TMV Testing and Thermostatic Mixing Valve Certification in the Hills District and Sydney
We install tempering valves across Sydney for homes and businesses
We ensure your water temperature is safe and compliant
What a Thermostatic Mixing Valve Does
Stored hot water has to be kept hot to control Legionella bacteria, but water at that temperature can scald. A thermostatic mixing valve blends hot and cold water so the water reaching a basin, shower or bath stays at a set, safe temperature. If the cold water supply fails, a working TMV shuts off the hot water so nobody is hit with a burst of scalding water. The Australian Building Codes Board’s handbook on warm water systems explains that this thermal shutdown is the reason TMVs are commonly used in hospitals, schools and aged care facilities.
Where a TMV Is Required in NSW
Building Commission NSW advisory note 3/2026, Installation requirements of temperature control devices, issued in July 2026, sets two maximum delivery temperatures at showers, baths, basins and bidets under the NSW variations to the Plumbing Code of Australia 2022:
- 45°C in the residential part of an aged care building, a patient care area in a health care building, the parts of an early childhood centre or a primary or secondary school used by children, and any facility designated for use by people with a disability
- 50°C in all other buildings, including most homes
Where the limit is 45°C, the advisory note says the device must be a thermostatic mixing valve or a thermostatically controlled tap. Where the limit is 50°C, a tempering valve, a temperature limited water heater, a thermostatic mixing valve or a thermostatically controlled tap can be used.
The advisory note also says a temperature control device must be installed with every new heated water service and whenever a hot water heater is replaced, whatever the type or location of the heater. One exemption applies: a device is not needed when one or more, but not all, of the heating units in a manifold water heater are replaced.
How Often a TMV Needs to Be Tested
The Australian Building Codes Board’s handbook on warm water systems states that AS 4032.3:2004 requires TMVs to be field tested at intervals of no more than 12 months, unless a risk assessment sets a different interval. The same handbook notes that in NSW, TMV maintenance must be carried out by an appropriately licensed plumber.
What Happens During a TMV Test
The Australian Building Codes Board handbook lists the minimum activities for a TMV test:
- Checking that the strainers are clean
- Checking that the non-return valves are working
- Measuring the discharge temperature at the nearest outlet at high and low flow
- Testing the cold water shut-off, also called the thermal shut-off test
- Testing the hot water shut-off, also called the cold shock test
- Testing the isolation valves
- Replacing and lubricating the O-rings and seals at intervals of no more than five years from commissioning, or sooner where the manufacturer says so
Book TMV Testing With The Plumbing Paramedics
Call The Plumbing Paramedics on 0430 054 007 or request a quote online. Tell us the address, the type of building and how many valves you have, and we will explain what the testing involves and arrange a time that suits your site. If you have a question about your valves or your records, Daniel or the team would be happy to help.
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What Your TMV Test Report Records
The handbook also lists what is reported after a TMV test:
- The model, manufacturer and identification of the valve
- Where the valve is installed
- The temperatures recorded during the test
- The tests carried out, the maintenance done and any parts replaced
- The test method used
Keep these reports together. When an auditor, an accreditation assessor or your insurer asks for your TMV records, the reports show when each valve was last tested and what was found.
TMVs in Hospitals and Nursing Homes
NSW Health regulates warm water systems, including TMVs, under the Public Health Regulation because they can allow Legionella bacteria to grow. NSW Health says that under the Public Health Regulation 2022, a warm water system must not be installed in a hospital unless it is of a kind approved in writing by the Secretary. In the Public Health Act 2010, the definition of a hospital includes a nursing home.
NSW Health’s policy directive PD2015_008, Water: Requirements for the Provision of Cold and Heated Water, issued in February 2015, sets out further requirements for hospitals:
- The people who commission and service warm water systems must be licensed plumbers, technically trained by a Registered Training Organisation and experienced in TMV maintenance.
- Site management must carry out a monthly temperature check at one or more outlets served by each warm water system.
- A commissioning or maintenance report must be completed for each valve, given to the owner or occupier and kept on site for at least seven years.
If you manage a hospital, a private health facility or a nursing home, your facility’s own procedures will set out how these requirements apply to your site.
Tempering Valves for Homes in the Hills District
In most homes the 50°C limit applies, so a tempering valve can be used. A tempering valve keeps the water at your bathroom outlets at or below 50°C while the hot water system stores water at a higher temperature. Under the Building Commission NSW advisory note above, one must be fitted when a hot water heater is replaced or a new heated water service is installed, such as during a bathroom renovation or an extension.
If your hot water in the shower is getting hotter than it used to, or the hot water pressure has dropped, the tempering valve may need servicing or replacing. We check the valve and the hot water system together, explain what we find and recommend a repair or a replacement.
Not sure whether you have a tempering valve?
Look at the pipework at your hot water system. A tempering valve is usually a brass fitting with a coloured plastic cap and three pipes connected to it. Send us a photo of the pipework and one of our licensed plumbers will tell you what you have, at no charge and with no obligation.
TMV Testing Across the Hills District and Sydney
We test and service TMVs and tempering valves across Castle Hill, Bella Vista, Baulkham Hills, Kellyville, Rouse Hill, Norwest, Marsden Park, Schofields and the rest of the Hills District and north-west Sydney.
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Frequently Asked Tempering Valve Questions
Here are some of the most common queries we get about the process.