Do you need a plumber to change water taps in kitchen?

[marynguyen]

hi all, 

I am wondering if we are allowed to change the tap water in the kitchen or need a plumber? Thanks

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @marynguyen. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about installing taps.

According to The Australian Plumbing Code, only a licensed plumber is authorised to complete any work involving plumbing or drainage. To install a tap, you'd need to connect it to the plumbing work, and therefore you'd require a plumber.

There are a few jobs that you can complete yourself, and these include:

• installing or maintaining an irrigation or lawn watering system downstream from an isolating valve, tap or backflow prevention device on the supply pipe for the irrigation or lawn watering system

• replacing a jumper valve or washer in a tap

• changing a showerhead

• replacing a drop valve washer, float valve washer or suction cup rubber in a toilet cistern.
   

You'll likely find a few sources that suggest you can change the tap yourself. However, I'd encourage you to do your own research or contact your local building authority for more information. I like to stick on the safe side and suggest that if you're not changing a washer or updating a showerhead, it's best to call in the professionals. I always look at the worst-case scenario. What if the plumbing connection on your new tap fails and your house is flooded? I can guarantee your home insurer is going to be very interested in knowing when the tap was installed and by whom. If you can't prove that a licensed plumber installed the tap, you're going to have a hard time claiming the insurance.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[warwick153]

Mitchell, when you say "downstream from an isolating valve", did I break the law yesterday when I replaced a solenoid valve in my irrigation system?  This job took me 30 minutes and cost me $55 for a new Irritrol valve. I did it myself because my plumber quoted $693 for this job.

Warwick

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @warwick153. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about plumbing regulations.

That would be considered irrigation, which is acceptable to do yourself. Downstream from an isolation valve means after the garden tap. So, all the irrigation connected to the tap you can work on. You haven't broken any laws.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[warwick153]

Mitchell, thanks for that. It prompts me to ask another question, which I hope is not out-of-bounds for this list.

It appears to be against the plumbing code for a home-owner who is not a licensed plumber to replace a garden tap (not a washer, the whole tap). Is that the case, and if so is it unlikely that this regulation would be enforced?  It would be great, for example, if Bunnings was able to run a DIY course on "simple backyard plumbing jobs".

Warwick

[MitchellMc]

Hi @warwick153,

Replacing a tap requires hard plumbing work. You need to remove and replace a screw-on fitting directly into the plumbing line. This puts the work into the realm of requiring a licensed plumber. I would be more concerned about the consequences of what happens if something goes wrong rather than whether it is enforced. For instance, if there were to be a massive leak from plumbing work you conducted yourself, it could potentially affect an insurance claim.

You'll find a number of helpful D.I.Y articles and videos on the Bunnings website covering projects such as How to install an irrigation system. If the work doesn't require a plumber, you'll likely find an article covering the subject.

Mitchell