News

On behalf of IOPSA Gauteng, we would like to personally thank You for your Support at the IOPSA Gauteng Golf Day 2017. 

The feedback has been phenomenal from both Players and Sponsors; those that matter most. We certainly look forward to seeing you for an even greater day in 2018 as we continue to grow! 

IOPSA would like to thank Jackie Burgess for the hard work and planning that went into making sure the IOPSA Gauteng Golf day was a success. 

We wish to reiterate our Thanks for Our Generous Sponsors – The IOPSA Gauteng Golf Day could not have been achieved without their valued support – for Contact details please feel free to pop us a message. 

*NB* - For more photos please click here!

The annual Mike Drake Memorial was held at the Royal Durban Golf Club. We were honoured to have Malcolm Harris from Harscan as our MC. The prizegiving was handled by Gary Chandler and Marc Sheppard of Plumblink. On a day in which was scheduled for cold, wet and windy; there surely was some hot golf and lots of beverages to stave-off the effects of the weather. IOPSA KZN would just like to thank all of our Sponsors, players and participants in making this a memorable day. We wish to congratulate fourball winners, Team Speedfit as well as the Winning Plumber; Keith Botha, further wish to congratulate Kwikot for their enthusiastic tee box. We’d just like to thank Bianca Brown for organising another spectacular event; this is certainly not an easy task, but once again pulled off without a hitch. We’d further like to thank the KZN committee for their efforts and support as well as Steve Brown, always cracking the whip. We look forward to next year for a bigger and better relaxed day of golf and fun. 

On behalf of IOPSA KZN, we would like to personally thank You for your Support at the Mike Drake Memorial Golf Day 2017. The feedback has been phenomenal from both Players and Sponsors; those that matter most. I certainly look forward to seeing you for an even greater day in 2018 as we continue to grow! We are truly thankful to have missed the Severe weather and congratulate players and sponsors for braving the short drizzle!

We wish to reiterate our Thanks for Our Generous Sponsors – The IOPSA KZN Golf Day could not have been achieved without their valued support – for Contact details please feel free to pop me a Message.

*NB* High resolution pics available on Request

There has been a large amount of confusion regarding the requirements of SANS 10400-XA and the installation of Retrofit solar geysers as an installation option for SANS 10400-XA compliance on new property developments.

With Retrofit installations been a cheaper installation, developers are opting for the retrofit systems but are unaware that the installation will not be compliant as per the requirements of SANS 10400-XA and SANS 1307. This also becomes an issue for the plumber issuing the PIRB COC as it will fail on an Audit.

What is the requirement of SANS 10400-XA?

XA2 – Not more than 50% of the annual volume of domestic hot water should be supplied by means of electrical resistance heating, ie 50% or more of the hot water used must be heated by energy sources other than electricity.

So with a standard electrical geyser been used as a solar retrofit installation the standing heat loss on the cylinder does not allow for 50% alternative heating, as the water in the tank cools down over night or during winter seasons the geyser will be required to use an electrical element to heat the water , thus not allowing for the required 50% as per SANS 10400-XA2

If we take a closer look at SANS 10400-XA it states, the following regarding Solar hot water heating installations.

SANS 10400-XA Point 4.1.1

4.1.1 in order to comply with functional regulation XA2, contained in part XA of the National Building Regulations, the following guidance is provided:

a. The volume of the annual average hot water heating requirements shall be calculated in accordance with table 2 and 5 of SANS 10252-1 and

b. If solar water heating systems are used, these shall comply with SANS 1307, SANS 10106 , SANS 10254 and SAN 10252-1

Where some might find difficulty in getting the full picture of all the solar water heating system and installation requirements is when the numerous normative referenced standards are not examined, which is where a lot of the detail resides. These include SANS 151, SANS 60335-2-21, SANS 10254, SANS 198, SANS 10152-1, as well as NRCS VC 8055 and VC 9006 etc

SANS 10106 5.1.6 in turn requires that the solar water heating system must comply with SANS 1307.

It is therefore clear that both the solar water heating system must comply with SANS 1307 (which includes the 2 main components – the collector and the storage tank (3.1.6), as well as all the prescribed control and safety valves, pipe-work thermal insulation), and secondly the solar water heating system installation (which covers many aspects as well) must comply with SANS 10106.

SANS 1307 specifies the tests, the design and performance of some of the components separately (like hail, condensation, cover strength etc. tests on the collectors, other tests on the storage tank, as well as other tests on the components together as a system, such as thermal performance, standing losses, freeze resistance etc.

SANS 1307 compliance cannot be achieved by the sum of the individual components on their own, tested separately.

There is no test in SANS 1307 or in any other SANS standard for the thermal performance of the collector on its own. You cannot therefore test a collector on its own and then mix and match it to any other storage tank and then prove or certify compliance of such a combination as a SANS 1307 system.

So in conclusion any inspectorate like PIRB or the municipality or any other inspection or approvals authority (Dept. Energy, CEF, etc) or body, needs proof in the form of a valid and current SANS 1307 system test report, mark certificate or JASWIC listing and certificate.

