No hot water? Check these 3 things before you call

This is the same triage we'd do over the phone if you rang us. Try these in order, start at the simplest one.

Check 1, is the system on?

It sounds dumb, but you'd be surprised how often this is the answer.

For gas storage systems: open the front panel (usually a clip-on or screw-on cover at the bottom) and look at the pilot light. It should be a small steady blue flame. If it's out, the system can't heat water. A pilot light goes out for a few reasons:

• A draft blew it out (common after windy weather)
• Gas supply was interrupted (check your meter or LPG bottle)
• The thermocouple has failed (needs a plumber)

Most gas storage units have a relight procedure printed on a sticker inside the panel. You can try relighting it yourself if you're comfortable, but if it doesn't catch in 2-3 tries, stop and call a gas fitter. Repeatedly trying releases gas into the cabinet.

For electric storage systems: check your switchboard. There's usually a breaker labelled "HOT WATER" or "STORAGE". Has it tripped (snapped to the OFF position, or sitting between ON and OFF)? Try flicking it firmly to OFF and then back to ON. If it trips immediately again, you have an electrical fault, stop, call a plumber.

For heat pumps: check both the power breaker AND the controller on the unit. Most heat pumps have a small display showing operation mode or any error codes. Note the error code if there is one, that tells your plumber exactly what's wrong before they arrive.

For continuous-flow gas: these don't have a pilot. Turn a hot tap and listen, you should hear the unit click on. No click, no spark, could be gas supply, dead battery (some units have a battery for the ignitor) or a control fault.

Check 2, did something change?

If your system was working yesterday and not today, ask yourself what changed:

• Power outage overnight? Electric storage and heat pumps will recover, but heat pumps in particular take time. Wait 2-3 hours before deciding it's broken.
• Gas works in the street? Sometimes the gas company turns supply off for a few hours and the pilot blows out when supply returns.
• Big storm? Wind can blow out gas pilots, lightning can take out controllers, water ingress can damage electrical components.
• Just changed energy provider? Sometimes the changeover triggers a meter reset that interrupts supply.
• Empty LPG bottle? Check the gauge. If you've got twin bottles with auto-changeover, sometimes both run dry without you noticing.

"It was working yesterday and nothing changed" is what everyone says, but something always changed, and tracing that is faster than diagnosing the unit cold.

Check 3, is it actually no hot water, or no water at all?

Turn on a cold tap. If cold also doesn't work, you've got a water main problem, not a hot water problem. Check:

• Has the water been turned off at the main? (Sometimes after work.)
• Is there work in your street? (Council water shutoffs.)
• Is your home connected to tank water and the tank's run dry?

If cold works but hot doesn't, confirmed hot water problem, move on.

Also: try multiple hot taps. If only one tap has no hot water, it's not the heater, it's the tap, the mixer, or a valve in that specific line. The heater is fine, but you've got an isolated problem (often a failed mixer cartridge).

Things that usually mean "call a plumber"

If your basic checks come up empty, the next-most-likely things are:

• Failed thermocouple (gas): the safety device that keeps the gas valve open when the pilot is lit. They die after 5-10 years. Cheap part, ~30 minute job.
• Failed heating element (electric): the most common cause of an electric storage system going cold while still drawing power.
• Failed thermostat (electric): if the thermostat sticks open, the element doesn't heat. Sticks closed, it overheats and trips the safety.
• Anode rod worn out: usually the next thing that goes after a thermostat. If the anode has fully sacrificed, the tank starts corroding. You won't get sudden hot water failure from this, but you'll get rust in your hot water and eventually a leak.
• Tank leak: if you find a puddle under or near the unit, the tank is gone. This is replacement time, not repair time.

The "is it worth repairing" question

This is the next question. Rough rules of thumb:

• Unit is under 7 years old: repair is almost always the right call.
• Unit is 7-10 years old: depends on the part, a $200 thermocouple is fine, a $400 controller probably isn't.
• Unit is 10+ years old and the tank is leaking: replace, every time. You won't get long out of a repair.
• Unit is 10+ years old and a small part has failed: borderline. Get a quote on repair and on replacement. We'll usually recommend whichever has a longer payback.

If you've been through these checks and it's still cold showers, give us a call. We carry common parts in the van so most repairs are same-visit. 0472 657 042.

Hot water unit failure by type, and what each typically costs

• Gas storage thermocouple failure: $180-380 same-visit repair
• Gas storage burner / valve failure: $300-580 repair
• Electric storage element failure: $280-460 same-visit repair
• Electric storage thermostat failure: $220-400
• Anode rod replacement (preventative): $250-400
• Tank leak (replacement needed): $1,400-3,800 supply and install
• Gas continuous flow heat exchanger failure (end of life): replacement $2,200-3,200
• Heat pump compressor failure: $1,200-2,500 repair or full replacement $3,600-5,800

The "should I replace instead of repair" decision

• Unit under 7 years: repair almost always
• Unit 7-10 years: depends on the part cost vs replacement cost
• Unit 10+ years with tank leak: replace
• Unit 12+ years coastal or 14+ years inland: replace, no exceptions, rest will fail soon

When replacing, consider the upgrade

If your gas storage or electric storage died, replacement with heat pump usually pays back in 2-4 years through running cost savings. Federal STC rebate cuts install cost. Most 3+ person Gold Coast households now save by going heat pump on replacement.

We model both options at quote stage with realistic 10-15 year running cost projections for your specific household.