Gore facts that change a plumbing job
Coal and wood
At the 2023 Census, 7.4% of Gore homes used a coal burner as a main heat source, against 0.7% nationally, and 45.6% a wood burner (28.2% nationally). 'Other types of heating' came to 10.8%, against 2.6%. The census asks about heating rooms, so it can't say how many fires also heat water.
Frost, though less than Invercargill
NIWA says Gore averages 34 days a year below freezing, seven fewer than Invercargill. July is the peak, with about 12 air frosts at Gore's weather station.
The Mataura in 1999
In the November 1999 storm, NIWA records the Oreti and Mataura Rivers reaching record levels, and floods and slips closing more than 50 roads across Southland.
Mostly owner-occupied
64.8% of Gore households owned their home and 10.2% held it in a family trust in 2023. Only 25% didn't, against 34% nationally.
Wetbacks and cylinder swaps
A wetback heats water from a fire: pipework in the firebox carries hot water up to the cylinder, so the element doesn't have to run. Rheem says whether one suits your house is a call for a local plumber, because where the fire sits relative to the cylinder matters.
The consent rules are narrow. A cylinder connected to a solid-fuel heater can be replaced without consent only by a comparable open-vented cylinder, in the same place, on the same pipework. Anything else may need a building consent, so check with Gore District Council. Our wetbacks page and consent guide cover the detail.
Gore's water today
Gore District Council delivers water and wastewater now. It is one of four shareholders, with Waitaki, Central Otago and Clutha, in Southern Waters, which is due to take over on 1 July 2027. Its rule on where the council's pipe hands over to yours wasn't something we could check, so ring Gore District Council before anyone works at the toby or near the boundary.
Questions for a Gore plumber
- Is your PGDB licence current, and does it cover this work?
- If you work under supervision, who is your certifying supervisor?
- Is our cylinder connected to the fire, and does that change the consent?
- Which of our pipes are exposed to frost, and what would you do about them?
Around Southland
Invercargill and the wider Southland region. Jobs: burst pipes, no hot water and cylinder replacement.
What we would do
If your fire heats your water, treat the fire, the wetback and the cylinder as one system. Tell the plumber about all three before a cylinder is replaced, so the consent question is settled up front rather than halfway through. Before winter, make sure you can find and turn the toby. For council pipes, ring Gore District Council; for everything on your side, we'll pass the job to a Gore tradie whose speciality fits.