Hot water is the job we get called about most, and it is the one where households most often overpay. A unit that has failed on a thermocouple or a tempering valve does not need replacing. A fifteen-year-old storage tank weeping at the seam does, and no amount of parts will change that.
We will tell you which situation you are in before quoting the expensive option, and if replacement is genuinely the answer we will size the new unit to the household rather than to the one that happens to be on the van.
Which system suits you?
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Four questions, an honest answer. It will tell you to repair rather than replace where that's the right call — we'd rather you trusted the advice than bought a unit you didn't need.
What we handle
- No-hot-water diagnosis, gas and electric
- Thermostat, element, thermocouple and tempering valve replacement
- Relief valve and leaking-tank assessment
- Storage and continuous-flow replacements, like-for-like or upgraded
- Heat pump and solar hot water installation
- Recirculation and pressure problems — hot water that takes too long to arrive
Worth knowing
Repair or replace
Under about eight years old and the fault is a component: repair. Past twelve years, leaking from the tank body rather than a fitting, or on its second major failure: replacing it is usually the cheaper decision over the following two years.
Sizing matters more than brand
An undersized unit is the most common cause of the 'we run out of hot water' complaint, and it cannot be fixed afterwards without replacing the unit again. Household size and simultaneous-use habits decide this, not the sticker.
Common questions
How long should a hot water system last?
Electric and gas storage tanks typically run eight to twelve years. Continuous flow gas units often go further. Perth's water and the presence of a working sacrificial anode both move that number, and an anode replaced on schedule can add years to a tank.
Why does my hot water run out so quickly?
Usually the tank is undersized for the household, the thermostat has drifted, or the tempering valve is failing and mixing in too much cold. The first is a replacement conversation; the other two are repairs.
Is a heat pump worth it?
It depends on your electricity setup, whether you have solar, and where the unit can physically go — they need airflow and they make noise, which matters in a tight side setback. Rebates change frequently, so ask us what applies at the time rather than trusting an old article.
Water is dripping from a pipe on the side of my hot water unit
That is usually the temperature and pressure relief valve, and a small amount of discharge while heating is normal. A constant stream is not, and it is both wasting water and telling you something. Worth a call.