Service

Hot water systems

No hot water · Running out too fast · Rusty water · Leaking unit · Replacements

We repair what is worth repairing.

Some hot water faults are a part worth replacing. Others are a fifteen year old tank telling you it is finished. We will tell you which one you have and what each option costs, rather than defaulting to the bigger sale.

What the symptoms mean

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Book hot water

Three quick steps. Every enquiry answered within 12 hours. If it's urgent, call.

Thanks. We've got it, and we'll come back to you within 12 hours. If it's urgent, call Luke on 0423 213 079 or Zach on 0402 273 744.

24/7 Emergency

Unit leaking badly?

Luke0423 213 079 Zach0402 273 744

The short answer

Most hot water problems are one of four things: no hot water at all, hot water that runs out too quickly, water that is rusty or smells, or a unit that is leaking. Whether it is worth repairing depends mostly on the age of the unit and where it is failing. A faulty element, thermostat, valve or thermocouple is usually a repair. A storage tank that has rusted through and is leaking from the body cannot be repaired and has to be replaced. If your unit is leaking heavily, turn off the cold water isolation valve at the unit and the power or gas to it, then call. B&M Advanced Plumbing repairs and replaces hot water systems across The Hills, the North Shore and the Northern Beaches.

What your symptoms usually mean

Hot water systems tend to give warning. Here is the translation.

No hot water at all, suddenly. On an electric unit, often a failed element, thermostat or tripped circuit. On a gas unit, often the pilot or thermocouple, or the gas supply. Frequently repairable.
Hot water runs out much faster than it used to. Commonly a failed lower element on an electric storage unit, or heavy sediment build-up reducing the usable volume in the tank.
Water is lukewarm, never properly hot. Thermostat, or on an electric unit one of two elements has gone.
Rusty, brown or metallic-tasting hot water. The tank's internal protection has been used up and the steel is corroding. This is a late-stage warning, not a small fault.
Water is dripping or pooling under the unit. Some discharge from the relief valve is normal. A steady leak from the body of the tank is the end of that unit.
Banging, rumbling or popping from the tank. Sediment on the bottom of the tank, with water flashing to steam underneath it.
A smell like rotten eggs in the hot water only. Usually a reaction inside the tank rather than the water supply itself. Worth looking at.
The unit is more than about ten to fifteen years old and playing up. At that point, money spent on repairs starts to look like money spent on a replacement you are going to need anyway.
Relief valve constantly discharging water. Either the valve has failed or pressure in the system is too high. Both need attention, and a hot water system is a pressure vessel.

If you can smell gas anywhere near a gas hot water unit, stop. Turn the gas off at the meter, get outside, and call us from there. See gas fitting.

How it works

How we handle a hot water job

Ask what type you have

Electric storage, gas storage or gas continuous flow all fail differently and need different parts. If you can tell us the brand and roughly the age on the phone, or send a photo of the label, we can often arrive with the part already on the ute.

Test rather than guess

We check the actual fault: elements and thermostats on electric, ignition and gas supply on gas, plus the valves, the pressure and the condition of the tank itself.

Tell you repair or replace, and why

This is the decision that matters. We will tell you what the repair costs, what the unit's realistic remaining life looks like, and what a replacement costs, then let you decide with both numbers in front of you.

Do the repair, or the changeover

Repairs we complete on the spot where we have the part. For a replacement, we drain and remove the old unit, check that the connections, valves and tundish arrangement are right, and install the new one properly rather than just swapping it in.

Check it works and leave you the paperwork

Correct temperature, no leaks, valves operating. Gas work comes with a gas compliance certificate. Keep it, along with the warranty paperwork for the new unit.

Repair or replace, and what changes the price

We will not put a price for a hot water system on this page, because the number depends on what you have, what you are replacing it with, and what the installation needs. What we can do is tell you what moves it:

Repair or replacement. A single failed part is a fraction of the cost of a new unit. This is the first question and we answer it honestly.
Type and size of unit. Electric storage, gas storage and gas continuous flow are different products at different prices, and capacity matters.
Whether you are changing type. Going from one type to another can mean new gas, water or electrical work, and sometimes a different location. That is a bigger job than a like-for-like changeover.
Where the unit is. Outside at ground level on a slab is the easy version. In a roof space, an internal cupboard, on a balcony, or up several flights in a unit block is not.
Bringing the install up to current requirements. An old installation sometimes needs valve work, a proper tundish or safe tray, or a corrected relief line. We will explain anything we have to change and why.
Timing. A planned replacement is cheaper than an emergency one at 9pm, which is a good argument for replacing a unit that is clearly on the way out rather than waiting for it to fail.

If your unit is old and failing, ask us for both numbers. Some people would rather spend a little to get through another year, and that is a legitimate choice. Others would rather not have this conversation again in eight months. We will give you what you need to pick.

Where we work

Hot water across Sydney's north

Not listed? Call Luke → Call Zach →

Questions

Hot water questions

It varies by type, by brand, by water quality and by whether anyone has maintained it. Storage tanks generally have a service life measured in the ten to fifteen year range, and continuous flow units often go longer. We are not going to promise you a number for your unit, because a well-maintained tank in good conditions outlasts a neglected one badly. What we will say is that once a storage unit is past about ten years and starting to fail, repairs become a harder case to argue.

