning a deliberate improvement strategy.
Masterlink’s learning team sessions identified a number of areas where there
was more to learn about the role and experiences of apprentice plumbers and their host companies. The knowledge gained from the process was through the power of asking better questions.
There were learnings about conditions across the diverse range of workplaces that apprentices experience. The groups learnt about mistakes that new and experienced apprentices might make, and attendees were asked to discuss situations where they had to be extra vigilant or where they had to innovate or improvise. These types of questions are designed to generate discussion about how work is done.
Several themes emerged in relation to the jobs apprentices carry out in their various work environments. These themes were expanded on during learning team sessions, with attendees developing a range of opportunities that could improve the apprentice’s work experience in relation to health and safety.
Thirteen opportunities were discussed, ranging from different approaches to training outside the normal training environment; new ways to distribute health and safety information for apprentices, such as QR codes on tools; targeted areas for apprentices’ development, such as job planning and train the trainer courses; and improved approaches to risk management in what can be dynamic environments.
The learning team project equated to 20 hours of organisational learning by Masterlink and all those who participated.
If you are interested in finding out more about how a learning teams approach can enhance your organisation’s knowledge about how work is done, contact greg@first4safety.co.nz
To make sure your learning team is a success:
Conduct the sessions in a way that all contributions are valued, without judgement
Sessions need to be safe environments, where everyone is free to communicate their context without fear of repercussion
Learning has value—it is a corrective measure that makes us smarter and more informed
When you get better at learning, you gain more knowledge, which leads to making better decisions.
Learning is vital and primary to fixing problems.
Many businesses say they are a learning organisation, which is a great aspirational goal—but what is actively being done to achieve this? You need to be prepared to hear good and bad news, or that change is required. Only by deliberately engaging in learning will you understand what you don’t already know.
About the author: Greg Dearsly owns First 4 Safety, a generalist health and safety consultancy. Greg holds a Masters in Advanced Leadership Practices and is a Professional member and former President of the NZ Institute of Safety Management (NZISM). He represents NZISM as President of the International Network of Health and Safety Practitioner Organisations (INSHPO).
First 4 Safety offers Master Plumbers tailored health and safety support and advice at competitive rates. Order through the Master Plumbers member website (Health and Safety).
Underfloor Peace of Mind.
All the financial experts are talking about that dreaded word ‘recession’. I am no economist, but I’ve been around long enough to recognise we are heading into difficult times. Between supply shortages, rising inflation, increasing interest rates, and an unstable housing market.
So how do you protect your business and come through this in good shape?
Before we dive into that, it’s important to get some perspective first. Recessions will crop up eventually, a boom is always followed by a bust, spring always follows winter, they are both parts of the economic cycle.
Trades will always be needed in any part of the cycle, but in a recession there will obviously be less demand. However, the top 20% will always have enough work even when it’s quiet.
So how do you make sure you’re in the top 20%? Here are 7 things you should know, and be working into your plan now, to be in that top 20%.
So, let’s get started:
I was talking with a seasoned tradie about this the other day. His strategy: “Don’t waste a good recession.”
Sure, it’s harder to get work when times are slow. However, everyone is in the same boat.
AUTHOR: DANIEL FITZPATRICK, NEXT LEVEL TRADIEYour competitors who are doing a poor job, pricing too cheap, taking the quick buck and burning their reputation? These types of competitors will disappear and we are now seeing early signs of this.
Ultimately leaving more room for you.
The top tradies always have work. In any industry, the best are always in demand, regardless of what the market is doing.
Now is the perfect chance for you to get better, more efficient, become leaner and more resilient. Systemise your operations. Sharpen yourself up for the next phase.
When things bounce back, you’ll be ready to dominate, and have less competition.
Listen up, because this one is important: You MUST be proactive with decision-making.
Watch the numbers closely. Look for the early signs so you’re not surprised.
Don’t rely on your backlog of work. Make sure you are doing all you can to keep the work flowing in.
If your efforts aren’t reflecting, and you need to cut overheads and possibly staff, as painful as it is, do it early. Not after you haemorrhage a heap of cash first.
Identify options ahead of time. Have a Plan B for all scenarios. Such as a higher overdraft facility or cash buffer in the bank.
Have you ever been stung by a large bad debt? Most tradies have. That’s in the good times. It’s likely to happen much more in a downturn.
I often see tradies rely too much on one or two big clients. It’s risky. As a rule of thumb your biggest client ideally wouldn’t be more than 30%-40% of your business.