If a retrofit system is to be used at a new development then a SANS 1307 test report will need to be provide by either the manufacturer, importer or plumber doing the installation and presented to the developer or consumer as proof that the complete installation is compliant and has been tested in full to the requirements of SANS 1307.

The installation will also require the plumber to provide the consumer with a copy of the SANS1307 test report and a PIRB COC as per the requirements of SANS 10106

It gives me pleasure to write about the current IOPSA administration.

I find it refreshing to deal with Steve Brown (Acting Ed), Kaela Bell (Membership administrator) and Mark de Wet (Technical Manager).

Kaela from day one, was not only pleasant, but knowledgeable and efficient. 

We were very concerned about the CPD points that we had not been able to achieve, not due to our negligence  but due to various complications. 

I can proudly say that within two months, we have 19 CPD points!

Not so difficult once you understand what is required.

I have had a few plumbing issues and Steve has always been just a phone call away. If not available immediately, within the hour he is returning your call.

We have been doing internal audits on our plumbers re installing geysers and there were a few technical points we needed to clarify, Mark was available  to assist with the information we required.

I used to be a member of IOPSA over 15 years ago and up until recently did not feel I was benefiting in any way. I also felt that to get CPD points was a money racket.

Now I feel completely different about being a member and about the CPD points. They are both essential. Why one may ask? 

Firstly the assistance one gets from IOPSA is invaluable :-

1. IOPSA meetings, that are very informative on relevant business issues and product, provide you with 4 CPD points.
2. Knowledgeable assistance on  administration and technical plumbing issues 
3. Recruiting of learners and plumbers.

Achieving CPD points is a very good way of staying abreast with all aspects of running a successful plumbing business and need not cost you anything if attend meetings throughout the year and watch a few videos.

I feel proud to say that I am affiliated with IOPSA now we just need to get all the plumbers, throughout South Africa on board.

Written by Sandra Adams

(Dave Miller Plumbers) 

On the 20th of September 2017 IOPSA National held its 77th NATEXEC meeting where chairman from all over the country were in attendance to discuss the status of IOPSA and the way forward. 

During the course of the full day meeting many topics such as budget, training, regional feedback, technical information, events and marketing were discussed. 

The meeting was a great success and all who were in attendance left with a strong understanding of the way forward and excitement for things to come. 

(Martin Kaschula, Johan Van den Berg , Ryder Rollinson, Dawie du Plessis, Andre Gous, Lea Smith, Michelle van Rensburg, Steve Brown, Chris Burgess, Nick Joubert, Mark de Wet, Robert Winn, Mark Pratt, Gareth Jearey, Ryan Swinton)

The plumbing industry has moved forward in leaps and bounds driven by IOPSA with Gary Macnamara at the helm steering our ship.
Gary as many know has moved on to greater challenges in life.

He has left us with a thriving IOPSA community on which we get the privilege to grow, and with this privilege I am proud to announce the beginning of the Tshwane IOPSA Committee.

This will allow plumbers in the Pretoria area to get more attention in terms of meetings in Pretoria helping us grow the Tshwane IOPSA plumbers community.
IOPSA's core belief is to uplift the standards by getting involved with every IOPSA member, helping them with their business, providing support in the latest trends within the plumbing industry and forming partnerships with businesses to provide IOPSA members with better discounts like the incredible deal they have with the NP200 that is R40 000 cheaper.

Providing Training in the latest SANS regulations that are being updated. Things that I know as a plumber are essential to my business growing to the next level.

As we all know IOPSA is a Non-profit volunteer driven organisation and without the plumbers it cannot deliver what we as plumbers truly need - support. We are so alone in our businesses grinding away struggling with the same problems but no one to talk to. Imagine being able to get together and find out how another plumber solved the same problem you had? Or this new job you are taking on and have no experience in it and being an IOSPA member you can call them and get the advice you need. This is why I am on the Committee, I want to be the difference I desire to see from others. I am tired of complaining and not seeing results. I want to be the change, not the problem, which is why IOPSA’s tag line of “Be the change YOU want to see” resonates with me.

Being part of the committee and attending the IOPSA meetings my business has grown. I have learnt of new opportunities in the same jobs I do every day just because I attended a meeting that was so skilfully put together my Kaela and the IOPSA Gauteng committee. They are doing their best to give their best to us. This has truly inspired me and encouraged me to do my part in making South Africa great again. I am not going to wait for someone else to make the change.

So come and join us, by just being part of the meetings and encouraging those around you to attend, we will be that difference that you want to see happen in the South African Plumbing Industry!

For more information on the Pretoria sub committee please contact Kaela on 011 454 0025 or email us at info@iopsa.org

I had the most wonderful experience and just need to thank IOPSA for the opportunity.

I was going about my regular day, going through all my emails when suddenly this email with an NP200 for a ridiculous price popped up!

This can’t be right, I thought, then I see it was for IOPSA members and knew it’s those legends at it again!
Working on getting its members the benefits. I jumped at the opportunity because last year I had just bought an NP200 and the deal was not this sweet and the service was bitter.
This deal at the same price had a Bluetooth radio, contractors rack and the safety pack. 
So, I gave them a call and started the process with the bank to get my funding.

