by Gary Mays | Jul 15, 2011 | City of Gold Coast, Consumer Issues, Gold Coast Plumbing, Health Issues, Hot Water, Hot Water Temperature, Insurance, Plumbers Gold Coast, Plumbing Legislation
Queensland law since 1995 has been that hot water delivered to bathrooms be regulated so that it does not exceed 50°C. The most common method to achieve this is by installing a tempering valve.
At 60°C, a severe burn can happen in 1 second.
At 55°C, a severe burn would take 10 seconds.
At 50°C, a severe burn would happen after 5 minutes.
If your hot water unit has a valve that looks like the one pictured on the right, then you have a tempering valve installed. The most common valve installed has a blue cap, but valves used on gas units frequently have a green cap and those on solar or heat pump units have an orange cap.
It is almost a guarantee that your valve has never been serviced as most homeowners do not realise they even had such a device or that they are required to be tested and certified annually. Very simply a tempering valve blends hot and cold water to deliver hot water at a constant temperature and thus reduces the risk of scalding accidents.
Recent litigation places a deed of care to ensure the safe delivery of hot water in domestic situations. Very simply this means you should be having the tempering valve serviced annually whether you are a homeowner or a property investor or a real estate property manager. To ensure your hot water delivery is safe, you need an annual report signed by a licensed plumber that states:
- the model, manufacturer and identification of the tempering valve installed
- the temperature of the hot water recorded during the test
- details of the test undertaken, details of what maintenance was undertaken and what parts were replaced
- the location of the valve in the property
- a reference to the test method undertaken being compliant with AS 4032.3, Appendix C
Duty of care provisions applies to us all and without an annual test and a written report you leave yourself liable if anyone suffers a burn from your hot water. Most electric hot water units heat water to 70°C, so that has the potential to produce a severe burn in 1 second without a correctly working tempering valve.
Whywait Plumbing is contacting clients to book in compliant testing, maintaining and reporting of your tempering valves but if you have any concerns over the temperature of your hot water, contact us now to schedule your service.
by Gary Mays | Jul 10, 2011 | City of Gold Coast, Climate Change, Consumer Issues, Gold Coast Plumbing, Green Plumbers, Health Issues, Plumbers, Plumbers Gold Coast, Plumbing Emergencies, Whywait Plumbing
Plumbing is health as plumbing protects the whole community, and individual plumbers protect the nation’s health.
Whywait Plumbing Services has consistently promoted the importance of excellent plumbing 
practices combined with sustainable plumbing exercises based on plumbing is health. Whywait Plumbing was the first GreenPlumber in Queensland and remained the only fully licensed GreenPlumber on the Gold Coast.
At the 2011 National Plumbers Regulators Forum, Dr Barry Gilbert, a Specialist in Public Health, spoke on the costs of poor plumbing, confirming that plumbing is public health. Issues highlighted by Dr Gilbert were at the heart of future plumbing practice and were:
- The complex global problems of scarce potable water, the use of recycled water, global warming and climate change, together with the influence that man has on the environment, all determine the risk to the population. In the future, plumbing will have an even more critical role in mitigating those risks as plumbing is health.
- Plumbing is a significant part of the public health solution and always has been.
- Plumbing is at risk of being a victim of its past success since the population at large does not appreciate the vital role that plumbing plays in everyday community health.
- Just as vaccination protects individuals and the community, plumbing protects the whole community, and individual plumbers protect the health of the nation.
- Plumbers are obligated to impart their knowledge and experience to the community and demonstrate the potential impact that poor plumbing will have in the future.
- Plumbing is public health, now and in the future.
Ray Herbert CEO of MPMSAA
Whywait Plumbing has always been at the forefront of sustainability so being part of GreenPlumbers was a natural choice when MPMSAA founded it in 2001. Ray Herbert, CEO of MPMSAA, worked with RMIT University to develop the training and recruited Gary Workman to run the courses.
MPMSAA, or Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia, is one of Australia’s oldest Associations, having been founded in 1891 when 57 Melbourne plumbing contractors paid a £5 ($10.00) entrance fee and £1 ($2.00) subscription to enable the establishment of the Associated Master Plumber of Victoria. Therefore, it was only natural that MPMSAA has taken the lead to ensure plumbers are at the forefront of water sustainability and water conservation.
Most of the plumbers at Whywait Plumbing have now completed their GreenPlumbers training of the five basic courses which are focused on plumbing is health:
- Climate Care – how to take care of our climate, including gas emissions in homes and businesses that cover hot water heating, energy consumption, heating appliances, and cooling appliances.
- Caring for Our Water – an introduction to the water cycle process and the new technologies and behaviours that contribute to conservation through topics like water-efficient products, reducing household water consumption, stormwater runoff pollution and prevention, and household water audits.
- Solar Hot Water – the latest information on new technology in the solar hot water industry, rebate information, retrofit sizing and installation.
- Water Efficient Technology – an overview of the ever-changing technologies that shape future conservation efforts through the use of Recycled Water, rainwater, Greywater, Septic Tanks/Wastewater Treatment Systems, and Environmental/Public Health/Safety Regulations.
- Inspection Report Services – overview of domestic and commercial water auditing, inspections and reporting, assessment and strategies—including water and energy audits, commercial/industrial and residential buildings, and creating a master plan for future improvements.
Whywait Plumbing is the only fully licensed GreenPlumber on the Gold Coast, as we are committed to promoting plumbing is health. As a Licensed GreenPlumber, we differ from an Accredited GreenPlumber as we have committed to requiring all licensed plumbers working for the company to become fully accredited GreenPlumbers to protect your health.
