Hot water in Joondalup and the northern suburbs: repair, replace or upgrade?

Nobody thinks about the hot water system until it stops working, usually first thing on a cold morning. If you live in Joondalup, Yanchep, Two Rocks or anywhere in the northern suburbs, it’s worth knowing why hot water systems up here have a tough life, and what your options are when yours is on the way out.

Why hard water is hard on hot water systems

Perth’s water typically carries 180 to 220 mg/L of calcium and magnesium, and some northern suburbs, including Neerabup, Two Rocks and Yanchep, sit above 200 mg/L. When that water is heated, the minerals drop out as scale.

In a hot water system, scale builds up where you can’t see it. Over time it can:

• increase energy use by 15 to 30%, because the unit has to work harder to heat the water
• halve the life of the system, so it needs replacing sooner than it should.

It’s the same white crust you see on the shower screen, just inside your hot water unit.

Repair, replace or upgrade?

Every system is different, so the honest answer is that it depends on the age and condition of your unit. Here’s how we think about it.

Servicing. If your system is in reasonable shape, a service helps keep it running. We service hot water units as well as replacing them.

Replacement. If the unit has failed, or it’s old and on its way out, we can replace it, often on the same day. Nobody wants to go without hot water for long.

Upgrade. If your old unit still works but is inefficient, it may be time to move to a modern, energy-efficient system. That gives you consistent hot water and can lower your running costs. We’ve upgraded old electric storage units, and we install heat pump systems too.

If you’re not sure which camp you’re in, call us. We’ll look at what you’ve got and give you a straight answer, not a sales pitch.

What a replacement looks like

The photos below are from real hot water jobs. A typical replacement means isolating and disconnecting the old unit, setting the new one in place, and connecting it with new pipework. In one of these jobs, the new cylinder went in with fresh insulated pipework beside a brick wall.

All hot water work is done by a licensed plumber (PL 11119), so it’s connected safely and properly.

Protect your new system from scale

A new hot water system is a decent investment, and Perth’s hard water will start working on it from day one. The best protection is to deal with the water before it gets there.

A whole-house filtration system with a softener treats all the water as it comes into the house: the filter takes out chlorine and sediment, and the softener removes the calcium and magnesium that cause scale. That helps protect the hot water system, along with the washing machine, dishwasher, kettle and taps.

If you’re replacing your hot water anyway, it’s a good time to ask about filtration and softening in the same visit.

More than hot water

Seaside specialises in water filtration, and we’re licensed plumbers for everyday jobs too: toilets, tapware and fixtures, and leaks and emergency repairs.

Book a hot water job

We cover Joondalup, Neerabup, Yanchep, Two Rocks, Moore River and the northern suburbs in between. Read more about hot water services, or get a free quote. If your hot water has stopped, call Sean on 0424 999 002 about a same-day replacement.