What a wonderful experience dealing with CMH Nissan. Being in Pretoria and CMH Nissan being in Durban I would either need to get the vehicle trucked up here or go and fetch it. CMH Nissan had me covered either way.

One of my main concerns as I had opted to fly down and enjoy Durban for a few days was how would I get to CMH Nissan. Would I need to hire a car for a 45min drive?
I asked if they would be able to fetch me from the airport and immediate response was that won’t be a problem. They even waited for me to finish my breakfast at the airport. The driver was polite and so friendly.

On arriving at CMH NISSAN you get first class treatment. The bakkie was ready and waiting with a large blue ribbon on it, it’s those extra touches that just make one excited to buy another work vehicle for my employees to be able to rescue another client. 

The general manager and sales manager came to congratulate me on my purchase and to check if everything went well. I won’t even go into the horror story of the previous NP200 purchase. This was a dream. I got a call the next day to check that everything was in order.

What a wonderful experience with a company that is doing what it can to help us small contractors grow our businesses with cost effective and reliable vehicles. Thanx to CMH Nissan and IOPSA I am ready to rescue another client from their plumbing nightmare.

Written by Robert Winn

Brooklyn Plumbers T/A Plumbing Heros

Getting rid of PVC pipes in today's times has become a job in it's own as some landfills refuse to take them and the pipes most likely end up in a pile at our workshops and offices. 

But no longer! Plasticomp  is a Gauteng based company that recycles PVC (blue, white and cream pipes, conduit and trunking) and LLDPE (Jojo tanks).

They collect pipes, fittings, shavings, off-cuts in and around the Gauteng area. 

Please contact them to clean up your site and to remove all your off-cuts and trimmings. 

They pay per kg for the material that they collect. 

For more information please contact Anton Tjabring on 074 366 8636

011 918 3412 or atjabring@plasticomp.co.za

Below is an image taken out of Plumbing Africa, let us look past the water pipes and only focus on the 110mm UG drainage pipes.

This is a widespread problem on today’s construction sites, the required drainage levels can’t always be achieved and the plumber is left to try and find a solution to the problem.

So, what to do in this situation?

I have attached an easy to understand diagram below of a solution that is easy to install and cost effective.

The diagram is of a basic overflow gulley head installation that can ensure your installation is compliant with the standards on completion.

Written by Mark de Wet

IOPSA National Technical Manager

IOPSA’s Western Cape region has had a tough time of it lately. There are rumblings on the ground and murmurings in the air that suggest that IOPSA as an organisation is failing in its mandate. Speaking of which, just what is its mandate? Why does it exist? What does it do for the plumber, and why should he/she part with hard-earned cash to be part of it? Well I’m not here to give a lengthy nuts-and-bolts dissemination of every detail of IOPSA’s role in the plumbing industry. What I can tell you though is that at the WC regional level (driven down from National), one thing has started to come sharply into focus as a non-negotiable: Service. Service to the plumber and the industry. There needs to be value for the plumber. There needs to be a perception of “getting something out”, and it needs to start with the EXCO members. One thing’s for sure- the people in the organisation, from National down to regional EXCO volunteers- are rock solid, we all collectively have the same goals and passions to see the INDUSTRY grow. Without a successful and thriving plumbing sector everything else falls apart. Now we can sit and debate just how this is to be achieved, and we will- but for now we need you to know that certainly at WC EXCO level, (And I’m sure I speak for all others) there will be a concerted drive to start to serve you, the plumber.

It’s early days, and there are many ideas on the table but here are some to whet your appetite:

• 1)      More events, and in more locations- In the past there may have been 3-4 plumbers evenings in the Western Cape per year. And most if not all of those would have taken place in and around Cape Town. Guys and girls from Paarl, Worcester, Hermanus, Stellies...all of the outlying areas have had to travel extensively to get to these events. And they have been! We want to try our best to change that, to move the events around and hopefully have plumbers evenings and other events outside of Cape Town.
• 2)      More info at plumbers evenings- Although there has always been valuable information and material available at these events, we would like to up the ante a bit. I, as the technical representative of the WC EXCO would like to introduce a technical session at each plumbers evening. The content of these will vary, but I would like to start to unpack the SANS requirements and have discussions around those. Also, we are hoping to set up more interesting events such as factory tours and in-depth product knowledge. These are always fascinating and welcomed by most technically-minded people I know.
• 3)      Promotion of members- We hope to find ways of driving home the message that to use properly trained plumbers is non-negotiable, and the advantages of using plumbers that are registered with the industry bodies such as IOPSA and PIRB.
• 4)      Bridging gaps- As mentioned earlier, there are a great many plumbers that feel like they have been let down by IOPSA, or that IOPSA is self-serving, or that IOPSA is only in it for the money, or that…or…or….. Well we hope to change that. We believe that all roleplayers in the plumbing sector want the same thing- for it to be thriving and sustainable. Is there a sure-fire way to get everyone singing off the same hymn sheet? No, but it starts with reaching out, cooperation, discussion and HEARING one another. The guys and gals that are passionately dead-set against the notion of an IOPSA or similar body are EXACTLY the ones we want in our corner. Their passion is already clearly evident, and that is gold.