8 things you need to know about water and sanitary plumbing maintenance for your HDB apartment

#1 THERE ARE 2 TYPES OF PLUMBING SYSTEMS IN EVERY APARTMENT

A plumbing system is made up of pipes which carries 2 types of water; the supply of clean drinking water while the other is for discharging of used or waste water.

#2 ASIDE FROM YOU, THE PUB AND TOWN COUNCIL IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE WATER PIPES

What this means to you, is that you need to inform the Town Council if there is low water pressure. This could be caused by a malfunction in the booster pump. Also, do inform the PUB if the PUB water sub-meter is found to be faulty.

#3 TOWN COUNCIL AND YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SANITARY PIPES

You need to maintain the sanitary branch pipes while the Town Council is responsible for the maintenance of the main sanitary pipes. Therefore, you should check pipes regularly and

engage a plumber to carry out repairs for the sanitary branch pipes. Also, contact the Town Council when repairs are needed for the main sanitary pipes.

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#4 PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES MUST BE TAKEN WHEN RENOVATION WORKS ARE CARRIED OUT FOR FLATS WITH CONCEALED WATER PIPES

The renovation professionals should treat the concealed water pipe layout plans for kitchen and toilet as a reference. Hence, a metal detector has to be used to locate the exact location of the concealed water pipes before any drilling is done. The ramsets, nails and/or screws must be located away from these concealed water pipes.

#5 ONLY A LICENSED PLUMBER IS ALLOWED TO CARRY OUT THE PLUMBING SERVICES

Starting from 1 April, 2018, only PUB Licensed Plumbers are allowed to provide water and sanitary services.

Do you know? It is an offence for anyone, without a valid PUB Plumber Licence to:

• a. provide water service and sanitary works and/or;
• b. advertise or pass off as a licensed plumber.

The penalty is either a fine not exceeding $10,000 or a term imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or both.

#6 HANDYMEN (WITHOUT PUB LICENSE) CAN BE ENGAGED FOR SIMPLE PLUMBING WORKS

Handymen are allowed to perform the following simple plumbing works for the water service works for portable water. They include the replacement or removal of any tap or mixer, or the accessories* connected to a tap.

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They are also allowed to replace or remove the pipe that connects the stop valve and the instantaneous water heater. In addition, they can replace or remove the flushing or flexible hose after the ball valve in the flushing cistern.

As for the sanitary works, handymen are permitted to install, replace or remove the washbasin or sink, any bathtub, shower tray, or shower enclosure, floor waste outlet, or pipes that discharge sullage water into the floor trap.

They can replace the floor trap grating or cover and floor waste grating or cover. Handymen can install, replace or remove the urinal, and this includes the fitting trap or any pipe connecting the urinal to a urinal trap.

They are also allowed to clear the blockage in the floor trap, water closet or sanitary appliance, discharge pipe, ventilating pipe, drain-line, fitting, floor trap, inspection chamber, grease trap, pump related to the discharge of sewage or sullage water to a sewerage system.

* The accessories include a shower hose, shower head, connecting hose with a spring-loaded self-closing nozzle, connecting hose to a washing machine or a dishwasher.

#7 THE COSTS OF PLUMBING WORKS VARY, DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPES OF REPAIRS ARE CARRIED OUT

The estimated market rates for the following common plumbing works are as follows:

• a. Clear toilet bowl choke - from $120 onwards
• b. Clear floor trap/drainage pipe choke - from $120 onwards
• c. Supply and replace toilet/WC flush system - from $140 onwards
• d. Replace Sink/Basin/Cistern flexible hose - from $100 onwards
• e. Supply and install toilet bowl set - from $390 onwards

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#8 THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PORTALS THAT PROVIDE LICENSED PLUMBERS FOR HIRE!

Do you know that you can easily search for a licensed plumber through the following 3 portals:

a. PUB;

b. Income and;

c. GoFix.

This article was first published in Renonation.