Assess now: If your biggest client disappeared, would you still be ok? We’ve all seen bigger companies fold and little guys get hurt.
Don’t let it happen to you: Make sure you aren’t carrying late payers, and have solid terms of trade.
Why should you market if you have more work than you can handle? In a downturn, things can change quickly.
Assess: Is your work coming from just one source currently? It’s not a good idea to rely on only one stream to feed you jobs through.
What if your biggest customer had their work dry up? Or went broke, and you had to deal with the receiver who didn’t want to pay you?
What if they changed owners? Or their project manager (that dishes out the
Business coach Daniel Fitzpatrick shows how to stay ahead of what is coming next.
work) decided he was going to use your competition instead? This can happen (and does).
Especially if word of mouth is the only way you get leads, build a larger number of sources. There are so many different and effective ways for tradies to market their services. Then even if some dry up, you will still have other streams of work.
In slow times, you can also diversify (into other types of jobs you can make money on). As well as specialising in what you are really good at. Do both! Spread your risk.
I mean, this is something you should be doing at least once a year anyway.
I have recently taken all my clients through this. A smaller client of mine saved $17,000 from just a few tweaks. Not bad for a few hours of work.
Cash is king, and you want as much of it available as you can. Reduce overheads. Work on becoming more efficient.
Reduce debt as much as possible. In a recession, banks tighten up lending and overdrafts. Be aware of interest rate trends and your ability to pay back current debt.
On some jobs, to keep the work, you might have to sharpen your pencil. Be. Very. Careful!
Don’t make the mistake of assuming if you have steady work, all will be okay. You must know at exactly what point the job is not worth doing.
In hard times, lots of tradies will do anything to get (or keep) the work. They are the ones that get into trouble first.
Know your margins. Quote too cheap and you will feel it down the line with tight cashflow and higher debt. That’s not sustainable.
There are better ways to win work and keep your margins strong. Even when things are quiet. Even when competitors are undercutting you.
Have you noticed that some people always seem to get ahead no matter how big the obstacles are?
In sport, the best teams don’t always have the best players, but they consistently win anyway. The difference is superior coaching, strategy and mindset.
It is the same in business, the business is always a reflection of the owner.
So, what are you doing to prepare mentally going into this new season?
Who is your mentor you can talk with on those hard days when it seems everything is falling apart? What books are you reading? What new strategies are you working on to improve?
The more you grow the better your business will perform.
One of the things that I love doing with clients is celebrating their successes or looking back with them and comparing where they are now to where they started.
The theme is always the same, the things they struggled with in the beginning they now have sorted. They slayed the dragon and recognised how to beat the next one. Every challenge is slightly different but as they start getting small wins, they accumulate and it’s not long before the battle is also won.
You can’t control the environment, the economy, or that crazy client who is not happy no matter what you do.
But how you react will have the biggest effect on the outcome. Now is the time to get prepared and get the tools to deal with whatever happens next.
Let’s sum up.
We can’t stop the recession. But we can prepare wisely.
Carving out time for strategic thinking is key. Because when the economy changes, your approach must also change.
Remember, in a recession there are always opportunities. But most are too busy scrambling or freaking out, to see them.
Trying to do this on your own won’t work. So, build stronger connections with your network, your staff, customers, suppliers, and bank. You are going to need them.
A recession will absolutely affect your business. At times you won’t have all the answers, that’s normal. So make sure you also have a mentor (someone who understands business) to talk to regularly, and work through the issues.
If you already have a mentor—great.
If you need one, then it’s time we had a chat.
Want some personalised help to figure out what to do next?
Go here now: https://nextleveltradie.co.nz/nextstep/
Despite a recessionary forecast for Aotearoa in 2023, the full pipeline of work for the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry looks set to continue for some time to come.
According to the National Construction Pipeline Report 2022, total construction activity peaked at $50 billion in 2021 and is forecast to decrease steadily to about $41.7 billion in 2027, driven largely by a weaker residential sector. There are two caveats to this forecast, however, says Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace.
“The first is that, given the ongoing skills shortages for the PGD sector, the current workforce only has the capability to deliver $30 billion worth of consents,” says Wallace. “So, there will still be significant capacity restraints at the predicted drop to $41.7 billion.
“Secondly, the data in the report is for consented work only, so it gives just a small snapshot of the work carried out by our sector, which also includes renovation, maintenance and other non-consented work.”
