Hot Water Services Wollongong and the Illawarra

CS Plumbing & Drainage Services repairs, replaces and installs hot water systems in Wollongong and across the Illawarra. We work on electric, gas, solar, heat pump and instantaneous systems, we carry the common parts on the van, and a hot water system that has failed can often be replaced on the same day. There is no call out fee. Owner Sandro Contarin has been a licensed plumber since 1992, and our NSW contractor licence number is 39901C. Call 0416 101 022 to book a hot water plumber.

Here is what we check when your hot water stops working, and how to choose a new system if you need one.

Hot Water Repairs in Wollongong

No hot water, water that only gets lukewarm, a tank leaking across the laundry floor or a power bill that has crept up for no clear reason usually means the hot water system needs attention. Many of these faults can be repaired without buying a new system. A worn heating element, a faulty thermostat and a leaking pressure relief valve are all common repairs that can add years to a system’s life.

We repair electric, gas, solar and heat pump hot water systems, and we are licensed for the gas fitting side of a gas hot water repair. If your system is running but the water is not getting hot, our guide to a hot water system not heating explains the common causes. We also service storage tank systems, including the anode check that coastal homes need, which is covered further down this page.

Should You Repair or Replace Your Hot Water System?

Repair the system if the fault is a part such as an element, a thermostat or a valve and the tank itself is sound. Replacement usually makes more financial sense if the system is more than 10 to 12 years old, is breaking down more often, or the tank itself is rusting, because repeated repairs on an old tank rarely last.

We explain what we recommend and why. If a repair will give you a few more good years, we will say so, and if you are better off putting the money toward a new system, we will say that too.

Hot Water Systems We Install in Wollongong

The right system depends on your household size, your roof space, whether you have a gas connection, and whether you would rather spend less upfront or save more on running costs over time. These are the systems we install across Wollongong and the Illawarra:

• Electric storage hot water: the most common system in older Illawarra homes, with an insulated tank heated by one or two elements. It is cheap to buy and reliable, but it is usually the most expensive system to run unless you are on a controlled load tariff.
• Gas hot water: gas storage tanks and gas continuous flow units, popular in homes with a gas connection. We install and repair both.
• Instantaneous hot water: a continuous flow unit heats water only while a tap is running, so there is no tank to keep hot and you do not run out in the middle of a shower.
• Heat pump hot water: a heat pump pulls warmth from the surrounding air to heat the water in its tank, which makes it much cheaper to run than electric storage.
• Solar hot water: roof collectors do most of the heating, with an electric or gas booster for overcast days. Solar has the highest upfront cost and the lowest running cost, so we check your roof orientation and how much hot water your household uses before recommending it.

If you want boiling water from a tap in the kitchen rather than hot water for the whole house, see our instant boiling water systems page.

Heat Pump Hot Water Systems and the NSW Government Discount

A heat pump pulls warmth from the surrounding air and uses it to heat the water stored in its tank. Because it does not create the heat from scratch, it uses far less electricity than a standard electric storage system, and the NSW Government says a heat pump water heater can cut your hot water energy use by up to 75% (NSW Climate and Energy Action: heat pump water heaters). If you are replacing an old electric tank, a heat pump is usually the best upgrade available.

The NSW Government’s Energy Savings Scheme offers a discount on eligible heat pump and solar hot water systems. It is not a rebate paid to you afterwards: installers who offer the incentive take the discount off the quote (NSW Climate and Energy Action: hot water upgrade incentive). The NSW Government also says the installation must be done by a licensed plumber, a licensed electrician or both, for the system to be safe, compliant and eligible for incentives. Our heat pump installation page covers heat pump systems in more detail.

Hot Water System Replacement Rules in NSW

In NSW, you need a licence to do any plumbing work, whatever the cost of the work and whether the property is residential, commercial or industrial (NSW Government: plumbing, draining and gasfitting work). Replacing a hot water system is plumbing work, so it needs a licensed plumber.

When a hot water system is replaced, a temperature control device, which is a tempering valve or a thermostatic mixing valve, must be installed so that hot water reaches the bathroom at the delivery temperature the plumbing standard sets. This applies whatever the type of system and wherever it is installed. The exception is a unit with a factory pre-set temperature supplying the bathrooms, and that exception does not apply in buildings such as aged care homes, childcare centres, schools and healthcare buildings (Building Commission NSW technical note on temperature control devices).

At the end of plumbing work, the plumber must complete a certificate of compliance and give a copy to the person who arranged the work (Building Commission NSW: plumbing inspection documents). Keep your copy with your property records.

Hot Water Tank Anode Replacement for Coastal Illawarra Homes

Storage tank systems, whether electric, gas or solar, have a sacrificial anode inside. It is a metal rod designed to corrode instead of the tank, and once it has worn away, the tank starts rusting from the inside.

Salt air and harder water speed this up, so tanks in suburbs like Shellharbour, Shell Cove, Thirroul and Port Kembla can lose their anode protection faster than systems further inland. We recommend checking the anode every 3 to 5 years. It is a small service that can add years to the tank’s life and save you an early replacement.

How to Book Hot Water Repairs or a New Hot Water System in Wollongong

Call us on 0416 101 022 or send an enquiry through our contact page. Tell us what is happening, whether that is no hot water, a leak, rising bills or an ageing system you are thinking of replacing, and tell us what type of system you have if you know it. We will get a plumber out to you, often on the same day.

When we arrive, we inspect the system, explain what we found and give you a clear, upfront quote before any work starts. We work across Wollongong, Dapto, Shellharbour, Albion Park and the wider Illawarra, and our emergency plumbing service is available 24 hours a day for a burst tank or a major leak.

$0 Call Out Fee | Contractor Licence 39901C | Available 24/7