Plumbing Marketplace
Buying & selling safely
The marketplace connects buyers and sellers; it does not inspect goods or certify an installation. These checks help you decide what to verify before money or gear moves.
Inspect the item
- •Match the brand, model and rating plate to the listing. Ask for clear photos of the data plate, inlets and outlets, connections, any cartridge or valve body, and every crack, corroded thread or past repair.
- •For hot water units, pumps and mixing valves, ask for a recent photo or video of the item working safely where it is installed. A dry bench test proves little and can damage a seal or motor.
- •Treat a corroded or leaking cylinder, a seized valve, a cracked cistern, a damaged gas connection or a perished flexible hose as unsafe until a licensed plumber or gasfitter clears it.
Check fit and compliance
- •Confirm pipe size and material, thread type, water pressure and flow, energy source, mounting and connection compatibility before paying. Similar-looking fittings and valves are often not interchangeable.
- •Water plumbing, gas fitting and drainage work must be done by an appropriately licensed plumber, gasfitter or drainer, and most jobs need a Certificate of Compliance. Ask your state plumbing regulator what applies before you buy.
- •Products sold for use in a potable water or gas system should carry a valid WaterMark or gas approval. A listing, invoice or seller statement is not a compliance certificate.
Pay and collect carefully
- •Inspect before paying where practical. For a bath, cylinder, cistern or a pallet of pipe, agree in writing what is included and who disconnects, 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.
Gas, water and compliance hazards
- •Do not install a used gas appliance, tempering valve, backflow device or pressure-relief valve without a licensed tradesperson checking and, where required, re-certifying it. A wrong or scaled tempering valve can cause scalding.
- •Older stock can hide risks: lead-content brass on drinking-water lines, asbestos in very old pipe lagging, and hoses or seals well past their date. When in doubt, do not connect it.
- •If an item is recalled, illegally modified, non-WaterMarked for a potable line or unsafe to use, report the listing rather than relying on an as-is or salvage-only description.
Check who can legally install it
Licensing is state-based. Water plumbing, gas fitting and drainage are licensed trades in every state and territory, and most work must be certified: Queensland and New South Wales require a Certificate of Compliance or Notice of Work for notifiable jobs, and gas work must be done by a licensed gasfitter and, where required, tested and certified. DIY on gas or mains-connected plumbing is restricted almost everywhere.
Start with your state plumbing and gas regulator, confirm the product carries a valid WaterMark or gas approval, then use a licensed plumber, gasfitter or drainer for the install.
Something look wrong? Read the listing rules or use the report link on the listing.