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Hot water

Hot water systems
across Como

Repaired or replaced, often the same day. Sydney water is soft, so what has usually finished a unit here is a spent anode or an element rather than scale.

Often same-dayNSW Lic. 368473CRepair quoted before replacement
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It is almost never scale here

Sydney's water supply is soft, which changes what actually kills a hot water system.

In hard-water regions a storage tank fills with scale and that is the end of it. Here the tank is protected by a sacrificial anode: a rod that corrodes deliberately so the steel of the tank does not.

Once that anode is used up, the tank starts corroding instead. So the failures we see are a spent anode, a failed element or a thermostat, and the first two of those are repairs on a tank that is otherwise fine.

Which is why we quote the repair before the replacement. Replacing a healthy tank because nobody checked the anode is an expensive way to solve a cheap problem.

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Licensed plumbers at the workshop
  • Repair quoted firstReplacement only when it is genuinely warranted
  • Often same-dayAcross Como and the river suburbs
  • The carry priced upfrontNot added on the day
  • Licensed plumberNSW Licence 368473C, fully insured
Service van on its way to a Como job

Tank down a flight of steps?

Then say so when you ring. On these blocks the carry is a real part of the job and it belongs in the quote, not on the invoice.

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Local hot water guide

Hot water on a Como property

Soft water, so anodes not scale

Sydney's water is soft. The sacrificial anode is what protects a storage tank, and once it is gone the tank corrodes.

Checking or replacing an anode is a fraction of the cost of the tank it protects, and it is the single most worthwhile thing to do to a unit worth keeping.

The carry is part of the job here

On a block that steps down from the road, a storage unit is carried in and out rather than wheeled, and a tank is heavy and awkward.

It should be priced honestly in the quote. A plumber who has not asked where the unit sits has not finished quoting.

Where the unit sits changes the options

A tank tucked into a difficult corner of a sloping block is frequently the reason people move to a wall-mounted continuous flow unit.

That can be an excellent outcome, but it depends on gas availability and the run to the fixtures, so it is a question rather than a default.

Age decides repair against replace

The compliance plate on the unit gives the date. A relatively young system with a failed component is normally worth repairing.

A unit well into its life with a leaking tank is not, and we would rather tell you that than take money for a repair that buys a season.

Signs worth acting on early

Rusty or discoloured hot water, water at the base of the unit, banging or rumbling, and a relief valve discharging steadily rather than occasionally.

None of those improve on their own, and a leaking tank on a sloping block sends water somewhere you would rather it did not go.

Which system, and what the block will actually take

Type and size decide most changeovers. On a Como property there are two prior questions: whether the street has natural gas or the house runs on LPG, and whether the old unit can physically be carried out of where it stands. Both are worth settling before anything is ordered.

Indicative service life. What you actually get depends on how hard the system is worked, whether the anode was ever changed, and whether it was installed somewhere it could be serviced at all.
SystemHow it heatsTypical lifeSuits a Como property when
Electric storageAn element heats a tank, often overnight on a controlled load tariff8 to 12 yearsThere is no natural gas to the street and install cost matters more than running cost
Gas storageA burner under a tank keeps a stored volume hot8 to 12 yearsNatural gas reaches the property and there is room for a tank plus flue clearances
Continuous flowGas heats water on demand, nothing is stored15 to 20 yearsThere is gas and wall space, and the old tank sits somewhere awkward on the fall
Heat pumpMoves heat from the air into the tank rather than making it10 to 15 yearsThere is no gas, there is airflow, and the compressor is not under a bedroom window
Solar with boostRoof collectors, with an element or burner covering the gap15 to 20 yearsThe roof has the orientation and the space, and the upfront budget is there

Sizing it for the household

A starting point rather than a rule. Storage size is about how much you can draw before it runs out, so what matters is how many people want hot water inside the same hour, not how many live in the house.

Continuous flow is rated in litres per minute instead of capacity, because it stores nothing and therefore never runs out partway through.
People in the houseElectric storageGas storageContinuous flow
1 to 2125 to 160 L90 to 135 L16 L/min
3 to 4250 to 315 L135 to 170 L20 L/min
5 or more315 to 400 L170 L or twin26 L/min
Long run to the fixturesSize up a stepSize up a step26 L/min, no wait

What hot water work costs in Como

Quoted at a fixed price before anything starts. These are indicative 2026 ranges, and any difficult carry is in the quote rather than added on the day.

