WATER LEAKING
Turn it off, then call a plumber
Turn the power off at the switchboard (gas: turn the control knob to off) and close the cold water valve on the pipe going into the unit. A drip from the relief valve’s drain pipe now and then is normal; a steady flow means the valve has failed. Water coming from the tank itself, or pooling underneath it, means the tank has rusted through and has to be replaced.
Typical cost: $150–$350 for a new relief valve; $1,200–$2,500 to replace an electric tank like for like.
IT’S NOT THE HEATER
Look at the valve or the tap, not the tank
If the kitchen runs hot but the bathrooms are lukewarm or cold, the tempering valve that cools water for the bathrooms has usually failed. If only one tap is cold, it is that tap’s mixer cartridge. Either way the heater itself is working.
Typical cost: $200–$450 to replace a tempering valve.
SWITCH TRIPPED
Reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off
Switch the hot water circuit back on once. If it trips again straight away or overnight, the heating element has usually failed and is leaking power to earth: leave it off and get it repaired. A switch that was simply turned off (after work on the house, or a power cut) needs no more than turning back on: give the tank a few hours to heat.
Typical cost: $200–$450 to replace an element or thermostat.
CHECK THE TIMER FIRST
It may just be waiting for off-peak
Many Ipswich electric tanks are on an off-peak tariff (Tariff 31 or 33) and only heat at set times, mostly overnight. A day of washing and long showers can empty the tank until the next heating window. If it is still cold the next morning with the switch on, the element or thermostat has failed.
Typical cost: Free if it is the timer. $200–$450 to replace an element or thermostat.
NO GAS
Check the bottle or the meter
If nothing on gas works, the heater is fine: the gas is not reaching it. On bottled gas, the bottle in use is probably empty: turn the changeover valve to the full bottle and order a refill. On mains gas, check the valve at the meter is on. Then relight the heater following the label on the unit.
Typical cost: Free if it is the supply. $150–$400 for a gas fitter to find a leak.
GAS STORAGE
Relight the pilot, once
Follow the lighting instructions on the label or inside the cover. If the pilot lights but goes out when you let go of the knob, the thermocouple has usually failed; if it won’t light at all, it can be the gas valve or the igniter. Don’t keep trying: a licensed gas fitter replaces the part.
Typical cost: $250–$600 for a gas valve, thermocouple or igniter.
GAS CONTINUOUS FLOW
Check the power, the error code and the flow
Continuous flow heaters need power as well as gas: check the plug at the unit and the circuit in the switchboard. Look for an error code on the controller or the unit, and turn the tap fully on: below a minimum flow the burner won’t fire. If it shows an error or still won’t fire, it needs a gas fitter.
Typical cost: $90–$160 for a call-out and diagnosis; $250–$600 for a gas valve or igniter.
HEAT PUMP
Check the fan and the error light
Heat pumps heat slowly: after a big day they can take several hours to recover. Check the circuit in the switchboard, that the fan on top is turning when it should be heating, and for an error light on the panel. Leaves or a wall too close to the unit can block the airflow it needs.
Typical cost: $90–$160 for a call-out and diagnosis.
SOLAR
Check the booster
In cloudy or wet weeks a solar system relies on its electric or gas booster. Check the booster’s circuit in the switchboard (it is often separate, and sometimes on off-peak) and the controller’s display. If the panels are hot but the tank is cold, the circulating pump or its controller may have failed.
Typical cost: $200–$450 for a booster element or thermostat; $90–$160 for a diagnosis.
LUKEWARM OR RUNS OUT
Thermostat, element or too much demand
A tank that is only lukewarm, or runs out quicker than it used to, usually has a failing element or thermostat, or sediment built up in the bottom. If it has always run out, the tank may simply be too small for the household now: see the hot water sizing tool.
Typical cost: $200–$450 to replace an element or thermostat.