Emergency Plumber Northern Beaches | North Shore | North Sydney

Every year over 300 children aged 0-4 years are admitted to hospitals in NSW as a result of scalds.

Most serious scalds are caused by hot tap water and over 90% of incidents happen in the bathroom

Australian Standards require hot water to be stored at no less than 60˚C to kill bacteria. Hence, most water systems deliver water between 65 and 70˚C. However, at 60˚C water can cause a 3rd degree burn in less than a second.

Australian Standards also recommends water to be safely delivered at 50˚C. At 50˚C it would take approximately 5 minutes for a scald to occur which gives you more time to react in case of an unfortunate accident.

The ideal bath temperature is between 38-40˚C.

The best way to prevent scalds is to reduce the water temperature with an approved anti-scald device such as a thermostatic mixing valve or a tempering valve. These valves work by mixing hot and cold water together to reduce the water temperature from storage to delivery in the bathroom.

Protect your children from scalding, call Plumbing Patrol to get an anti-scald device installed in your home. After installation and/or testing a certificate will be provided by Plumbing Patrol to the owner as proof that the valve has been safely installed and/or tested.