Hot Water Marketplace
Buying & selling safely
The marketplace connects buyers and sellers; it does not inspect systems or certify an installation. These checks help you decide what to verify before money or machinery moves.
Inspect the system
- •Match the brand, model and rating/serial plate to the listing. Ask for clear photos of the plate, the tank or cylinder, the PTR valve, the element cover, unions and the cable or gas connection, plus any rust, weeping or scale.
- •On a used electric storage unit the heating element and the sacrificial anode are the usual wear items - ask when each was last replaced. Treat a corroded or weeping tank, or a seized PTR valve, as unsafe.
- •Do not energise or pressurise an unknown system to see what happens. A tank that has failed internally can leak or rupture under mains pressure.
Check capacity, energy source and fit
- •Confirm capacity (litres, or kW and star rating), energy source (electric, natural gas, LPG, solar or heat pump), connection size and mounting before paying. An LPG unit will not run on natural gas, or vice versa, without the correct conversion.
- •Every new or replacement hot water install, and all gas work, must be done by a licensed plumber or gasfitter in Australia. A cheap second-hand unit still has to be installed lawfully and certified where required.
- •A listing, invoice or seller statement is not a compliance certificate. A tempering valve is required to limit delivered water to 50°C at bathroom outlets, and the PTR valve must be correctly sized and fitted.
Pay and collect carefully
- •Inspect before paying where practical. For a full system, agree in writing what is included (PTR and tempering valves, brackets, controller or remote) and who disconnects, drains, lifts and transports it.
- •Never pay a deposit because a stranger creates urgency. Avoid gift cards, cryptocurrency and international transfer requests.
- •Keep the listing, messages, receipt and rating-plate photos. Business sellers may owe consumer guarantees that do not usually apply to a one-off private sale.
Safety-critical parts and gas
- •The PTR (pressure and temperature relief) valve is safety-critical: it must be able to discharge freely and is replaced periodically. A painted-over, capped or seized PTR valve makes a system dangerous.
- •Gas systems must be installed and commissioned by a licensed gasfitter, with correct clearances, ventilation and flueing. Never attempt a DIY gas connection.
- •If a unit is recalled, illegally modified or unsafe to use, report the listing rather than relying on a salvage-only description.
Have it installed by a licensed plumber
A hot water system - new or second-hand - must be installed by a licensed plumber, and any gas connection by a licensed gasfitter. Australian plumbing standards require a correctly fitted PTR valve and, for new or replacement systems, a tempering valve that limits delivered water to 50°C at bathroom, kitchen and laundry outlets to reduce the risk of scalding.
Requirements vary by state and by property. Check your state's plumbing regulator, and use a licensed plumber or gasfitter for the install and any compliance certificate.
Something look wrong? Read the listing rules or use the report link on the listing.