Third-Storey PTR Drain Extended in Hawthorn
Completed Job Summary
A hot-water PTR line at a Hawthorn property was reported to be dripping onto a neighbouring property from its third-storey position. Using high-access ladder equipment, the technician ran a new 20 mm copper line down the wall to the drain and connected it to the existing 20 mm PTR line.
8 July 2026
Jay
Plumber
81907
This job record is derived from first-party technician notes and the Simpro job management.
Customer report
The reported issue involved the PTR line serving the hot-water unit at a property in Hawthorn. The existing discharge arrangement was located on the third-storey level and was described as dripping onto the neighbouring property.
The requested scope included checking pressure and extending the PTR drain from the elevated position down to ground-floor level. Access also required an extra-high ladder because of the height of the existing pipework.
Diagnosis & Technical Assessment
The job centred on the existing hot-water PTR discharge arrangement. The line was positioned at the third-storey level and was reported to be dripping onto the neighbouring property. The recorded scope, therefore, required that the discharge line be extended down the building rather than continue to terminate at the elevated location.
A pressure reference of 300 kPa formed part of the job information. The completed work record does not establish a separate measured result, so the website record is limited to the confirmed pipework work.
Access was a significant practical consideration because the PTR connection was located high on the building. An extra-high-access ladder was required to reach the upper section of the installation. Access arrangements also involved neighbouring properties to enable access to the elevated work area.
Once access was established, the existing 20 mm PTR line projecting through the wall provided the connection point for the new drainage extension. The technician ran a new 20 mm copper pipe vertically down the wall toward the drain, creating a continuous extension from the existing PTR discharge connection to the lower drainage point.
All work was completed in accordance with the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) regulatory framework.
Solutions delivered
The technician used high-access ladder equipment to reach the existing third-storey PTR connection. A new 20 mm copper drain line was then installed down the exterior wall from the elevated hot-water discharge point.
The new copper line was connected directly to the existing 20 mm PTR line protruding from the wall. From there, the extension was run down to the ground-level drain.
This installation rerouted the PTR discharge from the original elevated termination to a lower drainage connection. The work addressed the recorded requirement to prevent the PTR discharge from continuing at the third-storey location adjacent to the neighbouring property.
The completed scope was therefore a high-access hot-water drain extension using 20 mm copper pipe connected to the existing PTR line and routed down the building to the drain.
Tools, Parts & Systems Used
- Extra-high-access ladder
- 20 mm copper pipe
- Existing 20 mm PTR line
- Hot-water system
- Drain
Outcome & Results
A new 20 mm copper PTR drain extension was installed from the existing third-storey connection down the wall to the drain. The new pipework was connected to the existing 20 mm PTR line, completing the recorded hot-water drain-extension scope at the Hawthorn property.
All work was carried out in accordance with relevant Australian Standards and safety requirements.
Repair vs Replacement
Where a hot-water relief discharge arrangement requires alteration, the appropriate scope may involve extending or redirecting the existing drain line rather than replacing the hot-water system itself. The decision depends on the condition and location of the existing discharge connection and the required termination point.
For this Hawthorn job, the existing 20 mm PTR line remained in place as the connection point. A new 20 mm copper extension was added and routed from the third-storey position down the wall to the drain, allowing the existing hot-water installation to remain while the discharge route was altered.