Whether it’s a hailstorm, a flash flood or a thunderstorm, storms can be unpredictable, causing potential harm to people and damage to homes and businesses. They can also disrupt power, communication systems and local amenities like running water.

That’s why it’s important to be prepared to help keep yourself and your family safe while helping to minimise damage to your property.

O'Brien^® has been part of the Australian community for almost 100 years, so our teams have seen firsthand the impact of storms on our vast country.

So we’ve put together a useful checklist to help you be prepared in advance in case a storm hits.

Here are 10 things you can do around your home before a severe weather event. These tips can help you and your family be better equipped to handle any challenges that may arise.

10 things to do around your home to be storm-ready

1. Check your roof regularly for loose or missing tiles and repair any roof damage as soon as you notice it. This can help you avoid or minimise potential water leaks in heavy rain conditions.
2. Check and clean out your gutters and downpipes to ensure there is proper drainage during a storm. This will prevent overflowing, damage to guttering and backwash that can pool water in places that could cause lingering moisture and water damage.

For help with the cleaning and repair of your gutters, or maintaining your roof, your local O'Brien Plumbing experts can assist.

3. Clean up garden debris like branches and secure any loose objects in your yard, such as outdoor furniture, trampolines, or garden decorations, so they don’t become projectiles in high winds.
4. Check your windows and doors for proper sealing and get any previously broken panes of glass repaired so that they’re in good working order. It is worth checking to make sure you have the correct type of safety glass around your home as well.

Your local O'Brien Glass^® experts can are on hand for replacement and advice for glass around your home.

5. Examine your home for any potential electrical hazards that could occur. Ensuring you have a safety switch installed and maintained on your switchboard and installing a residual-current circuit breaker with over-current protection (RCBO) that guards against accidental electrocution by monitoring the current travelling to and from an electrical load.

Your local O'Brien Electrical experts can perform thorough checks and installations of switchboard & safety switches.

6. Check if your home and contents insurance is up to date and know what you are covered for if it comes to claims with a flood or storm. Take the time to talk to your insurance provider to understand what additional cover may be available so you can consider additional options if you think you need it.
7. Stock up on non-perishable food, water, and other supplies in case you are without power or are isolated for more than a few days. We’ve recently seen how many Australian towns have been affected by prolonged flood waters – so it’s best to be prepared.
8. Charge your mobile phone, power banks and other electronic devices in case of a power outage, so you can contact loved ones or your local O'Brien expert (to glass, plumbing or electrical help)
9. Have an evacuation plan in place beforehand and talk through it with your family and friends, so if the time comes you know what to do and can act quickly.
10. Have an emergency kit ready, just in case, with essential items such as a torch, first aid kit, and batteries.

Stay safe and dry with help from O'Brien^®

It’s always a smart idea to be prepared in advance for storms, and hopefully this checklist is a good starting point for you.

Keep a close eye and ear on the weather and predicted forecast to help your household be as prepared as can be should a storm hit. Always remember, if you need any repairs around the home before or after a weather event – whether it be for electrical or plumbing work or glass repairs, whether it be for electrical or plumbing work or glass repairs – contact your local O'Brien^® team today.

For more information about our services, call us on 1800 719 738 or send us a message to speak with one of our friendly staff.  We’re here to keep you safe and dry.

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However, as with anything that involves heat, there’s always a need to be safety conscious. Everyone can experience scalding from hot water, especially children, the elderly and people with a disability.

This is why it’s important to have a safety-first attitude about your household water and your Hot Water System.

We reached out to our professional O'Brien Plumbing members from around Australia to share their top safety tips about hot water use and your hot water tank. Here’s their list to help you enjoy your hot water while keeping you and your family safe.

1. Install a tempering valve to minimise the risk of scalding.

To adhere to the Plumbing Regulations, The Australian Government requires that all new hot water systems should feature a tempering valve or have a thermostatic mixing valve installed.

A tempering valve helps ensure your hot water’s temperature will not exceed 50°C when it comes out of your tap – which is warm enough for baths and showers, but not too hot to cause scalding.

The below graph* shows how important it is to have a hot water tempering valve to avoid excess heat and the potential of resulting burns.

If you’re unsure if your hot water system has a tempering valve, speak to a professional Plumber today.

* Reference: Chris Riedy, Geoff Milne, 2013, Your Home, Australian Government, https://www.yourhome.gov.au/energy/hot-water-service

2. Immediately repair dripping hot water taps and leaking appliances, including the relief valve from your water heater.

Inspecting all components of your hot water system and undertaking repairs when necessary are both important steps to ensuring your water heater is performing well. A relief valve is an important part of this.
A relief valve protects storage water heaters by eliminating excess pressure in the hot water system.

