New technology is transforming how ACL’s plumbing and gas division finds and fixes leaks and blockages, taking much of the guesswork out of the job.

ACL’s Plumbing and Gas Certifying Plumber Richard Begbie said business has been steady, with most of the team’s work focused on maintenance such as water leaks, blocked drains and toilet repairs.

“The days of digging up driveways trying to find pipes are long gone,” he said.

“Now we can pinpoint exactly where we need to be.”

The division uses a range of advanced equipment, including a push-rod camera that can be fed into pipes to identify blockages or damage.

The footage is recorded to an SD card, allowing plumbers to show clients the exact problem and provide a precise repair plan.

“We can mark out the issue, record everything and send a PDF to the client. It’s a brilliant piece of kit,” Begbie said.

A sonde is another tool the team uses to locate underground pipe positions to help find leaks without unnecessary digging.

The device works with a tracking wand to trace the pipe’s line, while listening equipment pinpoints the source of a leak.

For larger projects, ground-penetrating radar is used to detect underground pipes, wires and other obstructions before any work begins.

This helps prevent damage to driveways or landscaping and saves clients both time and money.

New team member Cassie Van Der Merwe, who joined ACL four months ago and is about to begin his plumbing apprenticeship, said he is enjoying the hands-on learning.

“The people are great, I’m learning from one of the best, and every day is different,” he said.

“Plumbing is completely new to me, but I’ve always wanted to do a trade.”

While technology has made the work faster and more precise, Begbie said.

ACL’s commitment to quality service remains the same.

“It’s still about getting the job done properly the first time,” he said.

“The new equipment just means we can do it with greater accuracy — and save our clients a lot of headaches.”

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