Inside a steel storage tank there is a sacrificial anode, which is a rod that corrodes so the tank does not. Once it is used up, the tank starts corroding instead. Rusty hot water is that process becoming visible, and it means the tank is nearing the end. Anodes can be replaced as maintenance, which extends tank life, but by the time the water is brown you are usually past that point.

It depends where it is leaking. A leaking valve, connection or fitting is repairable. Water coming from the body of the tank itself is not, because that is the tank wall failing and there is no repair for it. If your unit is leaking now, turn off the cold water isolation valve at the unit and the power or gas, and call us.

Some discharge from the relief valve is normal, particularly when the unit is heating. Constant or heavy discharge is not, and it means either the valve has failed or the water pressure into the system is too high. It is worth fixing, both because you are paying for that water and because those valves are a safety device.

It depends on what is already connected at your place, where the unit goes, how much hot water your household uses, and your running costs. If you already have gas at the property and a gas unit, a like-for-like changeover is usually the simplest and cheapest. Switching type means new services and it needs to be worth it. We will talk it through against your actual situation rather than pushing one answer.

Often, yes, especially for common sizes and types. Tell us the brand, the type and the capacity when you call, or send a photo of the compliance plate on the side of the unit, and we will tell you honestly whether we can do it today or whether it is tomorrow.

On an electric storage unit, the most common cause is the lower of the two elements having failed, so only the top part of the tank is being heated. That feels exactly like a smaller tank. The other common cause is sediment build-up taking up volume at the bottom. Both are worth checking before anyone talks to you about a new unit.

Yes. Hot water installation is licensed plumbing work in New South Wales, and if the unit is gas it is licensed gasfitting work as well, which comes with a compliance certificate. It is also a pressure vessel connected to your water supply, which is not a good place to save money on labour.

Yes, and hardly anyone does it. On a storage unit, checking and replacing the anode and operating the relief valve are the two things that make a real difference to how long the tank lasts. It is worth doing well before there is a problem.

Yes. Access and location make apartment hot water work more involved, and in a strata building there can be a question about whether the unit is lot property. See strata plumbing.

Repair or replace: how to decide on a hot water system

The moment your hot water fails, you are making a financial decision under time pressure while someone in the house wants a shower. It helps to have thought about it beforehand.

Three questions that decide it

How old is the unit? There is usually a compliance plate on the side with a date. Under about eight years and repairing is normally the right answer. Past about twelve and you are maintaining something with limited life left.
What has failed? An element, thermostat, valve or thermocouple is a component. The tank itself corroding through is terminal. There is no middle ground on a rusted tank.
Is this the first failure? One fault on an otherwise healthy unit is bad luck. The third callout in two years is a pattern, and each of those callouts was money that could have gone towards the replacement you are going to buy anyway.

What we work on

Electric storage, gas storage and gas continuous flow, for repairs and for replacements. Gas work is done under licence and comes with a compliance certificate. If you are considering a type we have not listed here, ask us and we will tell you straight whether it is something we do rather than guessing at it on a website.

The maintenance nobody does

A storage hot water system has a sacrificial anode inside it, whose entire job is to corrode so the steel tank does not. It is consumable. Once it is gone, the tank starts being consumed instead. Checking it partway through the unit's life, and replacing it if needed, is genuinely one of the better value pieces of plumbing maintenance available, and almost nobody thinks about it until the water turns brown.

The relief valve is worth operating periodically too. It is a safety device on a vessel full of pressurised hot water, and a seized one is not doing its job.

A note on coastal properties

If you are near the water on the Northern Beaches, salt air is hard on external metalwork, including the casing and fittings of an outdoor hot water unit. It is worth thinking about where a unit sits and how exposed it is, and being a bit more attentive to it than someone twenty kilometres inland needs to be.

Call Luke on 0423 213 079 or Zach on 0402 273 744. A photo of the plate on the side of your unit, sent when you enquire, genuinely speeds this up.

Related services

Gas fittingGas leaks, new appliances, cooktops and hot water. Licensed gas work with a compliance certificate. Emergency plumberA burst pipe, no water, or sewage backing up. We answer the phone around the clock, every day of the year. Burst pipes & leaksWater where it should not be, a jump in the bill, or a wet patch that will not dry out. Taps & toiletsDripping tapware, a cistern that runs all night, a toilet that will not flush properly. Bathroom & kitchen plumbingRough-in and fit-off for renovations, with the drainage, falls and set-out right before the tiler arrives. Strata plumbingCommon property and lot work for strata managers and building managers, with a written report for the file.

No hot water?

Tell us the brand, the type and roughly how old it is, or send a photo of the label on the side. Call if the unit is leaking badly, otherwise the form is answered within 12 hours.

Luke 0423 213 079 Zach 0402 273 744 admin@bmadvanced.com.au

The Hills, North Shore & Northern Beaches, NSW

We'll call you back

Three quick steps. Every enquiry answered within 12 hours. If it's urgent, use the numbers.

Thanks. We've got it, and we'll come back to you within 12 hours. If it's urgent, call Luke on 0423 213 079 or Zach on 0402 273 744.