Data in the National Construction Pipeline Report 2022 is for consented work only, so doesn’t reflect all the work the PGD sector carries out.
National Construction Pipeline Report 2022
When you understand what makes different generations tick, you can use this to help your business thrive, says Lisa Duston.
With people now working for longer, many businesses are faced with the challenge of understanding and managing four generations in the workplace: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Gen Z. Explains a lot, right?
All have different values, work habits, and expectations of themselves, their colleagues, and management. Let’s take a quick look:
Grew up in a time of economic prosperity and tend to prioritise their work life over their private life. They prefer human contact over technology. They are optimistic, competitive and workaholics.
Unlike baby boomers, they don’t live to work, and put a lot of emphasis on work-life balance. They are independent, work well when challenged, are flexible and adaptable.
Rely heavily on technology. They are very adaptable, flexible and ambitious, and have a strong entrepreneurial spirit.
Gen Z (Zoomers) – Born 1997-2012
Also known as post-millennials, they are even more tech-savvy and multicultural than millennials. Their working habits are yet to be established over time, but we know they are eager to earn money and change the world.
You can use the multi-generational culture to benefit your business. You have a huge pool of knowledge, information and experience. Managed right, this could do great things! Ask Gen Z to help the Baby Boomers in the digital realm. The Xers can guide their younger colleagues in personal communication. Encourage this skill sharing and make sure everything is done respectfully.
Regardless of mutual differences, all employees can unite in one thing—ensuring the company’s success. Only when they work together can this goal be achieved.
* Dates are approximate.
Lisa Duston from the Master Plumbers HR team is available to Master Plumbers members to discuss any employee situation. Contact Lisa on 021 245 1704 or email lduston@masterplumbers.org.nz
ethics. For example, willingness to adopt new technologies can vary from generation to generation.
So how do we overcome these challenges?
As Lisa Duston explains above, employers can now find themselves with four different generations in the workplace.
This may create tensions because people have different values, priorities and work
Creating a respectful company culture where people feel included, understood and welcome is essential. Set expectations from day one and check in with your staff that the culture you are trying to create is positively influencing everyone’s wellbeing at work.
Some practical tips to manage generational differences in the workplace:
Ensure every staff member is connected to the purpose of the business, as this instils a sense of common ground
Create opportunities to connect socially as a team, such as shared lunches or group activities that bring people together Model the company culture through strong leadership that clearly demonstrates the importance of managing mental health and wellbeing
Have an approachable environment
where team members feel they can share and talk with each other, so they feel supported and connected.
A culture of respect should lead to a stronger, more resilient team with the same goals in mind. wellbeing on tap
About the author: Need to talk? Master Plumbers members and their teams can get in touch with registered social worker Kereama Carmody on the 0800 Wellbeing Number during normal business hours. Details in the member log-in at www.masterplumbers.org.nz (under Wellbeing on Tap).
If something doesn’t feel right with your bowel, trust your instincts and get it checked out, advises Kelly Hyland.
Slop, faeces, waste, dung… As plumbers, you’ll be familiar with synonyms for poo. But how comfortable are you talking about your own drainage system? With an estimated three deaths a day from bowel cancer in New Zealand, it could be a lifesaving conversation.
Bowel cancer is cancer of the colon and rectum. Obvious signs are bleeding and changes in bowel motions (eg, how often you go, diarrhoea, constipation, or an incomplete emptying feeling). However, these signs are not always present.
Less obvious symptoms such as abdominal pain, tiredness, and unintentional weight loss can be attributed to various problems.
Unfortunately, these symptoms can signal late stages of the disease, giving bowel cancer its reputation as the ‘silent killer’.
You can’t change genetics and family history, but there is strong evidence the foods and drinks we consume influence our risk. Follow these tips to help decrease your risk of bowel cancer:
Increase wholegrain foods and dietary fibre:
• Switch to wholegrain (‘brown’) breads, pasta, rice and crackers
• Ditch sugar-filled cereals for the likes of porridge or Weet-Bix
• Colour up every meal with vegetables— leave skin on where possible
• Snack on fruit, vegetable sticks, grainy crackers, and unsalted nuts and seeds
• Add legumes (chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils) to soups, curries and casseroles.
Include low-fat dairy products in your daily diet
Limit red meat to 500g (cooked) or less per week
• Fish, chicken, eggs, legumes and tofu are great protein-rich alternatives
Include alcohol-free nights each week and stick to the recommended limit of 2-3 standard drinks when you do drink.
