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Annual TMV Testing Requirements in Victoria — What Facility Managers Need to Know
Annual TMV Testing Requirements in Victoria — What Facility Managers Need to Know — a Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting plain-English guide to tmv testing requirements victoria for Melbourne facility managers. Below we cover what works, what doesn't, and when to call a licensed plumber.
Quick answer: If your premises has a thermostatic mixing valve (TMV) on the hot-water outlet to any tap, basin or shower used by vulnerable people — children, elderly residents, hospital patients — the valve must be tested annually under AS/NZS 4032.3. The test verifies the valve still mixes hot and cold accurately, still cuts the hot supply if the cold supply fails, and still delivers a maximum mixed-water temperature within the safe range (38°C ±2°C for healthcare/aged care, 43.5°C ±2°C in some commercial settings). Failed valves must be repaired or replaced before the test can pass. Test reports are filed and kept on the premises; non-compliance can result in licence loss for aged care and childcare operators.
Who needs TMV testing in Victoria
TMVs are mandatory in any premises where the hot water can be reached by vulnerable users. In practice that means:
- Aged care facilities — every shower, hand basin and bath used by residents
- Childcare centres — every tap a child can reach (kitchen prep taps are the common gap)
- Healthcare — hospitals, day surgery, GP and dental clinics, allied health rooms with patient-accessible basins
- Disability services — supported accommodation, day programs, respite care
- Schools — primary, special schools, sometimes secondary depending on facility type
- Public-access commercial premises — restaurants and cafés with public bathrooms in many councils now require it on customer basins
If you're unsure whether the requirement applies to your premises, the simplest check is: are there hot water outlets that the public, residents, or vulnerable users access without supervision? If yes, you almost certainly need TMVs and annual testing.
Where the requirement comes from — and what counts as "vulnerable users"
AS/NZS 3500.4 and the National Construction Code define "users at risk of scalding" as: children under 10, adults with sensory or cognitive impairment, elderly with reduced thermal perception. Any premises serving these users must control hot-water delivery temperature with a TMV. In practice the threshold is interpreted broadly — most public-access bathrooms in Melbourne commercial buildings now have TMVs even where the strict letter of the standard would allow non-tempered. Our TMV testing service covers all premise types.
What "annual TMV testing" actually involves
A TMV is a mechanical valve that mixes hot and cold incoming water to a controlled outlet temperature. Over time, the seals, springs and thermostat element wear, and the calibration drifts. The annual test confirms:
- Outlet temperature accuracy — the mixed water exits at the calibrated set-point (usually 38°C for healthcare/aged care)
- Cold-water failsafe — when the cold supply is interrupted, the valve must shut off the hot supply within five seconds, so a user is never exposed to raw hot water
- Hot-water failsafe — when the hot supply is interrupted, the valve must shut off the hot side cleanly
- Cross-flow check — when both supplies are flowing, water from one side must not contaminate the other
A licensed plumber with the TMV endorsement runs each test in sequence using a calibrated thermometer probe in the outlet. Each tested valve gets a tag attached showing the test date, the tester's licence, and the next due date. A site-level test report is filed with the building records and presented at audit.
How often — and what counts as "annual"
The standard is twelve months from the last test, not "every calendar year". If your previous test was 14 March, the next test is due by 14 March the following year. A site that misses the window is non-compliant until the next test is completed and the new report is filed.
Some high-risk premises (intensive care, certain childcare configurations) have six-monthly testing requirements. Your facility's clinical governance or compliance officer can confirm your specific interval.
How to reset the calendar after a missed test
If your annual TMV test was missed, every day past the 12-month anniversary is technically non-compliant. The fix: book the test as soon as possible, complete it, and the new 12-month clock starts from the new test date. For premises with audit obligations (aged care, healthcare, childcare), notify the compliance officer immediately — a delayed test handled professionally is treated more leniently than one that is hidden. See our TMV testing service for fast turnaround.
What happens if a TMV fails the test
If the outlet temperature is outside tolerance, or either failsafe doesn't trip cleanly within the required time, the valve has failed. The plumber will either:
- Recalibrate — if the issue is drift on the thermostat element, a few valves allow on-site recalibration
- Rebuild — replace internal seals, springs and the thermostat element using a manufacturer-supplied service kit (most common fix on 5-10 year old valves)
- Replace — for valves at end-of-life (typically 10-15 years depending on water quality) or where rebuild parts aren't available
The premises remains non-compliant for that valve until the repair is completed and the valve passes a fresh test. For aged-care and healthcare facilities this can be a clinical-incident-reportable issue, so the response window is short.
