Plumbing help - what is this?

[jimbob888]

Hello all,
Hope there is a plumber out there who can identify what these are.
We are weeks off finishing building our new house and these eye-sores have us worried. Just what are they? Are they typical? Are they anything to do with the solar hot water (electric boosted) system? Please help us.
Jim & Suz

[memphis]

number 2 is definatly related to the HSW, its the relief valve to save you getting on the roof.

unsure what pic1 is..look like tempering valves?

[wonderplumb]

Picture two looks like the isolation and expansion control valve to the HWS, the first picture is two tempering valves with the CW feed coming out of the ground under the valves with the HW feed on top and the mixed coming from the centre of the valves to their respective fixtures, dunno why they'd be set up like that though. Talk to the plumber.
If anyone working for me had the intention of leaving it looking like that permanently on a new home Id sack him!
Are these two setups close to each other or on the other side of the house??
I can understand having it all connected and charged while construction is being completed (so you know when the gyprocker or the chippy hammers a nail or screw through the pipework).
Im sure there is a method to it and surely it wont be left like that, one would hope.
Good luck.

[jimbob888]

Thanks guys.

Pic 1 is on the opposite side of the house from Pic 2.
Pic 2 is on the wall directly below the solar panels/tank.

Can you comment as to whether this is standard practice?
I understand that you need the relief valve but is this how it is normally done?
For example, in pic 2, why does it need to be so high up on the wall? Couldn't if have been located more discretely?

We really appreciate all your help.

Jim & Suz

[wonderplumb]

Couldn't if have been located more discretely?

I guess it could have, without seeing the house or plans or construction of the place its hard to say why its been done like that.
Doesnt look right though, especially the tempguard set-up

[Bloss]

Both look like the all too common 'easiest way for the tradie' approach. As has been said you should be talking with your builder or whoever is managing the job. The issue is the aesthetic result - which look poor.

In Pic 1 it looks like a box covering of some sort would be placed over it and if it were finished well in blueboard and rendered to match then it would not look so ugly. There is also the matter of protection for the pipework going underground - covering with just a few mm of sand is asking for trouble later on.

In Pic 2 the usual thing would be to embed the pipework going to the ground into the render and provide a small box cover for the tap and relief valve - perhaps with the horizontal pipework there embedded as much as possible too).

The issue is simple for you - just tell the builder that it isn't good enough and you want it fixed. Of course if you are an owner-builder managing subbies yourself then you need to have a talk with your plumber (and don't pay until it is fixed to your liking).

Doncha just love the building in a sandbox those in the West have to do . . .

[Pheonix]

What sort of hot water are you installing ,solar or off peak?

[jimbob888]

Its solar with electric boost

[SilentButDeadly]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but it looks to me like Jimbo has the hot water coming down off the roof on one side of the house (where the pressure relief vale is) then traversing the house to the tempering valves (and not just one tempering valve but two - why would you need two?) on the OTHER side where the cold water is......does anyone else think this is kind of daft? Seems like it'd take about six months for the hot tap to get hot!!

[wonderplumb]

Thats what I cant get my head around???????????