Hot Water Systems Gold Coast
Often it is a part, not the whole tank. A gas system may also need gas fitting work. We look at what has failed before we suggest a new one.
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Vesey Plumbing Solutions repairs, replaces and services electric, gas, heat pump and solar hot water systems across the Gold Coast, Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm. Licensed plumber and gas fitter Jamie Vesey does the work and puts the price in writing first. The QBCC lists installing or replacing a water heater as notifiable work.
What is your hot water doing?
No hot water at all
Usually a repair
What is usually behind it
On an electric system it is usually the heating element or the thermostat. Both are parts, not the tank. On gas it is more often the pilot light or the gas getting to the unit.
What you can do now
Call us. Tell us whether the system runs on electricity or gas, and what you noticed just before the hot water stopped.
Not sure? Describe it on the phone.
Water or rust under the tank
Usually a replacement
What is usually behind it
The tank itself has usually rusted through. A tank in that state cannot be repaired, so patching it only delays the replacement.
What you can do now
Turn off the tap on the cold water pipe going into the tank. That stops it refilling while it leaks. Keep clear of any wet wiring. Then call us. If the water is not coming from the tank, it may be a pipe: see leak detection.
Not sure? Describe it on the phone.
It runs out part way through a shower
Usually a repair
What is usually behind it
Usually a heating element has failed or the thermostat is set too low, so only the top of the tank gets hot. If more people live in the house than when the tank went in, nothing is broken. It is simply too small.
What you can do now
Notice whether it changed suddenly or slowly over months, and tell us which when you call. They point to different causes.
Not sure? Describe it on the phone.
It never gets past lukewarm
Usually a repair
What is usually behind it
A thermostat or element on its way out, or on gas a burner that is not firing properly. Sometimes it is the valve that mixes hot and cold water for the bathroom.
What you can do now
Run the kitchen tap on hot. If the kitchen is hot and the bathroom is not, mention it when you call. That points straight at the mixing valve.
Not sure? Describe it on the phone.
A pipe off the tank drips all the time
Usually a repair
What is usually behind it
That pipe drains a safety valve. A little water while the tank heats up is normal. A constant drip means the valve is worn, or the water pressure coming into the house is higher than the system is made for.
What you can do now
Never block, cap or tie off that pipe. The valve has to be able to let water out.
Not sure? Describe it on the phone.
Banging or rumbling from the tank
Depends on the age
What is usually behind it
Usually minerals from the water settling at the bottom of the tank and crackling as it heats. In a younger tank a service can deal with it. In an older one it is often a sign the tank is near the end.
What you can do now
Tell us roughly how old the tank is when you call.
Not sure? Describe it on the phone.
It works, but it is getting old
Worth planning ahead
What is usually behind it
Every tank wears out in the end. Replacing one when it suits you beats replacing it on a cold weekday morning with everyone waiting.
What you can do now
If the tank is still sound, a service can add years to it. That includes a new anode once the old one wears out, a rod inside that rusts so the tank does not.
Not sure? Describe it on the phone.
Something else
Not on the list?
Call us and describe it.
What to do
Call and describe what it is doing in your own words, and the type of system if you know it.
Not sure? Describe it on the phone.
Repair it, or replace it?
Age decides most of it. The date the tank was made is on a sticker or metal plate on its side.
Newer systems
Usually worth repairing
If the tank is not leaking, the fault is almost always a part: an element, a thermostat or a valve. Replacing the part is the smaller bill.
Middle of its life
Depends on the fault
A small part is still worth fitting. A big repair on a tank near the end of its life usually is not.
Old, or leaking
Plan a replacement
A tank that is rusty or leaking cannot be repaired at any age.
If it needs replacing, we talk you through the options. The same again, gas, heat pump or solar, and what each would cost to run.
A written price. Guaranteed workmanship.
A written price before we start, and our workmanship guaranteed for as long as you own the home.
You get the price in writing before any work begins. If we find something the quote did not cover, we stop and tell you what it means before we touch it. If our workmanship ever fails, we will repair or redo the work, whichever we judge right for the job.
Some jobs cannot be quoted without opening something up. Where that is the case, we tell you before we start.
The workmanship guarantee covers the work we carry out, for as long as you own the property. Anything we supply also carries its manufacturer's warranty, and we will help you claim on it. This guarantee is in addition to your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. How to make a claim, and your consumer guarantees.
Electric, gas, heat pump or solar
A straight swap is usually half a day. Changing type takes longer, because pipes, power or gas may need to reach a new spot.
What to tell us when you call
What it is doing
In your own words.
What type it is
Electric, gas, heat pump or solar. If you are not sure, say so.
How old it is
Roughly is fine. The plate on the tank has the exact date.
Where it is
Inside, outside, in the roof space or under the house.
We answer Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm.
Jamie Vesey
Licensed plumber and gas fitter
QBCC 15090309
Hot water questions people ask
Guides on hot water
Guide · 4 min read
Repair or replace: what decides it for an old hot water system
Repair or replace a hot water system? A leaking tank, rusty water or hot water that runs out early: which faults are a part, and which mean a new tank.
More on hot water
Hot Water Repairs
Elements, thermostats, valves and anodes.
Hot Water System Replacement
When the tank has reached the end of it.
Heat Pump Hot Water
How it differs from electric and gas, and what suits it.
Our other plumbing services
Plumbing Installations and Renovations
New toilets, taps, showers and vanities, and the plumbing behind a bathroom or kitchen renovation.
Gas Fitting
Commercial kitchen fit-outs, appliance installation, gas line repairs and compliance certificates.
Plumbing Maintenance and Repairs
Dripping taps, running toilets and weak showers, fixed before they turn into ceiling stains.
Blocked Drains
We clear the blockage, find out what caused it, and tell you whether it will come back.
Burst Pipes and Leak Detection
Find the leak, stop the water, repair the pipe.
Emergency Plumber
Burst pipes, sewage coming up inside and no water. We answer Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm, not nights or weekends.
Where we do hot water work on the Gold Coast
We look after the Gold Coast, including:
- Burleigh Heads
- Burleigh Waters
- Miami
- Palm Beach
- Elanora
- Tallebudgera
- Currumbin
- Currumbin Waters
- Tugun
- Bilinga
- Kirra
- Coolangatta
- Varsity Lakes
- Reedy Creek
- Robina
- Mermaid Beach
- Broadbeach
- Surfers Paradise
- Main Beach
- Southport
- Labrador
- Runaway Bay
- Hope Island
- Helensvale
- Coomera
Not on the list? Tell us your suburb when you call and we will let you know whether we can get to you.
Book a hot water job on the Gold Coast
Tell us what is happening. You get a written price before we start, and our workmanship is guaranteed for as long as you own the home.