Need annual TMV testing for your Melbourne facility?
Call 0475 407 670 or send your facility details through the form below. We'll quote a fixed-price annual contract covering all your TMVs, plus combined-compliance pricing if you also need backflow, gas or CO testing on the same visit.
Recalibrate vs rebuild vs replace — the decision tree
Recalibrate (5-10 minutes, no parts): only available on a subset of valve makes where the thermostat element has an adjustment screw. Best for valves that have drifted slightly and are otherwise sound. Rebuild (30-45 minutes, ~$80-$150 in service kit): replace seals, springs, thermostat element with a manufacturer service kit. Standard fix on 5-10 year old valves. Replace (1-2 hours, $200-$500 depending on valve size): for valves past 10-15 years, valves with damaged bodies, or where service kits are no longer available. Our TMV testing covers all three.
Documentation and audit
Each tested valve produces:
- A test report sheet showing pass/fail on each parameter
- A serialised test tag affixed to the valve
- An updated site asset register entry — TMV serial number, location, last test date, next test due
These documents are kept on the premises and presented at:
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission audits
- Department of Health inspections (healthcare)
- Department of Education and Training inspections (childcare and schools)
- Worksafe Victoria inspections (general workplace)
For body corporates with TMVs in common-area amenities, the report sits with the owners corporation records and is available to any committee member on request.
How facility audit format changed in 2024-2025
Recent ACQSC and Department of Health audits have shifted toward asking for the digital test report PDF, not just the physical tag. If your contractor still issues paper-only reports, request an emailed PDF copy and store it against the facility in your asset management system. Our TMV testing service delivers PDF reports as standard.
Combining TMV testing with other annual compliance
Why a single contractor for all four tests beats four contractors
Four contractors = four call-out fees, four site inductions, four sets of access coordination, four paperwork formats, four invoices, four potential miss-communications. One contractor with all four endorsements = one visit, one PDF document pack, one invoice, one renewal calendar. Bulk pricing also kicks in — combined annual contracts are usually 15-25% cheaper than four separate ones. See our commercial plumbing compliance hub for the combined workflow.
Most facilities that need TMV testing also need at least one of:
- Backflow testing — annual on RPZD and DCV devices, separate standard (AS 2845.3) but same kind of compliance cycle
- Gas appliance compliance — annual on certain commercial gas appliances
- Carbon monoxide testing — required where gas appliances serve common or sleeping areas
Booking these as separate annual visits, with separate trades, separate reports and separate paperwork, is expensive admin. A combined annual compliance visit through one contractor with all four endorsements simplifies the schedule, reduces downtime to one visit per year, and consolidates the paperwork to one folder. That's the entire idea behind our commercial plumbing compliance service.
When to Call a Licensed Plumber
Some plumbing problems are DIY-friendly; others need a licensed professional under Victorian law.
Anything involving gas, sewer drainage, hot water units, backflow prevention, or work behind tiled walls must be handled by a licensed plumber or gasfitter.
FAQs
No. Australian Standard AS/NZS 4032.3 requires the test to be carried out by a licensed plumber with the TMV testing endorsement. The endorsement covers both the technical capability and the legal authority to sign the report.
The auditor will treat that as non-compliant for the audit. Rebook a fresh test, get the report on-site, then update your records.
Per-valve pricing varies with site complexity, but most Melbourne testers charge in the $80-$160 range per valve including the test, tag, and report. Multi-valve sites and combined-compliance contracts attract per-valve discounts.
Yes. Most testers offer evening and weekend testing by arrangement, common for healthcare and aged-care facilities where amenities can't be down during operating hours.
Multi-device per-valve pricing typically lands $60-$120 per valve once volume is factored in. The testing is staged across the visit to minimise resident disruption.
Before You Book
A quick checklist to share with your plumber when you book:
- When did the issue start?
- Is it isolated to one fixture or multiple areas?
- Are there any visible leaks, smells or unusual sounds?
- Have you turned off the relevant isolation valve?
If you're unsure, Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting can inspect the issue and explain the options before any work starts. Call 0475 407 670 or request a quote online.
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