01

Diagnosis and report $120 – $250

Credited against the repair if you go ahead with it.

02

Element or thermostat replaced $250 – $550

The most common fault on electric storage, and a repair rather than a replacement.

03

Anode replaced $300 – $600

The cheapest worthwhile thing you can do for a tank you intend to keep.

04

Storage system replaced $1,400 – $2,800

Supplied and installed, with the carry and the disposal priced in.

05

Continuous flow changeover $2,000 – $3,800

Where gas is available and moving off a tank makes sense for the property.

Related:Gas fittingBurst pipes & leaksBlocked drains

Hot water systems we service and replace

Electric storage is what a great many of these houses were built around, and continuous flow is where a lot of them end up when the old tank sits somewhere awkward. These are the makes behind both.

We service and replace these systems as an independent licensed plumber. We are not an agent for, or endorsed by, any of these manufacturers.

How a hot water call-out runs.

Step 01
Booking a hot water call-out in Como

We ask where it sits

And whether there is a carry. On a Como block that is a real part of the price and it belongs in the quote.

Step 02
Diagnosing a hot water system at a Como home

Diagnosed, and dated

We find the compliance plate and tell you the age before anyone talks about replacing anything.

Step 03
Repairing a hot water system at a Como property

Repair quoted first

If an anode, an element or a thermostat will genuinely fix it, that is the quote you get.

Step 04
Installing a replacement hot water system in Como

Replaced properly if it is time

Old unit removed and disposed of, new one installed to standard and warranted in writing.

No hot water today?

We can usually be there the same day, and a fair proportion of the time it is a repair rather than a replacement.

Call 1300 381 569
Licensed Como plumber ready to take your call

Hot water questions.

What Como locals ask us before booking a plumber.

Ask us yours Licensed plumbing van covering Como and the surrounding suburbs
No hot water at all. What should I check first?

On electric storage, check whether the circuit has tripped at the switchboard, because a great many call-outs end there. On gas, check the pilot or ignition and that the gas is on. On any system, check whether the isolation valve has been closed by somebody working on something else. If none of that explains it, stop there and ring us rather than opening anything.

Why is it always the anode here?

Because Sydney's water is soft. In hard-water parts of the country a storage tank silts up with scale and that is what finishes it. Here the tank is protected by a sacrificial anode that corrodes so the steel does not, and once it is spent the tank starts corroding instead. Nine failures in ten that we see are the anode or an element, and both are frequently a repair rather than a replacement.

The tank is down a flight of steps. Is that a problem?

It is a cost rather than a problem, and it is worth saying out loud on a quote. On a block that steps down from the road, a storage unit going in or coming out is carried rather than wheeled, and a full tank is heavy and awkward. We price that honestly rather than discovering it on the day and asking for more.

Should I switch to continuous flow?

Sometimes, and it genuinely suits a lot of properties here, particularly where the old tank sits somewhere difficult and a wall-mounted unit can go somewhere sensible instead. It is not automatically better though. It depends on gas availability, the run to the fixtures and how the household actually uses hot water. We will tell you when a tank is still the right answer.

How long does a hot water system last?

It depends on the type, the installation and whether the anode was ever looked at, so we will not put a number on a unit we have not seen. What we will do is find the compliance plate, tell you the age, and give you a straight view on whether repairing it is sensible or whether you would be spending good money on something near the end.

Water has gone rusty. Is that the tank?

Frequently yes, and it usually means the anode has been spent for a while and the tank has started paying for it. Get it looked at rather than waiting, because a corroding tank does not recover and a leaking one is not a repair. Rusty water from one tap only is a different problem, usually the fixture rather than the system.

What does hot water work cost in Como?

A diagnosis and report is $120 to $250, credited against the repair if you go ahead. An element or thermostat replaced is $250 to $550. An anode replaced is $300 to $600 and is the cheapest thing you can do for a tank worth keeping. A full storage replacement is $1,400 to $2,800 supplied and installed, with any difficult carry priced in the quote rather than added afterwards.

Licensed Como plumber arriving with his tools

Get the hot water sorted in Como

Tell us what the system is, roughly how old, and where it sits on the property. Those three answers get you a real number rather than a range.

Repair quoted before replacement, the carry priced upfront, and a written warranty either way.

1300 381 56924/7 emergency line
[email protected]Non-urgent enquiries
Servicing Como & districtNSW Licence 368473C

Get a hot water callback

Online Now!·--:--

No obligation · Licensed & insured · Fixed price upfront

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