Historic cottage renovation – The Nevis Valley Cromwell

May Plumbing was contacted via a family friend connection of a staff member about carrying out the plumbing and associated works on a historic gold miners cottage in the high alpine Nevis Valley near Cromwell.

The job presented a lot of challenges, it is extremely cold in winter at this location, they even get frosts in the summer and often is inaccessible due to snow or floods, there is no power, so the house is off-grid solar PV powered – with limitations. The water supply came down a pipe laid on the ground 365 metres away from a spring.

As the house was so far from civilisation, an automatic fire sprinkler system had to be installed to protect the building for council requirements.

We engaged a sprinkler system designer and installed the fire sprinkler system, we installed a large water tank and devised a plumbed tank cleaning system and dedicated domestic and fire sprinkler pumps to fit with the limited power supply system, UV water disinfection system and a new septic system and drainage so the old long drop could be retired. A gas hot water system and new plumbing was installed throughout.

The water supply freezes in winter so a system was devised by May Plumbing & Gas to have the pipe running continuously after tank filling to prevent freezing for most of the time.

It was eventful, on one trip our truck broke down on a steep decline in the track, so our operator Paul took the digger off and drove it for two bone-rattling hours along the road to the job site.

On another trip the river came up and flooded the bridge access, so Paul had to leave the vehicle and wade waist-deep through the river then walk up the mountain to catch a ride home.

The result is a wonderful sympathetic restoration of the old cottage brought up to our more civilised living standards in a truly stunning alpine location.