No Hot Water: What to Do Right Now
When it is an emergency, when it can wait, and the checks you can do first.
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THE SHORT ANSWER
In short
First check the simple things: the hot water circuit at the switchboard, the off-peak timer, the gas supply and the pilot light. Never relight anything if you smell gas. If the checks do not fix it, call us on 0420 102 394. For young children, the elderly, someone unwell or a cold night, treat it as urgent.
DO THIS FIRST
Do this first
1
Check the switchboard
Has the hot water circuit tripped? Reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off and call us.
3
Check the gas
Are other gas appliances working? Is the gas supply on?
4
Check the pilot
Follow the instructions on the unit to relight it, only if you cannot smell gas.
5
Call us
0420 102 394, any hour.
SOURCES
Where this advice comes from
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Why the hot water stops
No hot water nearly always comes down to one of three things: the system isn’t getting its energy (power, gas or sun), the part that heats the water has failed, or hot water is being made but isn’t reaching the taps. The checks above work through them in that order.
Electric storage systems heat with an element switched by a thermostat. If the circuit has tripped, or you are on an off-peak tariff and the household used more than the tank holds, you will be cold until it reheats overnight. Rheem suggests confirming your off-peak hours with your electricity provider (Rheem).
Gas storage systems have a pilot light or electronic ignition; wind, an interruption to the gas supply or a worn thermocouple can put the pilot out. Continuous flow units need power as well as gas, so a tripped circuit stops them too, and for LPG units Rheem’s first check is the gas bottle level. Heat pumps and solar systems usually have a booster for cold or cloudy days, and if the booster has failed, winter brings lukewarm water.
Water that is only warm at the bathroom taps, but hot at the system, often points to the tempering valve: the valve that mixes hot and cold so bathrooms get no more than 50°C. Rheem lists a faulty tempering valve as a cause of water not being hot enough, and it is the cause our plumbers record most on hot water repairs.
IS IT URGENT?
How serious is it?
| What you can see | How urgent | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No hot water, and you smell gas | Get out first | No flames or switches; call Jemena on 131 909 from outside |
| No hot water, and water leaking from the unit | Emergency | See leaking hot water system |
| No hot water with a baby, an elderly or unwell person at home, or on a cold night | Urgent: same day | Call us now |
| The breaker trips again as soon as you reset it | Urgent: today | Leave it off: an element or wiring fault needs checking |
| Hot water runs out sooner than it used to | Book it | Often an element, thermostat or a system too small for the household |
| Hot at the system, lukewarm at the taps | Book it | Often the tempering valve |
DO NOT
Don’t make it worse
- Don’t relight a pilot if you smell gas: get out and call Jemena on 131 909
- Don’t keep resetting a breaker that trips
- Don’t open up an electric unit’s covers: there is mains power behind them
- Don’t turn a gas storage thermostat below 60°C to save gas; Rheem says stored water must stay at 60°C or more
- Don’t run a kettle-and-bucket routine for days: it is a scald risk with children around, and the fault is usually quick to diagnose
WHY IT HAPPENED
The usual culprits
Faulty tempering valves (33 jobs) and faulty elements or thermostats (15 jobs) were the two causes our plumbers recorded most often on hot water repair jobs since 2019.
| Likely cause | Tell-tale signs | The usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tripped circuit or failed element | Electric unit cold, the breaker trips | Replace the element or thermostat; an electrician for wiring faults |
| Pilot out or worn thermocouple | Gas storage unit cold, the pilot won’t stay lit | Replace the thermocouple or gas control |
| Faulty tempering valve | Lukewarm at the bathroom taps, hot at the unit | Replace the valve |
| Off-peak run-out | Hot in the morning, cold by evening after heavy use | Check the tariff hours; a larger system or a boost option |
| Continuous flow fault | An error code on the controller, no ignition | Read the code; repair or replace the failed part |
| End of life | An older system with repeated faults, rust or leaks | Replacement, often the same day |
WHEN WE ARRIVE
What we do when we get there
1
Check the supply
Power, gas and water to the unit confirmed first, so we never replace parts that are fine.
2
Test the parts
Element, thermostat, ignition and tempering valve tested to find the one that failed.
3
Repair or replace?
A straight answer based on the unit’s age, condition and the cost of the part.
4
Fixed price first
You approve the price for the repair or the new system before we start.
5
Hot water back
Repairs on the spot from parts on the van where we can, or a new system, often the same day.
WHAT IT COSTS
What getting your hot water back costs
Most no-hot-water calls end in a repair rather than a new system. Half of our 107 priced hot water repairs since 2019 cost between $498 and $2,915, including GST, with a median of $1,210.
What moves it: which part failed, the brand and type of system, and access to the unit. If the system is beyond repair, hot water replacement sets out the options and prices.
$0 call-out Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 5:00pm. After hours a call-out fee of $199 to $399 applies, confirmed by text before we dispatch.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE
Who is responsible?
In NSW rentals, a failure or breakdown of the hot water service is an urgent repair. Report it straight away, in writing as well as by phone; if your agent can’t be reached, the urgent repair rules let you use the nominated tradesperson on your lease (tenants: what to do).
Landlords: an older system that fails in winter is the classic weekend call, and planning its replacement avoids it (landlords and property managers). In strata, a unit’s own system is usually the lot owner’s; a shared plant is the owners corporation’s.
INSURANCE
Will insurance pay for a dead system?
Usually not: a system that stops through age or a failed part is maintenance. Some policies include motor burnout cover for electric motors, which may extend to a heat pump compressor, so it is worth checking yours.
Either way, photograph the unit’s compliance plate, which shows its details and age; it answers the first question a landlord or insurer will ask. Insurance: how to claim
NEXT TIME
Prevent it next time
- Service the system as the maker recommends
- Most systems last about 8 to 10 years: plan ahead
- Check the relief valve and the pilot before winter
- If your system is near 10 years old, get a replacement quote before winter, not during a cold snap
- Know your off-peak hours, and spread big hot water loads like washing across the day
QUESTIONS
No hot water questions
WHAT TO DO RIGHT NOW
Other plumbing emergencies
MORE HELP
Emergency help
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