When it comes to hot water in the home, safety is key!
There are a number of legal regulations to be considered when installing a new hot water heater to ensure the safety of your family.
Prevent Burns In Your Home
Tempering Valves/Thermostatic Mixing Valves
By law, when you install a new hot water system, the water needs to be tempered to a maximum of 50°C for all bathrooms. Kitchens and laundries are allowed to have separate, un-tempered hot water supplies that can go hotter.
- Tempering valves come pre-set to 50°C and must be changed every five years to ensure they are working correctly. Plumbers must install these with every hot water install.
- In places such as disabled bathrooms and aged care homes, a plumber may be required to install a TMV (thermostatic mixing valve). A TMV is a more accurate warm water mixing valve. These are adjustable and are normally set at 42°C to allow for people who may not have the same reaction speed to hot water burns.
- Continuous flow systems do not require much ongoing maintenance or extra valves like storage tanks do. Most continuous flow hot water systems are available as a 50°C maximum pre-set temperature.
Temperature and Pressure Relief Valves (TPR)
A temperature and pressure relief (TPR) valve needs to be installed on every storage tank to prevent hot water systems from blowing up due to a build up of pressure within. It is normal for these to leak a little bit and very important to know not to plug them off. It’s important to test these bi-annually, simply pull the brass coloured lever up to allow the pressure to release. (if these leak constantly, it’s best to call your plumber)
Emergency Shut Off Valve
It’s important to have a fully functioning emergency shut-off valve on your hot water system. This allows for water flow to be completely turned off to your heater in an emergency and to allow for servicing and maintenance.