Finally, trust your gut! If something doesn’t feel right, visit your GP. Don’t be shy asking for tests or a second opinion until you are confident everything is clear.
About the author: Kelly Hyland is the Administrative Manager for Alex Hyland Plumbing Ltd. She has a Masters in Dietetics, a Graduate Diploma in Teaching, and is passionate about ensuring a healthy working environment in the trade industry. Kelly worked as a registered dietitian and as a science teacher before buying the plumbing business with her husband Alex.
Most businesses have some form of borrowing. Common examples are loans used to purchase machinery, business premises or work vehicles. Credit cards and overdrafts are also forms of borrowing businesses make use of.
Interest rates on residential and business borrowing are rising rapidly as the Reserve Bank ratchets up the Official Cash Rate in an effort to get inflation back under control. Given the impact of these interest rate rises on business owners, it is timely to step back and look at what borrowing means from a symbolic perspective.
Borrowing is about making a deal with the future. It brings the potential of the future
and places it in the present. By borrowing money, you are saying to the lender, “I’ll give you some of my future earnings if you give me the money now.”
Imagine, for example, a plumbing business owner wants the capability of doing bigger drainage jobs and needs an excavator. One option is to wait and save the cash over several years before making the purchase—but this means missing out on potential earnings in the meantime.
Another option is to take a bet on future earnings, then make a deal with a lender to access those future earnings now. The benefit of this option is to unlock more productivity immediately, resulting in enough output to cover the interest and start paying down the principal.
However, if the expected increase in productivity does not occur, the only other way the output can increase is to work faster. In this sense, borrowing has the effect of speeding up time.
Small businesses with borrowings can quickly find themselves in a state of frenzy, where everything seems to be speeding up as they struggle to maintain the output needed to cover interest expenses.
This is the question to ask before taking out a loan for an asset purchase. In a rising interest rate environment, the answer needs to be a firm ‘Yes’.
While it might feel good to borrow and upgrade to the latest ute, if the existing one is serviceable and reliable, the new purchase is unlikely to substantially improve productivity. Contrast this with the example of an excavator purchase, which is more likely to substantially improve productivity, by enabling larger and more profitable jobs.
Looking at asset purchases and borrowing decisions this way can lead to better business decisions, especially in the current rising interest rate environment. It can also reduce the likelihood of your business entering a whirlwind where interest expenses come so fast that output cannot keep up.
About the author: Brett Crombie is a trade specialist accountant at Straightedge Accounting. For assistance developing a business plan, or for tax and accounting services, contact Brett on 021 301 022 or email brett.crombie@straightedge.nz
Make a statement in your kitchen with the new Galiano Kontact® Pull-Down Sink Mixer.
A user focused design for the busy modern kitchen space for all those times when you have your hands full. Kontact® sink mixers are elegant, effortless, and practical. Choose from one of the 6 stunning finishes available in the Galiano range.
Greens Tapware - designed and engineered in NZ since 1935 – fostering the plumbing industry today for a bright future tomorrow. greenstapware.com
For the last few months, we have been rabbiting on about fish ’n’ chips. It’s become a bit of a thing. Why? Well, obviously, not for any physical health benefits—but we believe that, alongside chocolate fish, coffee cards, Friday beers and cooked breakfasts, the simple Kiwi favourite of fish ’n’ chips goes a long way to keeping us happy.
I recently attended an event where one of the presenters spoke about trust. As we know, when customers trust us, they are more likely to like our brand, favour it when considering which plumber to choose, forgive our errors and possibly recommend us to others.
In recent history, people’s default position has been to trust until proven otherwise… but not anymore. According to the latest Edelman Trust Monitor data, distrust is now the default mode for more than 50% of people. What does this
mean for us? It means we must work even harder to earn trust through the experience our customers have with us.
To build trust takes time, and with more people than ever being distrusting, we need to work hard to ensure we’re reinforcing our brand consistency and delivering great customer experiences. With some customers only needing our services every three to five years, we’d better be sure that the experience they have with us is memorable for all the right reasons.
The fish ’n’ chips delivery to our office was magic. We opened the paper, spread it out on the filing cabinet, a wee plate each and stopped to chat. We have a smoko room, but we don’t all stop at the same time and the informality of gathering to share some hot chips around the filing cabinet was priceless. We learnt more about what was happening for people in those 10 minutes than we had in the preceding 10 weeks. Part of this is due to people coming and going with illness (will it ever stop?) and the nature of people’s roles that they are not office-based all the time.
