Hot water check · 60 seconds
Is your hot water system on its way out?
Cold showers sooner than they used to come. Rusty water. A rumble from the tank. Pooling at the base. The signs a system's near the end are easy to miss until it quits mid-winter.
Answer a few quick questions about your system and snap the date plate. You'll get an instant read — green, amber or red — on where yours stands. No cost, no obligation. When something's actually wrong, you'll already know who to call.
01
Age of the system
What's happening
Most storage systems last about 10 years; continuous-flow closer to 15. Find the date plate — the sticker or metal label on the unit — and note the install or manufacture year.
Why it matters
Age is the single biggest predictor. A unit past its expected life will fail — and it almost always picks the coldest week to do it.
What's next
Not sure of the age? The date-plate photo in the check lets us confirm it for you.
02
Running out sooner than it used to
What's happening
Think about your showers. Does the hot water run out faster than it did a year or two ago, especially on back-to-back showers?
Why it matters
A tank that can't keep up often means a failing heating element or sediment build-up robbing it of capacity. It rarely gets better on its own.
What's next
Note how often it happens — the odd heavy-use day is different to cold showers most mornings. The check asks you exactly this.
03
Rusty or discoloured hot water
What's happening
Run the hot tap on its own for a moment. Is the water ever rusty, brown or cloudy — when the cold runs clear?
Why it matters
Rust in the hot water but not the cold usually means the inside of the tank is corroding. That's generally a replace, not a repair.
What's next
If you see it, it's worth acting before the tank fails outright. The check treats this as a strong signal.
04
Noises, leaks and pressure
What's happening
Listen for rumbling, popping or banging from the unit. Look for pooling water or a steady drip at the base. Notice any drop or surge in hot-water pressure.
Why it matters
Rumbling is sediment cooking on the bottom of the tank. Pooling water is often a tank starting to give way. Each one shortens the life left in the system.
What's next
Pooling water is the one to act on quickly — it doesn't fix itself. The check weighs all three together.
Prefer to talk to a person?
Prefer to just talk it through?
Not up for the questions? Give us a call and we'll talk it through, or drop us an email. Same team, same honest read — we'll tell you what we see.
Common questions
A few things people ask.
Is the result a proper inspection?
No — it's an indicative read based on your answers and the date-plate photo, not a formal inspection. It's a good guide to whether you're fine, should keep an eye on it, or should start planning a replacement. If you want certainty, we'll confirm with a proper look.
Is it really free?
Yes. The check costs nothing, there's no call-out fee to do it, and no obligation to book anything afterwards. If your result comes back green, we'll happily tell you there's nothing to do.
What happens after I submit?
You'll see your result straight away — green, amber or red — with a plain-English read. We also get your answers and your photo, so if you'd like a callback we already understand your system before we ring. No auto-call sequence, no pressure.
Do I have to buy a new system?
Not at all. Plenty of results come back green or amber — a service or a repair, not a replacement. And if it is time for a new one, we'll check whether yours is still under warranty first, and give you a fixed price before anything happens.
What photo should I take?
The date plate — the sticker or metal label on the unit listing the brand, model and date. It lets us confirm the age and model. A wider shot of the whole unit and anything you've noticed (rust, pooling) helps too.
We'd rather you didn't need us. When you do, we're here.
