Hot Water Systems on the Sunshine Coast
Hot water repairs, replacements and new installations — electric, gas and solar — for homes and businesses across the Sunshine Coast.
No hot water?
Hot water is one of those things nobody thinks about until the shower runs cold. Then it is the only thing anyone in the house is thinking about.
Woolfords Plumbing repairs, replaces and installs hot water systems across the Sunshine Coast, and being a plumbing and gas business means the gas side of a gas system is handled as part of the same job.
Hot water repairs
Not every hot water problem means a new system. Common faults that can often be repaired include a failed thermostat or element, a faulty gas valve or pilot, a leaking or seized tempering valve, a stuck relief valve that keeps releasing water, and leaking connections at the tank.
The first question worth answering is whether the unit is worth repairing at its age, or whether you would be spending money on a system that is close to the end anyway. You will get a straight answer on that before anything is ordered.
Hot water replacement
Storage hot water systems generally give you somewhere around a decade of service, sometimes more, sometimes less depending on water quality and how hard the household works it. When a tank itself starts leaking, that is the end of it — a leaking cylinder cannot be repaired.
Signs a system is on the way out include rusty or discoloured hot water, water pooling under the unit, hot water running out much faster than it used to, and repeated faults in a short space of time.
Woolfords Plumbing removes the old unit and installs the replacement, including any changes to the pipework, valves and gas connection the new system needs.
New hot water installations
For a new home, an extension or a renovation, the choices worth thinking about are the fuel type, the size and where the unit is going to sit. Getting the location right matters more than people expect — long runs between the unit and the bathroom mean waiting for hot water and wasting what runs down the drain in the meantime.
Gas hot water
Gas storage systems and continuous flow (instantaneous) units both suit a lot of Sunshine Coast homes. Continuous flow units heat water on demand, so you do not run out and you are not paying to keep a tank hot when nobody is using it, though they need the right gas supply to run properly.
Because Woolfords Plumbing & Gas handles the gas fitting as well, the gas line, the connection and the water side are all part of the same job. See gas fitting for related work.
Solar hot water
Solar hot water suits the climate here and cuts what a household spends heating water. Systems still need servicing and repair like anything else — boosters, valves, controllers, pumps and the plumbing between the panels and the tank all wear.
Woolfords Plumbing works on solar hot water systems as part of general hot water service.
Repair or replace?
The honest answer usually comes down to three things: the age of the system, what has actually failed, and how much the repair costs against a replacement. A five-year-old system with a failed element is normally worth repairing. A fifteen-year-old tank that has started weeping is not.
Common Questions
How long should a hot water system last?
Storage systems commonly last around a decade, though it varies with water quality, the type of system and how hard the household uses it. Repeated faults or rusty water are a sign a system is getting close.
My hot water tank is leaking. Can it be repaired?
If the leak is at a valve or a connection, often yes. If the cylinder itself has failed, the system needs replacing — a leaking tank cannot be repaired.
Do you work on gas and solar hot water as well as electric?
Yes. Woolfords Plumbing handles electric, gas and solar hot water, including repairs, replacements and new installations.
There is no hot water at all. What should I check first?
Check whether the power or gas to the unit is on and whether the isolation valve has been turned off, then call 0412 107 022 with the brand and rough age of the system if you know them — it helps to have the right parts on board.
Related Services
Need a Plumber?
Give Woolfords Plumbing a call to talk through the job and check availability.