Hot water repairs and installation

First, the thirty second diagnosis

Before you ring anyone, check whether there is hot water anywhere else in the house. If there is none at any tap, it is the hot water unit itself. If there is hot water somewhere but not everywhere, that points to a burst or a leaking pipe rather than the unit.

That one check tells us what to bring, and it is the difference between one visit and two. When you ring, tell us what you found, plus the make of the unit and roughly how old it is if you know.

Why hot water systems die faster on this coast

On the Capricorn Coast the air carries salt, and salt attacks a hot water unit from the outside in. The casing goes, the fittings pit, and the pressure and temperature relief valve stops seating properly, all while the tank inside is still perfectly sound. That is why the first warning here is usually a relief valve that weeps constantly, not a cold shower.

Inland at Rockhampton the enemy is heat instead. A unit sitting in full afternoon sun on a west wall through a run of high-thirties days works its seals and its valve much harder than the same unit in shade. Where an outdoor unit goes is worth thirty seconds of thought at install time.

On a storage system there is also a sacrificial anode inside, designed to be eaten so that the tank is not. Checking it before it is gone can add years. Checking it after it is gone tells you what you already know.

Choosing what replaces it

We install three types and the right answer depends on the household, not on what is in stock.

• Instantaneous gasHeats only the water you use rather than reheating a tank several times a day. Cheaper to run than a traditional tank, and it does not run out. Needs gas, so on the coast that usually means LPG.
• SolarPanels heat water held in a tank. The lowest running cost of the three in this climate, and Central Queensland has the sun for it. Higher up-front cost and it needs roof space facing the right way.
• Heat pumpAbsorbs heat from the air through an evaporator and moves it into the water through a heat exchanger. No gas needed and no roof panels, so it suits a house that cannot take either.

We will ask what the household actually uses before recommending anything, because the biggest saving is usually in matching the system to the demand rather than in the brand on the front.

What we repair

Not everything needs replacing. Relief valves, tempering valves, elements, thermostats, anodes and isolating valves are all serviceable parts, and on a unit that is not yet at the end of its life the repair is the sensible call. On a unit that is, we will tell you that too.