This small gesture went a long way. Sometimes—and it’s always best if it’s a bit impromptu—we all like to receive a bit of thanks for simply doing our job.
Did you know that Bison Workwear and Footwear is designed and developed in New Zealand! Our products have been helping workers like you to stay safe yet comfortable, for more than 40 years.
When you need quality gear with formidable protection built-in, only Bison has your back.
Small gestures to thank the team go a long way, says Tracy Pleasants of Foleys.
Fish ’n’ chips!
There’s nothing stopping women getting into a plumbing career, says Bayley Wilkie, who is setting a new benchmark for young women tradies to follow.
AUTHOR: PETER WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAN STEVENS AND MARTYN DAVIES
Twenty-four-year-old Bayley Wilkie has proven that hard work, a desire to learn and showing initiative to get your foot in the door pays off. Bayley is in the fourth year of her plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting apprenticeship, hosted by John Wilson at Laser Plumbing Te Puke. She hopes to qualify next March. Last year, Bayley won the national Laser Plumbing Employee of the Year Award, contested by qualified tradespeople throughout New Zealand.
“When my boss told me he had nominated me and I had got through to the last three, it gave me more confidence to know he viewed me that highly,” she says. “It was an honour and a privilege to make the finals but then to take out the award, I was super excited. It is the biggest achievement in my career so far.”
Earlier this year, she was also awarded a Masterlink Apprentice Outward Bound Scholarship to attend a 16-day leadership course in July. Plus, she was one of three Masterlink apprentices to be presented
Bayley at the 2022 New Zealand Plumbing Awards with her grandfather ‘Pop’ Roy Poole, who encouraged her into a plumbing apprenticeship.
with a Plumbing World Scholarship at the New Zealand Plumbing Awards in June.
Bayley also took part in a Women in Plumbing, Diversity and Inclusion panel discussion held at the New Zealand Plumbing Conference.
In Year 13 at Mount Maunganui College, her favourite subjects were PE, Outdoor Education, and Hospitality and Food Nutrition. Plumbing was not her first choice as a career option. Initially, she wanted to be a personal trainer because she loved sport but, after working at a gym during a Gateway programme, she decided to change focus.
Bayley’s family played a big part in her career choice. Her dad is a roofer but her mum didn’t want her to do that, so Bayley took her granddad’s advice and looked at plumbing.
Bayley worked as a labourer for a year, then signed up with Masterlink to begin her apprenticeship.
She went door knocking at plumbing companies but found the going tough until she visited Laser Plumbing Te Puke, where John told her she could start Monday.
Bayley worked as a labourer for a year, as he already had two apprentices, then signed up with Masterlink to begin her apprenticeship.
Even though there are not many women plumbers around, Bayley says people have treated her with respect, particularly the teams at Masterlink and Laser Plumbing Te Puke. “They are really supportive. If there is anything I need help with, they are always there, and the other tradies and apprentices treat me as an equal.
“There is no barrier for females within the industry. It is really good. I am grateful for the opportunity I have been given. I can do the same job the boys do. There is nothing that can stop you reaching the end goal and result you are trying to achieve.
“If you don’t want to be in an office and you want to get out there into a trade, I highly recommend it to anyone.”
This article is reproduced from Issue 24 of Leaving School magazine from Oliver Lee Publications. www.leavingschool.co.nz
Q: You won the NZ Trainer of the Year at this year’s NZ Plumbing awards. Why does being a good trainer of apprentices mean so much to you?
A: I had a pretty hard apprenticeship myself. I made a lot of mistakes and didn’t have a lot of encouragement, but I moved to the company I’m with now and it was a completely different learning style.
They built up my confidence again. I realised that anyone can make it if they have the right environment and training and people behind them to help them succeed.
Q: What’s your secret to training apprentices well?
A: Support. As a trainer, you have to get alongside your apprentices, work out what makes them tick and what is the best way for them to learn.
It’s about providing an environment where they can learn on the job, because 95% of what you learn is when you’re handson and doing it—not at tech or in the books.
Q: What’s your approach to working with apprentices to help them learn?
A: Every single job an apprentice goes out on is an opportunity to learn something new. It’s about making sure they know what they’re doing—whether that’s taking a video
of me doing something, or taking the time to explain what the faulty part was.