However, if you’ve found your tank is leaking and that a bucket placed under the valve is being filled in just a day, it’s a sign that you may need to replace your hot water tank.

3. To prevent the growth of bacteria like Legionella, hot water storage systems for residential buildings must be heated to a minimum temperature of 60°C.

Bacteria like Legionella can be a serious health concern when present at high concentrations in your water. Heating your water at a temperature of over 60°C (in the tank – not at the tap, as per point 1) will help kill any bacteria.

It’s for this reason that we don’t recommend turning your hot water system off when going away on holidays. However, if you still choose to, ensure that the water is heated and stored above 60°C for at least 35 minutes before using it again. Just be aware that it can take some time to heat to that temperature after having been turned off.

4. Maintain your hot water system and have it serviced according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Regular hot water tank maintenance by a professional Plumber will help prevent issues and problems from occurring while keeping your tank running efficiently. This will give you peace of mind, knowing that your hot water system has been properly serviced.

Why is it important to follow hot water safety measures?

While we all love our hot water, observing these safety precautions will help minimise the risk of you and your loved ones from having an accident, and help prevent running out of hot water.

If you’re in doubt or have any questions, speak to one of our experts from O'Brien Plumbing who can provide you with the peace of mind when it comes to hot water safety.

Our expert O'Brien Plumbers are here for all of your hot water needs

We understand how vital it is to have a hot water system that is fully functional and safe.

To make sure your needs are met, we’re committed to undertaking quality inspections, performing repairs and installing effective replacements for your home’s hot water system.

Visit obrien.com.au today to find a plumber near you and we can start discussing your options.

When you call O'Brien Plumbing you can be sure you’ve called the experts.

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To help, here are top 10 tips compiled by our O'Brien Plumbing Experts to ensure you and your family use your home’s water efficiently.

Top 10 Expert Plumbing Tips all households should know

1. Know where your water mains is located
   Every home has a water mains tap that can be turned off in case of a flooding or a water emergency. It’s important to be aware of this in case you need to shut the water off while you wait for a professional plumber.
2. Check your water metre usage
   Just like every home has a water mains, every home also has a water metre (usually at the street entrance) which measures your water usage. The dials inside can be a good indication of whether you have a leak – if no one is using water and the numbers are increasing, there could be a problem.
3. Be careful of what you flush
   A common way that toilets become blocked is when items that are not supposed to be flushed, such as baby wipes and tampons, are flushed. Ensure only human waste and toilet paper goes into the toilet and nothing else – preferably in small amounts.
4. Don’t close your taps too tightly
   A really simple way to prolong the life of your tap seals is to avoid closing them too tightly and damaging the parts inside.
5. Check for any blockages
   Water drains away through pipes in our homes, and a blockage can create a serious problem. Keep an eye out for unusual smells, gurgling sounds and a build-up of water – if these occur, it’s important to contact a plumber immediately to avoid any potential leaks or bursts.
6. Avoid chemical drain cleaners
   While bottled chemical solutions to blocked drains seem like a good solution, their harsh ingredients can actually do more damage overall than good to the inside of your pipes.
7. Don’t ignore drips
   A leaky tap is easy to ignore when it’s only a few droplets every few minutes, however, this could waste a lot of water (and money) over the space of a day or a week; especially because it tends to get worse over time. It’s best to get repairs done early as soon as you notice them, so as to avoid bigger problems later.
8. Try a water-saving showerhead
   Australia is subject to drought periods, which is why it’s good practise to be conservative with our use. But if nothing else, using less water will help reduce your water bills too. Simply ask your plumber to install a water-saving showerhead in your bathroom.
9. Select the right hot water system
   Choosing a hot water system is a very involved decision and is important to get right. Common problems with the incorrect choice can include low pressure and heat, discoloured water or even no heat at all. In fact, most people don’t realise just how much the plumbing in a property can impact on the performance of their hot water system.
10. When in doubt, call a professional plumber.
    When it comes to plumbing and water in your home, it’s ALWAYS better to be careful. Should you notice any problems – don’t take the risk. Contact a professionally trained plumber who can see to any concerns and address them in the right way.

Licences

O'Brien Group Services Pty Ltd | ACN 132 161 285 | NSW Lic. No 333269C | QLD Lic. No 15117259 (issued under the Queensland Building
and Construction Commission Act 1991) | ACT Lic. No. 201935 | SA Lic. No. PGE 291631 | NT Lic. No. C3936 | TAS Lic. No. 15606548

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