Need annual TMV testing for a school, childcare centre, GP clinic, dental practice or aged-care facility? Replacing an existing TMV that is delivering inconsistent temperature? Installing TMVs as part of a new fit-out? Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting is a BPC-licensed plumber providing TMV installation, AS 4032.3 annual testing, and replacement across Melbourne's east, south-east, inner-east and bayside suburbs. Test reports are issued the same day with delivery-temperature records compliant with the Victorian Plumbing Regulations and AS 3498 service-temperature requirements.
TMV installation and annual testing are licensed plumbing work in Victoria. Past licence requirements, the work is standards-heavy. AS 3498 sets service-temperature requirements for healthcare facilities. AS 4032.3 sets the testing methodology and record-keeping requirements. AS 1357.2 sets product certification for the TMV itself. A plumber unfamiliar with all three standards can install a compliant valve incorrectly (wrong temperature setting at commissioning, wrong cold-supply order, missing isolation valves) or test it without the right calibrated thermometer and produce a report that does not satisfy the auditor. Our plumbers are familiar with the Victorian healthcare-plumbing code and produce test reports in the format aged-care and Department of Health compliance officers expect.
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AS 4032.3 requires testing with a calibrated thermometer (not a kitchen thermometer or an infrared probe). Our testing kit includes thermometers calibrated annually with traceable certificates. Each test result is logged against the valve's serial number; calibration records are available on request for facility audits.
AS 4032.3 testing is not just a single-temperature reading — it includes testing at multiple flow rates and a hot-supply failure simulation (cold-supply lockup test). Some testers shortcut this; we do not. The full test takes a few minutes per valve and the report shows all measurement points.
Reports are issued in the format facility managers, aged-care compliance officers and Department of Health inspectors recognise — valve serial number, measured delivery temperature at low/medium/high flow, hot-supply lockup result, pass or fail flag, and recommended action where a valve has drifted. Reports are emailed PDF the same day; we keep digital copies for our records as a backup.
For annual testing across a multi-valve facility, we ask for a list of TMV locations and (if available) serial numbers from prior reports. This lets us prepare paperwork on site and complete the visit faster. For new installs we ask for the facility's hot-water layout drawings.
For annual testing: each TMV is opened, inspected for visible defects, tested at multiple flow rates with calibrated thermometer, and either passed (record results) or failed (record fault). For installs: pre-condition checks on water supply, install the TMV, commission to the required service temperature, run the AS 4032.3 acceptance test, and complete the installation log.
Where a valve has failed annual test, we identify the cause (cartridge worn, temperature setting drifted, cold-supply blockage, hot-supply temperature wrong) and recommend either cartridge service or full valve replacement. Failed-valve work is quoted on the spot and can usually be completed in the same visit if parts are on the van.
Reports are emailed as PDF the same day with one entry per valve — serial number, location reference, measured temperatures, test status. The PDF is the facility's compliance evidence. We keep digital copies as backup; if a report needs to be re-issued for audit, we can supply within hours.
For new TMV installation work above the threshold, a BPC Compliance Certificate is lodged. For TMV replacement on existing certified installations, the test report and the replacement-valve documentation cover the compliance trail.
For multi-valve facilities, preparation before the visit can shave significant time off the test cycle. The four steps below help.
List every TMV location in the facility — valve serial number (if recorded on prior reports), location reference (room, ward, fixture), and any known issues (slow temperature recovery, complaint about hot water). The list lets us batch the visit efficiently and ensures no valve is missed.
Last year's test report tells us which valves passed, which were on watchlist, and which had cartridge work done. Trends matter — a valve that was borderline last year and has drifted further this year usually needs cartridge replacement during the visit.
Each valve test takes a few minutes during which hot water at the related fixtures is briefly unavailable. For healthcare and aged-care facilities, brief notification of affected wards or rooms is helpful. We schedule testing in low-use windows where possible.
For larger facilities, confirm site contact, key access, and parking before the visit. Some hospital and university facilities require a contractor induction; let us know if that is the case so we can complete it before the testing visit.
Annual testing under AS 4032.3 is the standard requirement for TMVs serving healthcare, aged-care, childcare and disability-services facilities. Some facility-specific compliance frameworks require more frequent testing — six-monthly or quarterly. Domestic 50°C tempering valves do not have an annual test requirement but should be checked as part of any hot water unit replacement.
Per-valve fixed pricing — the rate drops for multi-valve facilities. A single-valve test is at the higher per-valve end; a 20-valve aged-care site is at the lower per-valve end because the visit overhead is amortised. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting quotes a fixed total before the visit. Failed-valve service work is quoted separately on the day.
Healthcare, aged-care, childcare and disability-services facilities: 45°C at the user fixture (38°C for some specific applications). Domestic new-build: 50°C maximum at all hot water fixtures (Victorian Plumbing Regulations). Mental-health and forensic facilities have their own service-temperature schedules. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting sets the valve to the requirement that applies to the specific facility type.
The valve is recorded as failed on the report and the facility is notified that day. Most failures are cartridge-related and can be fixed with a cartridge service in the same visit if the part is on the van. Where the valve body is corroded or the unit is past parts-availability, full valve replacement is the path. Either way, a re-test is done after the repair to confirm the valve now passes.
Storage at 60°C minimum is required to control Legionella bacteria growth in the hot water system. Delivery at 45°C maximum is required at the user fixture to prevent scalding. The TMV blends the two — pulling 60°C from storage and cold from supply to deliver 45°C at the outlet. This is why every healthcare-grade hot water installation needs both: 60°C storage AND a TMV at every relevant fixture.
Yes — Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting works with builders, project managers and architects on healthcare fit-out projects to install TMVs at the right points in the hot water layout, commission to the required service temperature, complete the AS 4032.3 acceptance test, and lodge the Compliance Certificate at handover. We coordinate timing with the construction program.
Domestic 50°C tempering valves and healthcare-grade TMVs use the same operating principle (thermostatic blending) but are different products with different certifications. Tempering valves to AS 1357.2 are rated for domestic 50°C delivery. TMVs to AS 4032.3 are rated for healthcare 45°C delivery and are subject to annual testing requirements. Putting a domestic tempering valve on a healthcare fixture does not satisfy AS 3498.
For new hot water installations in Victorian homes, yes — the Plumbing Regulations require maximum 50°C at the hot water outlets to bath, basin and shower. Most new installs include a 50°C tempering valve as standard. Older homes with pre-regulation installs are not required to retrofit but should consider it on any major hot water unit replacement.
