Your Guide To Updating Your Bathroom For The Silly Season

We sat down with Matt Wilson, Managing Director of Titan Plumbing in Altona North, Melbourne, to understand what’s involved when updating a few plumbing items –from fixing the leaking sink mixer to the wobbly toilet seat.

Pro tip: Always use a licensed plumber to guarantee your bathroom is safe and ready for the festive season.

What would you recommend your customers do before booking a plumber?

The most cost effective thing a client can do prior to booking a plumber is to select, purchase, and have ready the new fixtures and fittings they would like installed.

To make selecting products easier, email through photos of your space to your plumber prior to meeting so they can advise on the estimated work required, as this will help define the product required for the job. For example, it could be whether a P or S trap toilet is required. We can’t guarantee that all plumbers work this way, but it’s best to find out as it can save time and money if you’re prepared.

You can also take advantage of the expertise of consultants at Reece too, as they can help select the most appropriate replacement options for the project.

Would you recommend your customers purchase taps prior to you coming for install?

Selecting new taps can be relatively easy as long as you’re replacing like-for-like. By this we mean a basin mixer for a basin mixer, or wall-mount taps for wall-mount taps.

The one obstacle we find with clients selecting their own taps is the depth of breach in the wall. As this can be different, it may require additional materials to create appropriate depth for the taps. A rare occurrence, but one that does happen, so take note of this when selecting your tap as it may not always be as easy as first thought.

What’s your time estimation for the removal of old and installation of new of the following:

• Kitchen sink mixer: Generally a 30 minute job on site.
• Kitchen sink with sink: Replacing a sink can have varying factors including existing bench cutout, so this can be an hour upwards.
  
• Bathroom taps: Generally a 30 minute job on site.
• Shower taps: Generally up to 1 hour if installing a shower rail.
• Toilet: Toilets can differ depending on whether a major alteration is required. A basic toilet changeover can take as little as 1 hour on site, however can take up to 4 hours for more complex installations.

Any other tips for updating bathrooms before Christmas? Any watch-outs?

We recommend clients think about time and job requirements when looking to fix items in their home. For example, a kitchen mixer replacement may come with a 1 hour charge, but you may be able to replace three mixers in 1.5 hours. Ask yourself, what else needs to be fixed in the home? Multiple items upgraded in the one fix will save money per install, whilst providing the greatest impact in regards to upgrading the overall home for Christmas.