Vlog

While we know how important it is to have hot water in our homes and offices, the hot water system is often taken for granted or treated as a set and forget item. It’s only when they break down or stop working for whatever reason do we need to take quick action to remedy the situation.

You Don’t Always Have to Simply Replace Your Hot Water System

It seems to be trending now to simply call to get a quote for a replacement where in the past many sought for repairs. In many cases with a little TLC, the hot water system can easily be repaired. This not only has the potential of saving our customers a lot money, replacing a whole unit also means that an old unit needs to be disposed of which for the environmentally conscious knows that not all components are recyclable let alone is there a guarantee that the old system will be disposed of responsibly.

Determining Whether to Service or Replace Your Hot Water System

Eventually all hot water systems will reach the end of a good run but here are some main points and scenarios to consider when determining whether to service or replace your hot water unit.

The Hot Water Isn’t Hot Anymore

Your hot water might be luke warm or water goes hot and cold indicating that the hot water system is on its way out. This is quite a common problem and quite often does not need a full replacement. When this occurs, it could simply be the heating element or a thermostat issue. Either fixing or replacing these components would save the cost of replacing the whole system.

How Old is your Hot Water System?

A hot water system does not need to be replaced just because it’s out of warranty. Hot water systems are a commodity that is made to last even in our modern disposable world. We expect that in general a hot water system should last at least 10 years (for a reputable brand). If your hot water system has reached 20 years then it may be time for a replacement.

The Hot Water System Makes Strange Sounds

If you have noticed some clanging sounds or hissing sounds, it could be the pipes or the hot water system. A common problem when you hear hissing could be a faulty relief valve. Quite often relief valves are not tested regularly and while they can generally last a few years without any issues, if they have discharged there is the potential of debris stopping the valve from fully closing. A repair or service in this instance is a far cheaper option than replacing the whole hot water system.

Other Considerations when Replacing Hot Water Systems

If it is the case that you have to replace or are weighing up whether to fix or replace then there are few more things to consider.

Compliance

As our building standards have changed over the years, especially in older dwellings, where a hot water system currently sits in your home might no longer be permitted. A plumber or any installer would not be allowed to replace if the location breaches the code which means finding a new location and potentially extra plumbing work required.

Electric, Gas or Solar?

If you are planning on changing from one heating method to another, you may need to consider additional works required. For example, is another power point required which might require electrical work? Does the hot water system fit or will it work where the old unit currently sits? Some systems need to be placed outdoors where some systems also function indoors. For Solar, if you live in a strata property, does installing a solar hot water system on your roof also require strata approval?

Running Costs

There is a benefit of replacing your hot water system. A replacement can mean optimising your running costs. Consider your preferred heating method as well as how much hot water you really need. If you have a small place, you do not necessarily need the largest unit which will cost more to keep running. If you have a family or often have visitors then a small hot water system while cheaper to install might not accommodate your needs causing frustrations when you run out of hot water.

The Importance of a Fully Qualified and Experienced Plumber

In any industry whether it’s for hot water systems, air conditioners, refrigerators, televisions and stereos just to name a few, there are many people selling these household items with their technicians ready to install when the item is sold. In our industry we have noticed that many are trained to install a brand new hot water system but may lack the training, skills and experience to repair so when they are called out by a customer it’s really just to consider replacing with a new system.

The trusted team at Plumbdog specialise in both Hot Water System Repairs and Replacements so whether you need some simple repair work, you’re looking for a whole new system or aren’t sure what’s best for your home give us a whistle!

• Join our professional plumber on the job and learn how you could identify a water leak at your property.
• You might have a water leak at your home and not even know it.
• Leaking pipes waste our valuable water resources
• Water leaks cost you money!

Whether you are a homeowner, landlord or tenant, a water leak will affect you in many ways with the most obvious being a waste of water which also results in a waste of your hard-earned money.

Signs of a Water Leak

There are some usual signs of a water bill. In some instances the leak is big enough that you can hear it whether it’s coming from outside of the house or from inside the walls. In some circumstances, the symptoms might be a little bit more subtle. For instance, many people discover a water leak when the paint on the wall (often near the bathroom) starts peeling or mold starts growing.

In the video, we were called out because it became noticeable on the water bill when the owners noticed the bills were simply getting more and more expensive with very normal water usage. That’s when we were called in for our specialities in water leak detection.

Some Pro Tips from the Video

Isolating hot water from cold water can help you determine where the problem lies. If the problem lies in the hot water line, you can simply cut off hot water in the meantime and still have water running in the house.

While specialised leak detection equipment is very handy to have, in this particular scenario, you our experienced plumber was able to detect the leak without having to rely on electronic water leak detection gear.

Important Tips

In the event that you are able to identify the water leak, make sure to be careful when either trying to reach the problem area.

If you are trying to fix the problem, be careful not to cause damage to other unaffected areas. An incorrect bend or pull on the pipes may cause a domino effect to other areas which would otherwise be in perfect condition.

If you do not consider yourself a home handy person and are not comfortable with tools then please call a professional to handle the job. Getting the job done right the first time saves from future potential problems whether from attempting to repair or not repairing correctly.

