Home Plumbing Inspection Checklist: 20 Things to Check Every Year

Updated July 2026 · 8 min read · Geelong Emergency Plumbing

Most plumbing emergencies are not random events — they're the outcome of things that have been developing slowly, unnoticed, for months or years. An annual inspection of the accessible plumbing in your home takes about 45 minutes, costs nothing, and catches the majority of those developing problems before they become expensive ones. Here's the complete checklist.

Water Supply: 6 Checks

1. All isolation valves turn. Open and close every accessible isolation valve — under every sink, behind every toilet, on the hot water system, at the washing machine. A valve that won't move, moves only partially, or weeps when operated is a seized or failing valve. Replace it before it fails at a moment when you need to isolate in a hurry.

2. Mains stop valve location and operation. Confirm every person in the household knows where the mains stop valve is and can operate it. Test it annually. Our mains guide covers the location and technique.

3. All flexi hoses inspected. Open every under-sink cabinet and inspect every braided stainless flexi hose: look for rust staining on the braid, bulging, and check the manufacture date on the nut. Replace anything over 10 years or showing any discolouration. Our flexi hose guide covers why this is the most important annual check in the house.

4. No dripping taps. Check every tap in the house, including outdoor taps, for drips when closed. A dripping tap wastes 12,000 litres per year and usually costs $5–$15 in washers to fix. See our tap repair guide.

5. Water meter leak test. The one-hour meter test from our meter guide: turn off everything, read the meter, wait an hour, read again. Any increase means a leak somewhere. Annual test catches slow leaks that don't announce themselves at the surface.

6. Water pressure check. If you have a pressure gauge, check the static pressure once a year. Above 500 kPa is a signal to install a pressure-limiting valve; above 600 kPa is urgent. High pressure is silent damage to every fitting and hose in the house.

Drains: 5 Checks

7. All drains flow freely. Run water in every basin, sink and shower and watch the drain rate. A drain that pools for more than 10 seconds before clearing is starting to build up and will eventually block. The drain cleaning guide covers the maintenance that keeps them clear.

8. Overflow relief gully condition. Inspect the ORG in the garden — it should be clean, grate unobstructed, and dry with no effluent staining. Wet or stained means a recent sewer backup. Our ORG guide explains what different conditions mean.

9. Gutter and downpipe flow. Run a hose from the top of each downpipe and confirm free flow at the bottom. Check gutters before the autumn rain season. Our gutter guide covers the full inspection sequence.

10. No drain smells. Walk through each bathroom and sniff at the floor wastes and basin drains. A sewer smell in a regularly used room means a trap issue or biofilm — both cheap to fix now, unpleasant to live with long. Our drain smell guide covers the diagnosis.

11. Stormwater pit condition. Lift the lid on any drainage pits in the garden — sediment above 50% of pit depth should be cleared. Before the first heavy rain of autumn is the optimal timing.

Hot Water System: 5 Checks

12. TPR valve test. The temperature and pressure relief valve on the hot water system has a test lever — give it a brief lift per the label instructions (once per year). Water should flow freely and stop cleanly when released. A valve that weeps afterwards or won't lift cleanly has failed and needs replacement. A licensed plumber does this during a service; many homeowners do the test themselves and call a plumber only if it fails.

13. Anode inspection if due. If the system is past 5 years and hasn't had an anode check, add this to the annual service — see our anode guide. This is the single maintenance action most likely to extend tank life.

14. No moisture around the base. Check the floor area immediately under and around the hot water unit. Any persistent damp, mineral deposits or discolouration is a slow weep from the TPR line or tank seam. See our leaking system guide.

15. Set temperature confirmed. Confirm the thermostat is set to 60°C on the storage system — hot enough for legionella prevention, not so hot it wastes energy or burns anyone. Check that a tempering valve is fitted at the system (required by regulation for bathroom outlets) and delivering approximately 50°C at bathroom taps.

16. System age noted. Record when the system was installed if known. A storage system past 10 years is in the replacement-planning window; past 12 is in the proactive-replacement window. Budget for it before it decides the timing.

Toilets and Fixtures: 4 Checks

17. Toilet red-dye test. Drop dye in the cistern, wait 10 minutes without flushing. Colour in the bowl confirms a leaking flapper. A running toilet wastes up to 1,000 litres per day — the fix is $8–$20. Our toilet guide covers all four running-toilet causes.

18. Shower and tile integrity. Check grouting around shower bases and walls for cracking or missing sections. Probe any soft or hollow-sounding tiles. Waterproofing repairs are dramatically cheaper when caught early. Our shower guide explains the waterproofing vs plumbing distinction.

19. Under-sink cabinet inspection. Open every cabinet under every sink and look for moisture, staining, swollen cabinet base material or the characteristic white mineral deposits that indicate past slow weeping. Most under-sink leaks are small and slow; they become expensive when discovered by the swollen MDF a year later.

20. Washing machine hoses. Check both inlet hoses for the rust staining or bulging that precedes failure. Replace at 5–7 years regardless of appearance. Our washing machine guide covers the flood-prevention habits.

FAQs

Related guides: Flexi hose burst risk · How to read a water meter · Overflow relief gully