Leaking Hot Water Units
Warranties on hot water sytems vary depending on what system
you have - the actual hot water cylinder itself will have a warranty of
somewhere between five to ten years. Warranties on the electrics (thermostat and
element) and valves (pressure relief, duo valve, etc) are only 12 months. These
are manufacturers warranties and apply to all systems.
Having said that, the average life of a hot water unit is
around 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 unit 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 distressing than a leaking hot water
unit, particularly if the unit is located inside the home. There are only a
limited number of places that a hot water unit can leak from. The pressure and
temperature relief valve (ptr valve) is located near the top and to one side of
your hot water unit and will have a small lever on it. This lever should be
gently lifted 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 your valuable body parts out of the way!
After 10 seconds or so, gently let the lever back down and the
flow should 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 unit itself.
These valves do eventually wear out and will need to be replaced. If you notice
water running from the relief line on a continual 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 continually.
The second place a hot water unit can leak from is the element
gasket. The element will be near the bottom of the hot water unit 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 causing leakage. Obviously, leaks from this area should be treated as
a matter of some 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 electricicy do not mix and can make your hair curly. The unit usually
needs to be drained and the element removed to allow replacement of the gasket.
Sometimes the are 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 unit 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 isn't worth risking your life for the sake of a few
dollars.
The third 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 require replacement. If you think your unit requires
replacement don't hesitate to give us a call on (07) 5530 6333 for a competitive
replacement quotation and fast service. This truly is one situation where we
want to see you back in hot water as soon as possible!
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