When the hot water stops, most people brace for the worst: a whole new system and a four-figure bill. Sometimes that’s the reality, but often it isn’t. Plenty of “no hot water” calls end in a repair, not a replacement, and the difference comes down to what’s actually failed.
A blocked or failed valve is a repair. A split or ruptured tank is a replacement, no way around it. Both start with the same phone call, but they’re very different jobs, and that’s why there’s no single flat price for hot water.
To show what that looks like in practice, here are four real jobs we’ve done around Perth, priced at our current rates. Each one shows what went wrong, what it cost, and why it cost that. Prices include GST.
Need a hot water repair? There are no call-out fees. Call 1300 634 581 to book one of our local plumbers today.
Four Perth Hot Water Jobs and What They Cost
Suburb |
What caused the problem |
Work completed |
Cost including GST |
| Attadale | Blocked mixing valve and seized relief valve on a solar system | Mixing valve cleaned out and refitted, relief valve replaced | $407 |
| Kewdale | Failed tempering valve and seized relief valve | New tempering valve and relief valve, pipework adjusted to suit | $826.87 |
| Hammond Park | Split tank, plus a faulty tempering valve found during testing | Like-for-like Rheem Stellar 160L replacement and a new tempering valve | $3,826.95 |
| Ascot | Ruptured commercial heavy duty unit | New Rheem 50L heavy duty unit with new valves and pipework | $4,895 |
1. No Hot Water From a Solar System in Attadale
What went wrong
Hot water had slowed to a trickle through the whole house. When the flow drops at every tap at once, rather than at a single shower or sink, the problem is almost always at the system itself. In this case that was a solar hot water system on the roof, where its valves sit exposed to sun, heat and weather all year round. That’s hard on the parts that control how hot water leaves the tank, so the roof was where the answer was.
What it cost
$407
Why it cost that
We got up on the roof and pulled the temperature mixing valve apart, and found the hot side completely blocked. The hot relief valve was partially seized as well, leaking constantly and not shutting off. We cleaned out the mixing valve, reassembled and refitted it, and replaced the relief valve. Full hot water restored, no new system needed. We’d also seen this fault recur at this house before, and since the home was only about a year and a half old, we put it in writing that the owner should pursue the builder’s warranty rather than keep paying for the same repair. Sometimes the most valuable thing on the invoice is the advice.
2. Water Not Hot Enough in Kewdale
What went wrong
The hot water was lukewarm and the temperature kept fluctuating. That combination is the classic sign of a failed tempering valve, the safety valve that mixes hot and cold to a safe delivery temperature. As one starts to fail, it can no longer hold that mix steady, so the water drifts between too cool and warmer than expected. It’s easy to assume the whole system is on its way out, but the tank itself can be perfectly healthy while one small valve lets it down.
What it cost
$826.87
Why it cost that
We confirmed the tempering valve had failed and replaced it, adjusting the pipework to suit the new valve. While we were there, we found the relief valve had seized too, past the five-year replacement interval marked on the unit, so the customer had it replaced in the same visit and saved on a second call-out. Everything tested, site cleaned, and the existing hot water unit lives on. This is the job that surprises people: what feels like a dying system is often a couple of hundred dollars’ worth of valves, not thousands for a new tank.
3. A Split Tank in Hammond Park
What went wrong
Water was pooling at the base of the hot water system. Most storage tanks are made of steel, and over the years corrosion slowly works on them until the metal gives way and the tank splits. From then on, water escapes every time the tank refills, and the leak only gets worse. Once a tank splits, there’s no repairing it, the unit has to be replaced.
What it cost
$3,826.95
Why it cost that
The customer chose a like-for-like replacement with a new Rheem Stellar 160L. We pressure-tested the gas pipework first to confirm there were no leaks on the property, decommissioned and removed the old unit, installed the new one and connected it up. During commissioning we picked up low hot water pressure, traced it to a faulty tempering valve, and replaced that too with the customer’s approval, which is exactly why we test everything before we leave rather than just lighting it and driving off. The price covers the new unit, the valve, the gas work and the testing that catches problems while we’re still on site.
4. A Ruptured Commercial Unit in Ascot
What went wrong
At a commercial property, the old Rheem 50L heavy duty unit had ruptured and was leaking into its safe tray. Units in a business usually work far harder than a household system, reheating water again and again through the working day, and that constant cycling takes its toll on the tank. The safe tray did its job by catching the water before it could damage the building, but the unit itself was beyond saving.
What it cost
$4,895
Why it cost that
Commercial hot water units are built differently and cost more to buy and fit. We supplied and installed a new Rheem 50L heavy duty, and replaced the valves and pipework to suit the new unit, including the hot relief, cold relief and temperature mixing valves, rather than reusing tired valves on a brand-new system. We also removed and disposed of the old unit. The electrical disconnect and reconnect was handled by the customer’s electrician, which we set out clearly in the quote before starting, no surprises on either side.
Need a Hot Water Repair in Perth? Talk to Swan’s Professional Plumbing
If your hot water is playing up anywhere around Perth or Peel, give us a call. At Swan’s Professional Plumbing, our licensed Perth plumbers will ask a few questions, give you an honest steer on repair versus replace, and explain what’s involved before any work starts.
You’ll get upfront pricing with no call-out fees, and any gas work is done by our licensed gas fitters. No surprises on the invoice, just your hot water back on and peace of mind.
Members get 15% off the labour on every job, so if you use us regularly it’s worth asking how that works when you book.
Call us on 1300 634 581 or book online below.
FAQ
In the jobs above, valve repairs cost $407 and $826.87 (inc. GST). If the tank has split or ruptured, it can't be repaired. Replacing it cost $3,826.95 for a like-for-like home unit and $4,895 for a commercial heavy duty unit. The price comes down to what's actually failed.
It's the safety valve that mixes hot and cold water to a safe delivery temperature. Lukewarm water or a temperature that keeps fluctuating is the classic sign it has failed, and it can be replaced without replacing the whole unit.
It depends where the water is coming from. A seized relief valve can leak constantly and not shut off, which is usually a repair. Water pooling at the base of the unit can mean the tank has split, and once a tank splits, the unit has to be replaced.
The replacement interval is marked on the unit, and it's commonly five years. In the Kewdale job, the relief valve had seized past that interval, so it was replaced in the same visit as the tempering valve.
In Western Australia, gas work must be done by a licensed gas fitter. Our licensed gas fitters pressure-test the gas pipework for leaks before any work starts.
