Hot water repairs and replacement in Melbourne

If you smell gas

Energy Safe Victoria's advice: turn the gas off at the meter (or at the cylinder for LP gas) if it's safe to, put out any flames, don't touch electrical switches, open doors and windows, and keep people away. Then call the emergency number on your gas bill. The gas networks' leak lines are Multinet Gas (132 691), Australian Gas Networks (1800 427 532) and AusNet Services (13 67 07); your bill says which network you're on. For a fire or other emergency, call 000.

What to tell the plumber

The label on the unit tells a plumber most of what they need: the brand, model, type and often the year. Take a photo of it. Then describe what's happening, and since when.

• Type: gas or electric storage tank, continuous flow (instantaneous), solar or heat pump
• No hot water at all, lukewarm water, or hot water that runs out quickly
• Water leaking from the tank, the pipes or the relief valve
• Any error code on the display, or a pilot light that won't stay lit
• Where it is: outside wall, roof, cupboard or under the house, and how easy it is to reach

Repair or replace?

Some faults are a part: a thermostat, element, valve or igniter. Others are the system itself. Ask the plumber which it is, what the repair would cost, and how that compares with replacing the unit, given its age.

If it's replacement, give yourself time to compare options if you can. A cold shower makes any quote look good, and the rules and rebates below can change what's worth installing.

From 1 March 2027: replacing gas hot water

Solar Victoria says that from 1 March 2027, existing homes must upgrade gas hot water systems with an efficient electric alternative, like a heat pump, as they reach the end of their life. If you're weighing up a repair against a replacement from 2027, ask the plumber how the rule applies to your system, and check the current details with Solar Victoria.

Rebates and discounts

Solar Victoria's hot water rebate pays part of the price of an eligible heat pump or solar hot water system. Its conditions include being the owner-occupier of an existing home, a combined household taxable income under $150,000, a property valued under $3 million, and replacing a system at least three years old. It has to be bought from an authorised retailer, and rebates are offered in releases with a limited number in each, so check what's available before you sign.

The Victorian Energy Upgrades program offers discounts on approved hot water systems through accredited providers. Under that program, products can't be installed for free (there's a minimum customer contribution) and heat pump systems need at least a five-year warranty. Check that the product is on the approved list.

Water temperature and safety

Hot water has to be stored above 60°C to stop bacteria such as Legionella growing, but it shouldn't reach a bathroom tap or shower above 50°C, because it scalds. A tempering valve mixes the water down to a safe temperature on its way out.

Systems installed before 5 August 1998 are unlikely to have one. If yours doesn't, or you have young children, ask a licensed or registered plumber about a tempering or thermostatic mixing valve when the system is serviced or replaced.

Who does what, and the paperwork

The water connections are plumbing, so a registered or licensed plumber does them. Gas connections need a licensed gasfitter, and electrical connections a licensed electrician. Some plumbers also hold a gasfitting licence or registration; the Building and Plumbing Commission's register shows what each person holds.

For installing or replacing a gas appliance, and for any plumbing work worth more than $750, a licensed plumber must give you a compliance certificate within five days. Electrical work on a hot water service needs a Certificate of Electrical Safety, which the electrician must give you within 30 days.

Renting?

A hot water service that isn't working is an urgent repair in a Victorian rental. From 1 March 2027, a rental's system that fails and can't be repaired must be replaced with an efficient heat pump or electric-boosted solar system: see rental energy standards. Tell your rental provider or agent straight away; if you've told them and they haven't responded promptly, you can arrange the repair yourself, up to $2,500, and claim it back.

Offers at the door or on the phone

If a seller comes to your door uninvited and you agree to a deal worth more than $100, you have 10 business days to change your mind, and during that time the seller can't take payment or start the work. A “free” heat pump offer isn't a Victorian Energy Upgrades discount, because those products can't be installed free of charge.

Example brief

“No hot water since this morning. Gas storage system on the outside wall, about 12 years old; the pilot light won't stay lit and there's no water around the base. House in Bentleigh, owner-occupied. Please quote a call-out to diagnose it, and if it needs replacing, a quote for an electric heat pump as well.”

Before booking a hot water plumber

• A photo of the unit's label
• Repair priced against replacement
• How the 2027 gas rule applies, if it's gas
• Rebate eligibility checked before you sign
• A tempering valve for bathroom outlets
• Compliance certificate, and electrical certificate if wiring changes

Ready to describe it? Start a job request or browse plumbing jobs. To check a plumber or gasfitter, see how to check a tradie's licence. Availability depends on real postings, and registration must be enabled to submit.