Most mains pressure (steel vitreous enamel) cylinders usually last between 15-25 years. Low-pressure copper H.W.C's have a wider range of about 10-30 years. There is no way to predict how long your HWC will last but 20 years would be an average life span for a H.W.C.

Usually, a hot water cylinder only requires replacing when it is leaking from the internal tank.
This is when there is water all around the base and you cannot see it leaking from the attached piping or element.
When a HWC reaches the 15 year mark it is a good time to consider replacing rather then spending large amounts of money to repair it. At 20 years old our recommendation is to replace over spending any money.

Always call Vector first and check there is no issues with the hot water power supply for your property. Failing this being an issue there are many other reasons why you would not have hot water. Commonly a blown Hot Water heating element or thermostat is the issue if there is power to the HWC.  At Hot Water Plumbing we are Plumbing, Gas and Limited Electrically Certified so can carry out any repairs to standard electric HWC.

Always check the power supply first, If the unit has no power it will not work. If power is there then the unit will likly need servicing or replacing. At over 10-15 years of age (Depending on the brand of unit and usage) replacement is recommended. If your unsure of the age we can maybe help just email us a photo or 2. Note: we do not service gas appliances this is better left for the service agents with more experience.

A tempering valve mixes hot and cold water to deliver it at a safe temperature. Without a tempering valve, the water stored in the tank is delivered to the taps at the same temperature stored inside the HWC,(This should be a minimum of 60 degrees C). The Maximum allowed temperature to bathrooms in NZ is 50 degrees C. With a tempering valve the water in the tank can be stored at a higher temperature as it is mixed with cold water inside the tempering valve before being delivered to the hot tap. This provides a greater volume of safe hot water (Over the cylinder being set at 50 degrees C). Note: Under 60 degrees Legionella bacteria can grow inside hot water storage systems!

This is normal and allows for the expansion of the water inside the tank when it is heating up. If it is always dripping you have a valving problem the needs addressing. 

This is usually an issue with the pressure valve/s or the expansion valve/s and needs investigating and fixing. If its only dripping some of the time this is normal and allows for expansion of the water inside the tank as it is heating.

Electric water heating is around 30% of the average power bill.  When thinking of saving money there is a lot to consider i.e. current and future usage, longevity, and how long you expect to be in the property.  With Hot Water Plumbing we give you advice and can discuss options that will leave you confident you have made the right choice.

Traditionally the answer is yes but with gas prices rising more than electricity the gap has really closed. We believe there is still savings in some instances especially low hot water use as you are not paying to store the hot water. You do need to take into consideration the rental on the bottles or gas meter, Hassle of calling and have the gas bottles swapped if on bottled gas, and the extra installation cost from a traditional electric storage water heater. You can always add a P.V solar system to an electric hot water system making it much more efficient, but you cannot do this with an instant gas water heating system. Gas can also be good for high usage as it often works out cheaper then installing a very large H.W.C.

Email us your suggestion and well add it here.

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