Having said that, the average life of a hot water system is around 10-12 years although we have replaced systems that were more than 30 years old.
It is a sad fact of life that sooner or later your hot water system will begin to leak from somewhere and the following gives you an idea of what it could be and what you can do about it.
There can be nothing more annoying than a leaking hot water system, particularly if the unit is located inside the home.
There are only a few places that a hot water unit can leak from.
The pressure and temperature relief valve (ptr valve) is located near the top on the unit and to one side of your hot water system and will have a small lever on it. This lever should be gently lifted approximately every six months or so to flush the valve free of accumulated debris. Be careful when you do this as hot water will come out of the relief line under pressure – keep all your valuable body parts out of the way!
After 10 seconds or so, gently let the lever back down and the flow will stop. The relief valve is designed to leak small amounts of water particularly on the heating cycle (after someone has had a shower for example) to stop the excessive build up of pressure inside the hot water system itself. These valves will eventually wear out and will need to be replaced. If you notice water running from the relief line on a regular basis the valve needs to be replaced. The longer you let it run the higher your electricity bill is going to be as the unit is constantly heating water even though you are not using it – hot water is running out the relief line on and cold water is coming in to the bottom of the tank to be heated continuously.
Another place a hot water unit can leak from is the element gasket.
The element will be near the bottom of the hot water system where the electrical wires enter and is covered by a box or plate. The element has a rubber gasket around it where it penetrates the tank itself and these do perish over time which will cause leakage. Obviously, leaks from this area should be treated as a matter of urgency due to the close proximity of the leak to the electrical supply. Do not, under any circumstances try to fix this yourself – water and electricity do not mix and can make your hair curly – this is dangerous! The unit usually needs to be drained and the element removed to allow replacement of the gasket. Sometimes the area where the element bolts on to the tank is too corroded to allow the bolts to be tightened up enough to allow the new element gasket to get an effective seal. If this is the case the hot water stem will require replacement as there is no repair available for this problem. Always use a qualified tradesman when dealing with any aspect of your electricity system and supply – it simply is not worth risking your life for the sake of a few dollars.
Another place the unit can leak is from the cylinder itself.
In the great majority of cases a leaking hot water cylinder means the unit is beyond repair and will also require replacement.
If you have an issue with a blocked drain brisbane or hot water system brisbane, then you need a 24 hour plumber brisbane or an emergency plumber brisbane to service you. You might also reach out to a gas plumber brisbane to help you. Its important that you have a plumber brisbane or a brisbane Plumber you can trust. A drain camera Brisbane plumber can also be important to you. If you suspect carbon monoxide is present, you will also need Carbon Monoxide Testing Brisbaneor plumbing Brisbane, Plumber Fortitude Valley, Plumber Albion, Plumber Alderley, Plumber Annerley, Plumber Ascot, Plumber Ashgrove, Plumber Aspley, Plumber Auchenflower, Plumber Balmoral, Plumber Banks Creek, Plumber Anstead, Plumber Bald Hills, Plumber Banyo, Plumber Bardon, Plumber Belmont, Plumber Boondall, Plumber Bowen Hills, Plumber Bracken Ridge,Plumber Bridgeman Downs, Plumber Brighton, Plumber Brisbane Airport, Plumber Brisbane City, Plumber Brookfield, Plumber Bulimba, Plumber Carina, Plumber Carseldine,Plumber Chandler, Plumber Chapel Hill, Plumber Chelmer, Plumber Chermside, Plumber Chermside West,Plumber Clayfield, Plumber Coorparoo, Plumber Corinda, Plumber Deagon, Plumber Dutton Park,Plumber Enoggera, Plumber Everton Park, , Plumber East Brisbane, Plumber Ferny Grove,Plumber Fitzgibbon, Plumber Geebung, Plumber Gordon Park, Plumber Graceville, Plumber Grange, Plumber Greenslopes, Plumber Gumdale, Plumber Hamilton, Plumber Hawthorne,Plumber Heathwood, Plumber Hemmant, Plumber Hendra, Plumber Herston, Plumber Highgate Hill, Plumber Holland Park, Plumber Holland Park West, Plumber Inala, Plumber Indooroopilly,Plumber Jamboree Heights, Plumber Jindale, Plumber Kangaroo Point, Plumber Karana Downs,Plumber Karawatha, Plumber Kedron, Plumber Kelvin Grove, Plumber Acacia Ridge, Plumber Algester, Plumber Archerfield, Plumber Burbank, Plumber Calamvale, Plumber Camp Hill, Plumber Cooper Plains, Plumber Cannon Hill, Plumber Carina Heights, Plumber Carindale, Plumber Doolandella, Plumber Drewvale, Plumber Durack, Plumber Eight Mile Plains, Plumber Ellen Grove,Plumber Fairfield, Plumber Forest Lake, Plumber Gaythorne, Plumber Kenmore, Plumber Kuraby,Plumber Larapinta, Plumber Lutwyche, Plumber Lytton, Plumber Logan City, Plumber Macgregor,Plumber Mackenzie, Plumber Manly, Plumber Mansfield, Plumber Middle Park, Plumber Milton,Plumber Moggill, Plumber Moorooka, Plumber Morningside, Plumber Mount Gravatt, Plumber Mt Ommaney, Plumber Murarrie, Plumber Nathan, Plumber New Farm, Plumber Newmarket, Plumber Newstead, Plumber Norman Park, Plumber Northgate, Plumber Nudgee, Plumber Nundah,Plumber Oxley, Plumber Paddington, Plumber Pallara, Plumber Parkinson, Plumber Ransome,Plumber Redhill, Plumber Richlands, Plumber Riverhills, Plumber Robertson, Plumber Rochedale
