In short: no, you should not remove asbestos insulation from hot water pipes yourself. In New Zealand, this type of work is tightly regulated under health and safety law, and in most cases it must be carried out by a licensed asbestos removalist. Attempting it yourself puts your health — and the health of everyone in your home — at serious risk.
Why Pipe Insulation Is So Dangerous
Asbestos was commonly used to insulate hot water and heating pipes in New Zealand homes built before the mid-1980s. It was often applied as a lagging — a wrapped or moulded coating around the pipe — and sometimes as a loose, sprayed-on material. This type of insulation is frequently friable, meaning it can crumble easily and release microscopic fibres into the air.
Inhaling asbestos fibres can cause serious, life-threatening diseases including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. These diseases can take 20–40 years to develop, so there are no immediate warning signs after exposure. There is no safe level of asbestos fibre inhalation.
What NZ Law Says About Asbestos Removal
Under the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016, asbestos removal work is divided into two classes:
| Class | Type of Work | Who Can Do It |
|---|---|---|
| Class A | Friable asbestos (can crumble); any amount | Licensed Class A removalist only |
| Class B | Non-friable (bonded) asbestos; areas over 10 m² | Licensed Class B removalist only |
| Minor work | Non-friable, under 10 m², low risk | Trained competent person (not general public) |
Pipe lagging is almost always friable asbestos, which means it falls squarely into Class A — the most strictly controlled category. Only a licensed Class A asbestos removalist is legally permitted to remove it. This is not a grey area.
WorkSafe NZ is the authority that licenses asbestos removalists and sets the rules for safe removal. You can check whether a contractor holds a current licence through WorkSafe's online register.
What Happens If You Do It Yourself?
Removing Class A asbestos without a licence is a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Beyond the legal consequences, you risk:
- Contaminating your home — fibres can settle on surfaces, in carpet, and in your HVAC system
- Exposing your family to fibres that are invisible to the naked eye
- Creating a costly remediation problem — professional decontamination after an unlicensed removal can be very expensive
- Affecting your home's resale value — undisclosed asbestos issues can cause serious problems when selling
How to Identify Asbestos Pipe Insulation
You cannot identify asbestos by looking at it. If your home was built or renovated before 1990 and has older pipe lagging — especially the chalky white or grey wrapped type — treat it as asbestos until proven otherwise. The only way to confirm is through laboratory testing of a sample, which should itself be taken by a trained professional to avoid disturbing the material.
If the insulation is in good condition and not being disturbed, it may be safer to leave it in place and manage it rather than remove it. A licensed asbestos assessor can advise you on this.
What You Can Do as a Homeowner
- Do not touch, drill into, or disturb the pipe insulation in any way
- Keep children and pets away from the area
- If the lagging is damaged or deteriorating, seal off the area and call a professional promptly
- Arrange for a licensed asbestos assessor to inspect and sample the material
- Ask your assessor for an asbestos management plan if removal isn't immediately required
BRANZ has useful guidance on identifying and managing asbestos in older New Zealand homes.
The Removal Process (What a Licensed Professional Does)
A licensed Class A removalist will:
- Prepare a removal control plan and notify WorkSafe before starting
- Seal off the work area with negative-pressure enclosures
- Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) including respirators with P3 filters
- Wet the material to suppress fibre release during removal
- Seal all waste in labelled, double-bagged asbestos waste bags
- Dispose of waste at an approved facility — asbestos cannot go in your general rubbish
- Carry out clearance air monitoring before declaring the area safe
Building Consent Considerations
Replacing pipe insulation after asbestos removal may or may not require a building consent depending on the scope of work. Check with your local council before any related plumbing or building work begins. MBIE Building Performance has information on Schedule 1 exemptions, but always confirm with your council as interpretations can vary.
When to Call a Professional
Call a licensed asbestos removalist as soon as you suspect you have asbestos pipe lagging — especially if it is damaged, flaking, or you need to do any work near the pipes. You can find qualified, local asbestos removal specialists on tradedirectory.co.nz. Always ask to see their WorkSafe licence before work begins.
For plumbing work on the pipes themselves after asbestos removal, you'll need a licensed plumber — plumbing work on hot water systems is restricted work under the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board.
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