Most of us don’t know much about our hot water systems because while they’re working, we barely have to think of them.

However, they can occasionally stop working. If this happens, it can pay to have some background knowledge ahead of time, so if anything goes wrong we can help you out as quickly as possible. 

Locate your hot water system

When living in a house, most hot water systems are placed outside the property, usually to the side. They can also be found inside the house inside utility closets. Some electric hot water systems can be found inside the property attached to a wall.

If you live in a block of units, sometimes there are bulk hot water system units. This is where there is one central unit, but with separate meters for each property. It’s a good idea to check with your property manager or body corporate manager whether you have a communal or individual hot water system.

What to check – gas hot water system

• Smell for a gas leak - there may be a larger issue than just your hot water system. A gas leak can mean that there is a problem elsewhere in the property. If you think there is a leak it is important to turn the gas off to the entire property and set up an urgent maintenance request in Bricks + Agent.
• Check if the gas in the rest of the house is working - if all gas in the property isn’t working, it may not be an issue with the hot water system, it could be a gas problem.
• Check for a water leak from the unit - try to identify exactly where the leak is coming from. It could be the tank or the pipes, or there could be a leak elsewhere in your property that may affect the unit. A leak may turn into a burst hot water system, which can flood the property, so it is important to catch this before it gets worse.
• Check if the pilot light has gone out - the pilot light is a small flame that ignites the gas burner on your water heater.

 What to check – electric hot water system

• Safety first - before you attempt anything, make sure the power is off to the unit. You can do this by turning off the fuse or circuit breaker connected to the heater unit.
• Check if your electricity is working in the rest of the house or if the power issue is isolated to the hot water system - there may be a larger power issue if the rest of the house has no power
• Check to see if electricity is being delivered to the unit - Check the main switch on the water heater and the circuit breaker (or fuse) that serves the water heater.

NOTE - If the circuit breaker has tripped, and you feel comfortable doing so, you can  reset it by flipping the main switch all the way to OFF and then back to ON, however, it can be best to wait for an expert to do this. Please note that resetting an electric unit can take up to 24 hours to re heat.

After you have tried to identify the issue, lodge a maintenance request in Bricks + Agent and your property manager will organise a technician to attend your property.

Not having hot water in your property is considered urgent maintenance, and we will arrange someone to attend as quickly as possible.