[Case Study] – Electric Hot Water Repairs Mt Barker

The majority of residents who call Mt Barker home today will be on electricity for hot water in the Adelaide Hills.  With the further developments of Aston Hills and Blue Stone in Mount Barker home owners will have the opportunity to have their hot water service connected to LPG.  When we think of LPG most people think they will need to have bottles installed outside there building, but in these new estates of Mt Barker the estates have large LPG vessels onsite which delivers piped Propane Gas to the houses in these new estates. We were recently called out to the older part of Mount Barker to help a customer with a report of no hot water.  They have a Rheem 250L electric water system which was installed in 2017 and it is currently only delivering warm water. Upon arrival to site, we found that the hot water service was connected to off peak electricity and the circuit breaker to the electric hot water service had tripped.  We then proceeded to remove the cover plate which houses the heating element and thermostat.  Through using our multi meter we could run a series of test across the element and thermostat to perform the fault-finding procedure.

What are the Options for Repairs on an Electric Hot Water Service

In the Adelaide Hills we expect an electrical hot water service to last approximately 10 to 12 years.  Considering this Rheem 250 litre hot water service was 6 years old we would suggest repairs to this hot water service.  A new 250 litre hot water service supplied and installed is typically $2,500 inc GST (this price will vary depending on valves and fittings required) and a repair which will involve the replacement of the heating element and thermostat will be around $550 inc GST.

How to Repair an Electric Hot Water Service Without Draining the Entire Tank

Most people think that when they must have their hot water tank repaired that it will need the entire tank to be drained!  If you use an expert hot water plumber such as Mayfair Plumbing, we will repair your hot water service while only losing a few litres of water from the tank. The trick is to maintain a vacuum seal inside the tank.  To do this, we firstly isolate the water to the tank either via the duo valve or via the water meter for the house.  Then we release the water pressure to the tank.  The next step is to make sure the power supply is safely disconnected.  We then get the new heating element out of its bag and ready to go including the new rubber water sealing grommet.  The next step is to then remove the four hex bolts from the heating element.  While removing the element a small amount of water will slowly gulp out of the tank, we then quickly insert then element and proceed to insert the four hex bolts.

Testing the Operation of the Repairs

Once the heating element has been replaced, we then replace the thermostat as well during the repairs process.  Once both components have been renewed its time to reinstate the water to the storage vessel and test the seal for the element.  Once this is confirmed as tight and no leaks, we can then boost the electrical circuit and test the operation of the new parts we have installed. To test the correct operation of the repairs to this electrical hot water service we use a Fluke multi meter.  We can firstly confirm that the system is getting electricity which will show use in the region of 230 to 240 volts to the unit and then check that the element is pulling power and reading around 13 to 15 amps.  A 250-litre hot water service such as this will be on either a 16amp or 20amp circuit breaker.  If a new hot water service is required to be installed today it will now need an isolation switch installed locally and the circuit which the hot water service is on now needs to be protected.

Mount Barker Hot Water Experts

Mayfair Plumbing are well known in the Adelaide Hills for repairing hot water services and replacements typically on the same day.  We carry all the common parts and our warehouse stocks all the common brands and makes of heaters to get you back in hot water fast.  Do you know we also offer emergency plumbers in the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula for plumbing jobs which require a fast response 24 hours a day and 7 days of the week.  Call Mayfair Plumbing today on 0429361819 experts in all things hot water in South Australia.