Hot water problems and tips or running out of hot water

Leaking hot water tank, emergency tips, things that residents can do before calling.

Turn off tank water supply, control tap usually located at base of tank, can be T head tap of small round black headed type tap.

Turn off electricity or gas, turn on hot water outlet tap anyware to reduce inner tank pressure, can reduce quantity of water leaking from tank and reduce damage done.

Diognosis steps

Electric tanks

Note- If town house or unit complex please locate position of heater and switch board, Can be combined main board and will need special key to open. Sometimes heater can be in ceiling.

Can also be combined hot water heater, which will be a strata issue. Find out if other residents have same problem.

To replace element in ceiling model heater, is only worth wile if tank is copper and off peak as sometimes difficulties arise for instance corroded

element bolts.

Sometimes better to replace tank.

1 Check fuse or circuit breaker at switch board

Note a 3.6 Kw heater element should read between 11 to 15 Ohms resistance between connections allow 2 to 3 Ohms for cable length

if measuring from the board

2 Check for hot water leakage at pressure relief valve or hot water circuit

Gas can be failure of pilot flame after a windy day or internal collapse of heater or leakage of hot water while heating

Do not service instantaneous gas or electric hot water systems call Australian Hot Water (13-21-13)

If tank is leaking from cylinder it will require a new tank but before this is determined it is necessary to check that the water

is not leaking from a blown element seal of from the anode rod.

FOR REPLACEMENT

It is necessary to now the following

How many litres

Electric or gas

Height and diameter of tank

Is the old tank able to be removed, eg has it been built in and will the new tank fit position seeElectric Mains Pressure Water Heaters

or Gas water heaters Water Heaters Gas Installation

Whether water connections are left side or right side of element cover

If electric single element or twin element

Kw rating of tank eg 4.8 or 3.6 kw