If they can get some of that information into their head or onto paper so they can actually learn, then they’ll make progress. You could change five hot water cylinders with them, but if you don’t focus on training as you go along, they still won’t know how to do it.
We schedule monthly one-on-one catch ups with every apprentice to make sure they’re up to date with their block courses and online assignments. It’s also a chance for them to ask questions and for us to make sure everything is all good.
Q: How do you give them broad experience of the different types of work?
A: Our business lends itself naturally to that, because we work predominantly in maintenance. That’s really where you cut your teeth in how plumbing works, and we have a good balance of jobs coming in regularly.
It’s about providing an environment where they can learn on the job, because 95% of what you learn is when you’re handson and doing it—not at tech or in the books.Good systems lead to a smooth training experience, says Shaun Hardy of Hardy Plumbing and Gas in Wanaka, shown here (left) with team member Tom Scurr, who completed his Masterlink apprenticeship last year.
Great on-job training can empower apprentices to learn skills quickly and develop a passion for their trade—but training apprentices well is a skill in its own right.
Masterlink’s new Train the Trainer course gives Masterlink host businesses an understanding of how best to deliver on-job training to apprentices.
In developing the course, Masterlink spoke to a range of people involved with training—including hosts and apprentices—and found employers and supervisors often struggled to deliver training in a way that resonates with younger apprentices.
“You can be a good tradesperson or a good business owner, but being a good supervisor and trainer is completely
different,” says Jason Goei, former Training Manager at Masterlink and now Operations Manager at Master Plumbers. The course has been designed with today’s learning styles in mind and can be delivered online or face to face.
The first part of the course works with the trainer. It includes lessons on: how to set expectations and give instructions
how to understand apprentices’ learning styles the roles and responsibilities of trainers and their apprentices effective communication.
The second part is about the apprentice. It covers:
what it’s like to be a learner apprentice wellbeing the type of support needed how apprentices respond to different types of instructions.
“It’s almost reverse engineering the learning process for the supervisor,” says Jason. “Some have been in the field for such a long time, it’s easy to forget what it’s like to be an apprentice.”
Train the Trainer is available free to all Masterlink host businesses. Masterlink is currently assessing interest around the country before formally rolling out the course. If you are interested, please contact Masterlink directly or speak to your Regional Manager.
Instead of just showing apprentices how to do a task, we explain why it’s done the way it is. We take the time to acknowledge work that’s been done correctly, and if they’re not sure about anything, we get them to think about how they’d approach it before we talk them through the correct method.
We don’t tend to pigeonhole people into the same thing. We buddy them up with different tradespeople so they’re getting different jobs and exposure to different ways of doing things.
Our approach is personalised to each apprentice. We don’t send them out in a van just because they’re in their third year—we make sure they’re actually ready. It’s about making sure they’re confident, and starting to talk to them about it ahead of time, so they can learn everything they need to. When they do get in a van, they’re ready.
Q: What’s your secret to training apprentices well?
A: The better systems we have in place, the smoother training becomes. We have 12 on our team, including four apprentices, and our aim is to spread the skill set throughout the team and collectively share knowledge and experience.
We have a dedicated driver doing deliveries, compliance certificates etc, which gives the apprentices more time
onsite and allows the senior members of the team to focus on sharing their skills.
Q: How do you work with apprentices and help them upskill?
A: We encourage all staff to upskill regularly—not just apprentices. We have meetings every Monday morning to run through jobs we’ve had in the last week and talk about how we dealt with them. It helps to spread learnings across the whole team, and it’s an open environment where anyone can ask questions or raise issues.
Also, when apprentices have block courses coming up, or questions after attending a block course, we make sure to take the time to give them the support or advice they need.
Q: Are there any no-nos when it comes to dealing with apprentices?
A: We find by having mutual respect within the team, apprentices are engaged, motivated and eager to learn about what they’re doing.
We challenge them to achieve at their current level and make sure that if mistakes are made, they’re not made to feel like they’ve failed.
We also allow them to do things earlier that excite and engage them, such as jumping on the digger and back filling. It just means they have satisfaction in their work, and they’re not just on a shovel all day.
Q: What do you do if an apprentice makes a mistake?
A: We all make mistakes—it’s part of learning. We use group chats to share mistakes and collectively discuss how we can improve on them in the future. We believe that by sharing this knowledge within the company, it reduces the risk of future mistakes and it creates open communication.
Q: How do they know if they’ve done a job well or could improve?
