There’s nothing worse than your hot water not working just when you want to take a hot shower. To prevent this from happening, here are some simple steps you can take.

Inspect your hot water tank regularly

It’s a good idea to check out your system once a month, looking for visible signs of wear and tear. The earlier you spot a problem, the easier it will be to get it fixed.

Going on holiday? Turn the tank off

If you’re going away for a couple of weeks or more, turn your hot water tank off so it’s not sitting idle when you’re away. This can give an extended life to your tank and will also save you some expense on your gas or electricity bill.

Don’t neglect the relief valve

Take the time to have a look at your relief valve on your hot water system once every six months. You can look in your hot water system’s manual to see how to do this. The relief valve is one of the most important elements to the hot water system, as it relieves excess pressure, so by ensuring hot water system maintenance you can avoid needless costly hot water system repairs.

Replace parts regularly

Rather than only replacing a part when it breaks in your hot water system, which can cause further damage to other parts of the hot water system, try and replace the elements regularly.

For example, most manufacturers recommend the tempering valve and temperature pressure relief valves are replaced once every five years. But if you are getting your hot water system serviced (and you should be – see our further tips below!) your plumber should inform you when this needs to happen.

Consider a different hot water system

Electrical hot water systems are slowly being phased out in Australia, and replaced with solar powered hot water systems. Of course, your maintenance for your hot water system will depend on the type of system you have. So if you have a specific maintenance question, call your plumber for further information.

However, it is a good idea to switch to solar power as you can save between $300 – $700 a year on your energy bill by making the switch – that adds up quickly over the years!

Get an annual service on your hot water system

Rather than waiting until your hot water system breaks down, get it serviced once a year to ensure it doesn’t break down at all. A professional plumber will be able to spot any issues with your system before they become expensive problems, and keep it in top nick.