Replacing a system in Adelaide, in order
Make it safe
If water is pooling, close the cold water valve into the unit. Then turn off its power at the switchboard, or its gas, if you can do that safely.
Rule out a repair
Ask a hot water specialist whether a part can be replaced instead. Component repairs sit outside SA's water heater standard, so a repair keeps your choices simple.
Check the warranty
If the unit failed under a manufacturer, supplier or installer warranty and is swapped like for like, the standard doesn't apply to that swap.
Choose a model that complies
Otherwise, the new heater in your established home must comply with the standard made under section 66 of the Water Industry Act 2012. We couldn't read the standard itself, so get the plumber to confirm the model in writing.
Expect new valves
An unvented storage heater, new or replacement, gets new temperature/pressure relief and expansion control valves. Their drain lines can't be joined, and each must discharge to a visible outlet.
Collect the certificates
The plumbing eCOC is due within 7 days of the job being finished. If gas fitting was part of it, a separate gas eCOC is due within 30 days.
What's local about a replacement here
Tempering, the SA way
South Australia needs a tempering valve on a replacement only if a temperature control device was fitted before. Solar is the exception: every new or replacement solar water installation needs one.
Older or very young people at home
SA's code caps bathroom hot water at 50°C, and its explanatory note says a lower temperature should be considered where the occupants are older adults or young children. Mention it when the system is commissioned.
A quarter of homes are rented
At the 2021 Census, 28.4% of Greater Adelaide's occupied homes were rented. Tenants should go through the landlord or agent before a replacement is booked.
Gas, electric, heat pump or solar?
The SA standard is the first filter: a model has to meet it before price or type matters. After that, compare the system types on our comparison page, or try the gas or heat pump tool.
Two schemes can lower the price. REPS is available to all South Australians whatever their energy retailer, and water heating upgrades are one of its activities. Eligible heat pumps and solar water heaters can also create STCs, which installers usually turn into a discount. For electric options, see heat pump hot water in Adelaide.
Have these ready when the plumber calls
- A photo of the old unit's label: brand, model and manufacture date.
- Whether it runs on gas, electricity, a heat pump or solar.
- Whether there's a tempering valve on the hot outlet pipe.
- Where the water comes from: mains, a rainwater tank or a bore.
- Any access issues, like a narrow side path or a unit in a cupboard.
Warning signs in a replacement quote
- No model number, so you can't check what's being installed.
- No clear answer on whether the model meets the SA standard.
- The old relief valves are being reused on a new unvented storage heater.
- Nothing about the eCOC, or vagueness about who will issue it.
- Pressure to sign today, before you've seen the full price and each discount.
What we would do
Make sure the old unit really is finished, and check whether a warranty covers it, before you shop. Then ask for a written quote naming the model, stating that it meets the SA standard, listing new relief and expansion valves, and saying whether a tempering valve is going in. A specialist who replaces hot water systems every week will answer all four without hesitating.