Hot water installation guidance

We recommend that installers in our program use this guidance alongside the hot water audit checklist to help ensure systems are installed safely and meet relevant regulations, codes and standards.

About our hot water installation guidance

These technical guidance sheets are part of a series we commissioned TechSafe Australia to develop, following our analysis of audits. The Building and Plumbing Commission (formerly the Victorian Building Authority) also reviewed this guidance.

They include installation advice and examples of compliant and non-compliant installations relating to the safe drainage of temperature pressure relief valves in reference to these regulations, codes and standards:

• Plumbing Regulations 2018
• National Construction Code volume 3
• Plumbing Code of Australia
• AS/NZS 3500.2:2021 Plumbing and Drainage Part 2: Sanitary Plumbing and Drainage
• AS/NZS 3500.4:2021 Plumbing and Drainage Part 4: Heated Water Services.

Safe drainage of temperature pressure relief valves

4.1 Potential hazards or unsafe installations

Use this guidance for help identifying potential hazards or unsafe installations related to temperature pressure relief (TPR) valve drainage.

4.2 Methods of compliance

Use this guidance to understand the compliance requirements for temperature pressure relief (TPR) valve drainage.

More guidance

Also see the Building and Plumbing Commission website for heat pump technical installation guidance on:

• protecting water from freezing
• support of water heaters or water storage tanks installed other than in a roof space or above a roof
• requirements for the installation of temperature control devices, and pipework heat retention associated with storage heated water systems
• piping associated with storage water heaters.

For other guidance and information installers can use to maintain safety and put industry standards into practice, see Solar industry guidance.