A professional and licensed plumber is also insured for the job. In the unlikely event of personal or property damage, the professional plumber is insured saving you unnecessary expenses. It’s bad enough if your property was to get damaged, imagine if you injured yourself trying to fix a pipe and had to spend time recovering and rehabilitating.

“It’s time to do what a plumber does best. Start Digging!”

We hope you enjoyed the video. Not only does it give some great pointers on how to detect a water leak, it also gives an insight into a day in the life of one of our plumbdogs!.

Don’t forget if you are not sure, leave it to a trusted professional plumber. It will definitely save you the time and effort as well as any potential damage to your home. It would be even worse if you injured yourself in the process.

• Our professional Plumbdog Plumber on the job shares with us a day in the life of a leak detection and repair job.
• Water leaks cost households bucket-loads of money every year
• Darius makes this job look so easy where others couldn’t find the leak
• In some cases it is easy to know that you have a water leak. There may be a leaking sound or you may find water where there shouldn’t be. For some of our unfortunate customers, they usually suspect a water leak after the event when the water bill comes and looks somewhat excessive. With our years of plumbing experience, we’ve seen it all.

Darius is one of our main plumbers and has a great reputation in the area. He’s also a little bit modest. At the beginning of the video he mentions that it wasn’t too hard to find the leak but did you catch that he also said that others were called out before him who couldn’t find the leak? He’s definitely one of our goto guys and you’ll see so many great reviews saying what a great job he’s done so who best to take us on a ride along on a job.

Specialised Leak Detection Equipment

Not only is Darius extremely skilled and great at his job, the use of electronic water leak detection equipment together with his years of experience means that he was able to detect the problem area quickly saving time and money.

Fixing the Leak Properly

Not only do we find the leak, we also fix it all in one visit. Would you believe there are others that might provide a leak detection service but do not offer and do not have the ability to fix the leak? We’ve also seen advertisements claiming to be specialists where they either simply do not have the equipment or subcontract out the work. Imagine having to call out two separate specialists to finish the job. It’ll just waste time and money. In the video, Darius describes what he does so that the problem is fixed now just for the short term but so that this shouldn’t cause a problem again in the long run.

Benefits of Leak Detection Specialists

There are some instances where the leak is obvious and you don’t even need to be a plumber to know where the problem is. Like any profession, there are specialists in the field for different jobs in the industry. A general plumber may be great for general plumbing. When it comes to leak detection, if they are able to detect the leak, are they able to fix it properly to last? Or will it be a simple bandaid or patch job where the problem will continue over and over again?

Using a specialist could save you money in the long run. Firstly, you won’t need to call out multiple plumbers which multiple callouts could mean money down the drain (excuse the pun). Especially when they can’t find the problem. Then when the problem is found, you also want to make sure the problem is fixed properly to last. It would be such a waste if you had to call someone in to fix the problem again in the near future.

If you’re in the Perth area and suspect a water leak, you can do a simple check at the mains which you would know to from watching our videos. If you have identified a water leak or just aren’t sure, give us a whistle!  

• Water Leak Detection
• Our Skilled Plumbdog Plumber Finds & Fixes a Water Leak
• Water leaks waste water & money and potentially cause damage to surrounding areas
• This water leak problem could have quite easily been avoided.

Water leaks waste so much water and money for home occupiers. There are various reasons why leaks occur from natural land movement to tree roots but on occasion leaking pipes are a result of work that has not been done properly to last.

The Video

Our experienced and skilled Richard from Plumbdog South Perth was called out to the job because of high water bills and the owners could hear water running around the house. Over the years, we have definitely become the experts in our field when it comes to water leak detection.

Pro Tip: Isolate the Hot Water Line

If you’ve been watching our videos, you’ll probably notice one of the first things to do is to isolate the hot waterline. Isolating the hot water line breaks it down for you to determine whether the problem exists on the hot water or cold water line. In this instance, it made it easy to determine that the water leak was on the hot water line. Even better, we get to use our specialised infrared equipment to help detect the leak.

How The Water Leak Could Have Been Avoided

As explained in the video, on a normal job it is important to keep the rubble away. We found rubble while digging up the sand surrounding the damaged pipe and to further add to the cause, the pipe was left directly exposed when being covered back up after a welding job. Why would you do that? If you’ve started a job, then don’t be lazy and finish it properly.

Fixing the Leaking Pipe Properly

Who would have known that plumbers would need to be skilled in digging, welding and all sorts of wonderful things? After welding the pipe properly, checking the welding and then testing that the problem has been fixed, rather than simply covering the hole back up leaving the pipe exposed, the pipe is properly wrapped up and then the hole is backfilled but with just the sand without the rubble which will stop the same problem from occurring again.

Benefit of Using Licensed Plumber

As you can see towards the end of the video, our licensed plumber has completed a leak loss report for the Water Corporation which confirms that the leak repair has been carried out by a licensed plumber. This allows the customer to send the report to the water corp to seek a deduction for lost water off their bill.

Not only does using a good licensed plumber mean getting the job done right, you could even get some money back.

Plumbdog Water Leak Detection Experts

We pride ourselves in top quality work with the ability to detect and fix water leak issues. Our vans are fully stocked with the latest equipment and our plumbers need to be highly qualified and skilled to be called a Plumbdog.

If you’re in Perth and surrounding areas and need someone local who specialises in leak detection, give us a whistle!