Adelaide details a repair plumber will care about
Part repairs sit outside the SA standard
SA's code exempts repairs to components that don't amount to replacing the heater. The standard under section 66 of the Water Industry Act 2012 only comes into play when a whole new heater goes in.
Relief drains you can see
SA requires the relief valve and expansion control valve drain lines to discharge separately over a gully, tundish or other visible outlet. A drain that runs steadily, rather than now and then, is easy to spot and worth reporting.
What's in your water
SA Health puts dissolved salts in metropolitan tap water at 150 to 400 mg/L, while bore water can top 1000 mg/L. Dux says anode life drops as water quality worsens, and that above 600 mg/L an aluminium anode may be needed.
Signs it's time to book a repair
- No hot water, or it runs cold far sooner than it used to.
- Water dripping from the relief valve drain all the time.
- Damp ground, a puddle or rust stains around the base of the unit.
- Rumbling or banging from the tank while it heats.
- Brown or smelly water from the hot taps only.
- A gas unit whose pilot or burner won't stay lit.
What you can check, and what to leave alone
You can
- For an electric unit, check its switch and circuit breaker at the switchboard.
- For gas, check the gas is on and other gas appliances are working.
- Look around the unit and its valves for leaks, and photograph them.
- Note the brand, model and manufacture date from the label.
Leave to a licensed plumber
- Testing or replacing relief and expansion control valves.
- Elements, thermostats and gas controls.
- Pulling out and checking the anode.
- Anything that means opening up the unit or working on its gas line.
When a repair turns into a replacement
A tank that leaks from its own body, rather than from a valve or fitting, usually can't be fixed. At that point SA's replacement rules apply: a compliant model, new relief and expansion valves on an unvented storage heater, and a tempering valve if one was there before. Our Adelaide hot water replacement page walks through it.
Check the warranty before you decide. A like-for-like swap made under a manufacturer, supplier or installer warranty is exempt from the SA standard, which can make the choice simpler.
Gas units and paperwork
Gas fitting in South Australia has its own certificate. Work on gas pipes, or replacing a gas appliance such as a hot water unit, needs a gas eCOC within 30 days of completion, and the Office of the Technical Regulator administers it. For a plumbing eCOC, the deadline is 7 days. Ask at the start which certificate your repair will need.
Questions to ask before the repair
- Is the fault in a part, or in the tank itself?
- Have you checked the anode, and would a different type suit our water?
- Is the relief valve discharge normal, or a sign of a fault?
- If you recommend replacing instead, why, and is the unit under warranty?
- Will this work need a plumbing or gas certificate?
What we would do
Before you accept a quote for a new system, ask whether the fault is a part or the tank. A valve, element, thermostat or anode is usually a repair; a split tank isn't. If you're on bore water, say so up front, because it changes what the plumber looks at. And if someone pushes a replacement for a fault that sounds minor, get a second opinion from a hot water repair specialist.