MAINTENANCE
With a large commercial area to maintain, Burgess’
team needs a golf cart for mobility and speed of
response.
The busiest day of the week is Monday, “Because we’re
fixing all the blocked toilets and drains that happened over
the weekend, for which the Facilities Manager didn’t want
to incur double time by calling us out,” says Hopcroft.
Winter is also a busy time, as fat traps in kitchens
congeal in the cold weather blocking the drains.
“Business accumulates for us in winter – pipes and
geysers burst; drains, valves and pipes get blocked.”
Although Hopcroft does residences, the bulk of his work
is in commercial buildings in Sandton and Melrose Arch.
Signing up new clients is the major part of his job – he
signed up two that day – and a recent acquisition was
51
Earlier refurbishments.
the entirety of the common plumbing of the Melrose
Arch development.
This means his job has two important components: one
is the usual maintenance (blocked drains) but another
important one is the plumbing component of major
refurbishments and additions to his existing clients.
On the day, we met at a large building at the corner
of Grayston Drive and Rivonia Road, where extensive
refurbishment was underway. He had two teams there,
installing ‘refresh areas’ – sit-down staff coffee stations
with basins, hot and cold water – as well as the plumbing
for entirely new kitchen facilities.
Hopcroft constantly switches between Sandton and Melrose Arch.
October 2019 Volume 25 I Number 8
www.plumbingafrica.co.za