Leaking Hot Water Cylinder
Leaks can be annoyingly painful, and they always tend to happen at the wrong time!
This post will help you determine where the leak may be coming from and what perhaps caused your hot water cylinder to leak as well.
Whether or not you hire Cylinder Direct to help with your cylinder repairs and hot water cylinder problems. You will save a tremendous amount of time and money in repairing and replacing hot water cylinder NZ. Just by asking the right questions and providing the correct type of information.
Cause Number One: External Forces
External damage could be the reason why your hot water cylinder is leaking. However, it is unlikely that your hot water cylinder is leaking from wear and tear if your hot water system is relatively new (seven years or less).
So, you may want to ask yourself some questions such as:
- Has any work happened at my place, such as any renovation work etc.?
- Did I repair or replace any plumbing fixtures? This includes things like installing a new tap or replacing a shower. Such upgrades can sometimes cause leaks to your hot water system. Our qualified plumbing and gasfitters team can help quickly identify the actual cause through a thorough elimination process.
- Has your local council done any upgrades? Watercare can usually upgrade the public water mains creating more pressure on private property. This introduction of more pressure can result in a leak within your hot water cylinder.
- Do you use your hot water cupboard often to store items and to dry your laundry? If so, the pipework could have been knocked, causing a loose connection. If this is the cause, please do not attempt to fix this issue yourself. As the pressure may cause the fitting to come off and become challenging to isolate, flooding will also occur.
On the bright side, most hot water cylinders leaks are repairable, saving you on costs. The timing of these hot water cylinder problems is crucial. If you quickly pinpoint or think that any of the external forces above may be the cause, please inform us during the booking time.
Cause Number Two: Electrical Repairs or Element Replacements
The immersion element and/or the thermostat will need replacing by a qualified electrician or a Limited Electrical License holder, e.g. a plumber, if the immersion element is impaired due to age, electrical failure, etc.
Here are some things you need to be aware of when this happens:
- Your tank has been experiencing pressure for a long time. This pressure has been steady. However, when the element gets replaced, the tank will “decompress.” Resulting in all the components moving internally along with the welded seam. Usually, hot water cylinders that have not had any issues before the decompression will begin to leak once the hot water cylinder undergoes repressurisation. Under certain situations, this expansion and contraction have more than enough power to break a welded seam.
We suggest all our customers think cautiously about an investment that may need a full replacement in a couple of months. Generally, we suggest you may be better off investing in a new hot water cylinder system than repairing one that equals a third of the total cost. For more information, view our leaking hot water cylinder section.
- After replacing the elements, if you discover a leak in the element’s vicinity. It is probably because the element seals were not accurately installed or could be potentially faulty. This information is helpful if you have had your element replace and have detected a leak.
- Ensure that your contractor changes the element with an equal wattage.
Cause Number Three: The Age of Your Hot Water Cylinder
If your hot water cylinder has a leak and is ageing, we suggest you save any money you thought of spending on an investigation or repair. Our books show that 2 out of 10 repaired hot water cylinders become replaced within three months of getting repaired, having completed many installations to date. This is, however, dependent on the fault, cylinder, and environment. Though, in most situations, a plumbing company will charge you a fee to try and identify and/or repair if you agree to it. It’s good to ensure you will not get charged before they send out a technician.
It is important to note that repairing an old cylinder, including replacing the element, may cause unforeseen extra damage. Elements threads can usually seize up, and a big amount of force can crack the internal tank. Low-pressure hot water cylinders are made out of copper, which is a somewhat soft material. Hence, a leak can easily occur even from the smallest amount of force.
Cause Number Four: Watercare & Council Watermain Upgrades
If you can spot road works from your house, likely, your home will likely be affected. Especially if you identified a leak during or after these works were completed and you didn’t have the proper protection in place. Such as a pressure reducing or limiting valve which controls your incoming pressure.
A rise in water pressure may lead to:
- Safety valves dispensing water suddenly
- Overflow of open vents
- Burst hot water cylinders
To add to the problem, debris can often find its way into households creating more issues. For instance, hot water fluctuation or blockages on valves such as toilet inlet vales and hot water system valves. If you are thinking of installing a pressure reducing valve, we suggest installing a strainer that will remove any debris from getting into your house.
The above is just a shortlist of the common causes of a hot water cylinder leak. We have come across many leak causes that have not been included in this post as they are infrequent.
If you have a leaking hot water cylinder NZ or are unsure what may have caused your hot water cylinder to leak. Get in touch with us for a call and speak with our highly trained hot water cylinder specialists.
We are pretty confident that we can help you out, as in most cases, we can identify the cause of the leak over the phone for no cost. In 80% of the time, we can also provide you with the repair/replacement costs quickly. Cylinder Direct is New Zealand’s top hot water cylinder specialists who are available to assist you on a 24/7 basis.