A: We strive to monitor quality control both from the office via cloud-based photos, onsite checklists and feedback from main contractors.
Instead of just showing apprentices how to do a task, we explain why it’s done the way it is. We take the time to acknowledge work that’s been done correctly, and if they’re not sure about anything, we get them to think about how they’d approach it before we talk them through the correct method.
Demographically, New Zealand now has far fewer school leavers as a percentage of our population and the situation gets worse from 2023 onwards. Coinciding with that, we have a rapidly ageing population and a greater desire from more people to retire early.
Closing our borders in response to Covid-19 also meant our access to immigrants stopped overnight. There is now some easing of that, but the change will take time to filter through.
Meanwhile, our own young people are at risk of bolting, heading off on their rite of passage, the ‘Great OE’. Those who remain are having no trouble finding full employment, conscious no doubt of forecast economic hardship ahead.
Our challenge—and our opportunity—is working together to fundamentally broaden our thinking about who we offer vocational training to, and how best to do that.
The recently announced new unified funding system is heavily weighted towards work-based and work-integrated learning. This means emphasis on people upskilling while at work or embedding real industry
problems in an academic curriculum that allows learners and employers to work collectively together.
It’s in all of our interests to work harder to attract and retain these on-the-job learners by doing a much better job of meeting their and their employer’s needs. We also need to consider how we offer training. We may need to staircase people in, offering them access to smaller bites of knowledge, delivered in a way and timeframe that suits them, and that aligns with the skill sets employers most want.
Te Pūkenga will have the kind of scale to deliver the change needed to attract and retain these learners and support employers to train their people. All of this adds up to a better skilled workforce and a thriving New Zealand economy.
On 1 October 2023, arranging training for a number of industries transitioned form The Skills Organisation ITO to Te Pūkenga Work Based Learning Limited. For more information go to https://earnlearn-tepukenga.ac.nz
Te Pūkenga was established to better meet the needs of learners and employers through the creation of a national network of regionally accessible vocational and applied learning organisations. Te Pūkenga brings together the country’s 16 institutes of technology and polytechnics and nine industry training organisations (ITOs).
DrainPro
Whether you are an
go out on
to help you develop a
Association of New
in
have the
if a
We are
(FANZ), and can give
is
all
Masterlink apprentice Max McQuoid talks about his love of freestyle trampolining.
AUTHOR: SAM DAYI’m a first-year apprentice at Mark Above Plumbing and Gas, which is based in Hamilton and services the wider Waikato region. My apprenticeship is in all three trades, plumbing, gasfitting, and drainlaying. I got into it as I wanted to get a trade under my belt, and I think knowing a trade is a valuable skill to have.
I got into it with my mates at the start of high school, where we all used to watch people on YouTube do different flips and stunts on the tramp. We just started in our backyards on our own home tramps. As I got better, I began to travel around New Zealand and go to different meetups around the country, meeting other people who were all motivated and interested in the sport. Training at these events helped me progress even faster.
Trampolining is definitely a new and growing sport. A decent number of people were into it before Covid, when there were competitions and different events to train for and focus on. There have been two main Australasian events in New Zealand, both of which I’ve won. In 2019, I travelled to the US for two competitions there, coming first in one of them and second in another, placing first overall.
Either my trip to the US or my most recent trip to the UK. It’s such a good time, finally meeting other people overseas who I’ve already known for years through the sport.
Honestly, I’ve accomplished a lot of my main goals in the sport and have got so much more out of it than I ever would have expected. For now, I just train for fun at home mostly and if any other opportunities present themselves, I’ll be more than happy to participate in them.
Whitireia and WelTec are a subsidiary of Te Pūkenga (New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology). As of Thursday, 1 September 2022, Whitireia will be assumed by Te Pūkenga and carried on as the Whitireia business division. About the role - Te kaupapa
Key responsibilities of this tutoring role include facilitating teaching, learning and assessment for Gasfitting students, with courses including a strong handson practical learning component.
To be successful, you will have broad experience in the industry and a relevant qualification (i.e. New Zealand Certificate or National Certificate in Gasfitting) and be a Licensed Practitioner or hold a Certifying qualification. Plumbing or drain laying qualifications are also an advantage.
Teaching qualifications and experience are not essential for this position; however you must possess the following qualities to ensure you have the potential to quickly grow into an effective tutor: patience, adaptability,
positive attitude, good communication skills and a reasonable level of physical fitness.
