The eight faults we see most across Hobart homes — what causes each one, and what actually fixes it.
Likely cause. On electric storage, one of two elements has failed, or the thermostat is set low or faulty. On gas, it can be a partially blocked burner. It may also simply be an undersized tank for the household.
Usual fix. Element and thermostat replacement is a single-visit repair. If the tank is undersized, sizing is corrected at replacement rather than patched.
Likely cause. A failed tempering valve. These valves have a limited service life and are the component that keeps bathroom outlets at a safe temperature.
Usual fix. Replace the tempering valve. This is a safety issue and should not be deferred, particularly in homes with children or elderly residents.
Likely cause. Either a valve or fitting leaking, or the cylinder itself corroding through. The PTR valve releasing a small amount of water during heating is normal; a constant drip is not.
Usual fix. Valve and pipework leaks are repaired. A leaking cylinder cannot be repaired and the system needs replacing.
Likely cause. Sediment build-up on the tank floor, or scale on the element. Water heats beneath the sediment layer and thumps as steam escapes.
Usual fix. Flushing and element replacement helps on younger tanks. On an older system the noise usually signals the tank is nearing the end of its life.
Likely cause. Internal corrosion, generally because the sacrificial anode is spent. Only affecting the hot tap confirms it is the system rather than the mains supply.
Usual fix. Anode replacement can extend life if caught early. If the water is heavily discoloured the cylinder is usually too far gone.
Likely cause. A failing thermocouple, a dirty pilot assembly, a draught reaching the burner compartment, or a gas valve fault.
Usual fix. Clean or replace the thermocouple and pilot assembly. Repeat failures after that point to the gas control valve.
Likely cause. A failed lower element making the upper element work continuously, heavy scale, poor insulation on an older tank, or a heat pump running on boost.
Usual fix. Diagnose the cause first. Where an ageing system is simply inefficient, a heat pump upgrade often pays for itself over time.
Likely cause. Known as "cold water sandwich" — usually caused by low flow rates, a clogged inlet filter, or an undersized unit for simultaneous outlets.
Usual fix. Clean the filter, verify flow and gas supply, and check the unit is correctly sized for the number of outlets in use.
Opening a thermostat cover, testing an element, touching gas components or working on a heat pump's sealed circuit is licensed work in Tasmania and genuinely dangerous to attempt. So is replacing a PTR or tempering valve — both are safety devices under pressure.
Elements, thermostats and the sacrificial anode account for most faults. Homes on a controlled off-peak tariff — still common in New Town, Moonah and Glenorchy — reheat overnight, so a failure is usually discovered the next morning.
Pilot outages, thermocouples and gas control valves dominate. Outdoor tanks on exposed Eastern Shore and coastal Kingston blocks lose pilots to wind more often than most people expect.
Faults present as error codes rather than symptoms. Low flow through a clogged inlet filter is the most common underlying cause, and winter frost damage is a real risk if the unit is left unpowered.
Restricted airflow and quiet fallback to the boost element are the two to watch — the second shows up on your power bill rather than in your shower.
If you have no hot water at all, work through the no hot water troubleshooting guide first. If the system is old and faults are stacking up, the repair or replace guide will help you decide, and the hot water repairs page explains how a repair visit runs. If water is escaping right now, treat it as an emergency callout.
Answer a couple of quick questions so we can get your hot water sorted.
Prefer to speak now? Call (03) 6292 6093
A small discharge during the heating cycle is normal and expected. A constant drip is not — it usually means the valve has failed or the mains pressure is too high, and it wastes a surprising amount of water.
Storage tanks benefit from an anode and PTR valve check every few years. Some continuous flow and heat pump warranties require annual servicing, so check the manufacturer's conditions for your model.
Southern Tasmanian water is relatively soft compared with much of mainland Australia, so scale is less aggressive here — but sediment still builds up in storage tanks over years of use.
In Tasmanian conditions, electric and gas storage tanks commonly reach 8–12 years, stainless cylinders longer, continuous flow units 15–20 years and heat pumps around 10–15. Anode and relief valve maintenance is the single biggest influence on how far a storage tank gets.
Power at the switchboard, gas supply, error codes, damp ground under the tank, and whether isolation valves are open. Everything internal — elements, thermostats, gas components, relief and tempering valves, heat pump refrigerant circuits — is licensed work in Tasmania.
If the checks above haven't solved it, the fault is inside the system. We'll diagnose it on site, tell you exactly what has failed, and explain the options — repair or replacement — with a price before any work begins.
Servicing Hobart, Glenorchy, Moonah, New Town, Sandy Bay, Kingston, the Eastern Shore and Southern Tasmania.
Tell us the symptom and your system type — we'll diagnose it properly.
