Plumbing Connection Winter 2022

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8 PLUMBING CONNECTION Winter 2022
GENERAL MANAGER
Jeremy Sweet
EDITOR
John Power
0403 818 579
EDITORIAL CONSULTANT
Jeff Patchell
EDITOR – ACROSS THE TRADES
Sean Carroll
STAFF WRITER
Anna Hayes
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Sam Elliott
ADVERTISING TRAFFIC MANAGER
Tracey Glanville
SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER
Brigitta Novosell
03 9542 9005
CONTRIBUTORS
Enzo Alfonsetti, Paul Cott, Peter Damaso, John
Fennell, Chris Ferguson, Chris Halliday, Andrew
Meade, Dr Greg Morwood, Terry Nguyen, Jon
Palfrey, Dave Scheine, Ken Sutherland
ADVERTISING
Angelo Sticca 03 9542 9011
TO SUBSCRIBE 1800 623 214
Australia 03 9542 9000
New Zealand +61 3 9542 9000
Fax (with credit card details) 03 9542 9090
By mail, please write to the address below
PUBLISHED BY:
Lanella Media Pty Ltd
2/18-22 Lexia Place,
Mulgrave, VIC 3170
AUSTRALIA
ISSN 1034-3075
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this magazine do
not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Although
all materials are checked for accuracy, no liability is
assumed by the publisher for any losses due to the use
of material in this magazine. Copyright 2022 by Lanella
Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise)
without the prior permission of Lanella Media. John Power
Enjoy the read
EDITORIAL
KEEP IT LOCAL
F lexi Hoses do not burst very
often in passenger aircraft,
jet fighters, surgical operating
theatres, or aerospace rockets.
Yet faulty Flexi Hoses used for
drinking water-related applications
– and which are therefore subject
to WaterMark provisions – are
responsible for more than a fifth of all
property-related insurance claims in
Australia.
Our cover story in this issue deals
with the prevalence of substandard
Flexi Hoses available in our local
marketplace. Quite apart from the
immense costs associated with faulty
Flexi Hose products and repairs, there
are obvious health implications arising
from ruptured or poorly sealed hoses.
Unsafe drinking water may not be
as attention-grabbing as a suborbital
rocket explosion – but many would
argue that the integrity of all fittings
relating to domestic drinking water is
JUST AS IMPORTANT as quality control
in defence, healthcare, aerospace, or
aviation.
There are many reasons for our
domestic Flexi Hose doldrums,
including: (1) a NEAR -complete loss
of local manufacturing, leading to
an inability to independently monitor
fabrication processes; (2) a product
certification system that ticks
compliance instead of penalising
non-compliance at point of sale; and
(3) a lack of realistic oversight over
FULL supply chains.
Arguably, a return to more local
manufacturing would solve many of
the quality assurance weaknesses
facing the Flexi Hose sector today.
A push towards greater levels of
local manufacturing is at the heart
of another story in this issue. John
Fennell, commenting in his Copper
Connection regular column, urges
readers to support MM Kembla,
Australia’s last remaining local
manufacturer of copper tube. Dealing
with a local entity, John explains,
stimulates better supply chain
management and planning while
supporting local employment.
Thankfully, our local plumbing
industry continues to innovate in
many sectors for the benefit of local
markets… Don’t miss our stories on
the rising popularity of digital Quality
Assurance platforms; as well as
cutting-edge heat pump technologies
from Rheem; plus some practical
solutions to laying pipes in unstable
ground, courtesy of Plastec jointing
systems.
Plumbing Connection also regards
safety as a high-priority topic, and
this issue is no exception: contributor
Chris Halliday – in a piece that all
practitioners should study closely –
describes the risks of electrocution
from plumbing pipework.
Finally, we urge all readers to
attend the upcoming Plumbing Supply
Forum 2022, Australia’s premier
business event for the plumbing
industry, which will take place on
Tuesday 7 June in Sydney. Visit www.
to
register.
All the best for now,