Successful applicants without teaching qualifications will be supported to achieve a Certificate in Adult Tertiary Teaching or similar tertiary teaching qualification through on-job training and development.
The role is based at WelTec’s main campus in Petone. Applicants will be required to undertake a police vetting check in order to work with young people and should hold a current driver’s licence.
Benefits:
• Competitive remuneration package
• Wellness allowance
• Eyecare allowance
• Free parking
• Five weeks annual leave
• Professional development For other information please email recruitment@wandw.ac.nz
Applications close on Wednesday, 30 November 2022.
We have jobs available across many of our 13 Branches. If you’re keen, check out our website www.foleys.co.nz/hiring
We are seeking a motivated Tradesperson and/or Certifying Plumber/ Drainlayer or Gasfitter with a commitment to quality work, who is customer focused with excellent people and communication skills. We are wanting either an experienced reactive maintenance plumber and/or a plumber, gasfitter or drainlayer who is experienced in commercial and residential new builds.
We offer excellent rates of pay, health insurance, and relevant training for the successful applicant.
Panton Plumbing has been in business for over 35 years and is a reputable, well established Plumbing company based in Hastings.
Please apply in strict confidence to: danny@pantonplumbing.co.nz or phone 06 87 5057
The cost to place a classified advertisement is $120+GST for Master Plumbers members; $200+GST for non-members. Email advertising@masterplumbers.org.nz
Classified advertisements will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
“Someone out there thinks it’s okay to put hemp onto a fitting, then put into a female mdpe fitting, then bury it and concrete over it ”, says Craig Tremeer, who sent in this photo of a dodgy 50mm hex nipple.
“What happens when a home handyman does an installation on a friend’s house,” says Dale Lovell of Heron Plumbing. “Don’t you just love the nice, neat holes in the cabinets and the offset for the waste.”
“Client said his toilet is not flushing properly,” says Tom Kelly of B&B Plumbing. “Reckon it could be the 80mm pipework with no fall, or possibly the junction installed upside down. Personally, I’m just disappointed there was no level invert installed!”
“I repaired this tee to notice the rest of the pipework was installed the same,” says Shaun Rosacker of Bell Plumbing. “The owners weren’t too worried when I informed them that this was not right.”
This edition’s plumbing, gas and drainage no-nos.And finally... DODGY PLUMBING, GASFITTING & DRAINLAYING
What lies behind “Wow. Check this out,” says Damian Houghton of Rapid Plumbing and Gas. “Call out for noisy HWC. Found it leaking behind a wall with a gas furnace.”
“Do your best. Pan connector the rest,” says Josh Kenyon, who sent in this gem.
Caught in a trap And another. Thanks to Steve from Steve Meadows Plumbing for sending in this one. “Trouble flushing the toilet and toilet paper in the gully? Oh, that explains it!” he says.
the Ed: bsellers@masterplumbers.org.nz. The bigger the file, the larger we can show it on the page.
SecuraGold™ fittings have THREE barbs ensuring each crimp well engages the pipe three times
End caps and tools are colourmatched for faster, easier installations, and red pipe clips quickly identify hot lines from cold
Our crimp tools have a wide jaw for a wide, more secure crimp area
Fittings have a seeing eyelet so it’s easy to visually check that the pipe is fully engaged to the fitting
Faster to install Independent testing proved SecuraGold™ to be up to 60% faster to install than other trade systems
End caps protect the copper crimp ring and prevent the entry of dust and grime
SecuraGold™ is backed by a 25-year performance warranty, so you have protection for 25 years from the date of manufacture
We’re backed by an international organisation so if something went wrong, you won’t be left high & dry
Our Producer statement lets you stand out from other plumbers by providing a quality written guarantee of the product
Our technical team have been part of the Dux team for an average of 17 years each, our sales & marketing team 11 years
We provide a full tooling and stock swap for full conversions
All non-conformance incidences are investigated & a written report given to the plumber for supply to homeowner or insurance company
We’ve got your back. We’ve had it for over 30 years and we’ll have it for many more.
www.dux.co.nz/securagold
Your best choice of coloured downpipe to complement Marley uPVC or metal spouting jobs.
To connect to metal spouting simply use a MC11.80 dropper. Cut a hole in the spouting and insert and fix the dropper using a quality sealant.
Durable – rust, dent, and seam free 15-year Guarantee
Easily installed at fit out stage 95° & 43° bend options to work with any soffit width
